Grace Groner was a very sweet woman. Living through the Great Depression caused her to be very frugal with her limited income. She lived in a small, one-bedroom house. She never bought a car, because walking was free. She bought all of her clothes in rummage sales. Her house only had “a few plain pieces of furniture, some mismatched dishes, and an old television.”

Grace had attended Lake Forest College when she was younger, and evidently held the school close to her heart. Grace died in January 2010. A little bit later, her attorney told the president of Lake Forest College that Grace had left her inheritance to the school.

How much could a woman who could afford to wear second-hand clothes have in savings? The president of Lake Forest College was shocked to learn that Grace had $7 million.

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A lot of students decide to spend a summer, semester, or even an entire year studying abroad. Many students do a foreign exchange program through their home university; others travel with a private company.

Studying abroad can be a wonderful learning experience. I spent a summer abroad in Costa Rica when I was 19. While abroad, I learned a new language and a new culture, among other countless things I learned about myself as a person.
If you are planning to study abroad, try to keep the following tips in mind in order to get the very most out of your experience.

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Everyone knows how hard you are supposed to work in college in order to succeed. It is expected that you wake up for your 8:00 am class every morning; you sit in the front row of every class and interact with the professors; you read the chapter and supplemental materials before the class they are due for; when the professor asks for a volunteer, your hand is the first in the air.

Basically, if you want to succeed in college, you have to be a mega-nerd and dedicate yourself 115 percent to every class you take. Speaking of classes, you should probably enroll in 18 hours each semester so that you can graduate early.

Okay, so maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. But, to a degree, that is what college is: Alot of studying, reading, and research. If you do everything right, you might get an “A” in the class, or you might not.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if college was more about slacking off all day and partying all night? Well, if you want to escape for an hour or two and enjoy an alternative universe, check out our list of top five If Only College Really Was Like This movies.

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Here's my OnlineStudentPlanner for this week!

Being in college is probably one of the busiest times of my life. I have never had more assignments to turn in, tests to study for, and jobs to work.

I’ve tried several ways to stay on top of things. I used to try to keep an agenda in my head, but I’d always forget something. Then I tried a notebook agenda, but I didn’t like writing everything down and eventually regressed to trying to remember it all.

But now, a new website has solved my planning problems!

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When I filled out my college application form, the worst part was the essay. I struggled with it for days: “Tell us about yourself. What’s your typical day like? What are your interests? Who are you, really?”

Eek! 

How can I fully describe myself in 500 words? How can my dynamic personality pop off a page that only has black ink on it? That’s quite a challenge, if you ask me.

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College campuses are some of the greatest places in the academic world. Each one is different, but they all have a feeling of limitless possibilities, newly discovered passions, and a dedication to accomplishing higher goals. When you step onto a college campus, you can’t help but smile (unless it’s finals week, but we won’t talk about that).

Most news stories we see on the television or read in the paper are the complete opposite. They bring us news of suffering people in foreign countries, rising economic stresses, and violence among neighbors. I personally avoid the news whenever I can, because it leaves me feeling depressed and discouraged, like there’s nothing I can do to improve the world around me.

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Now, this might be a little biased, but I have to say that The University of Oklahoma is the best school in the country.

Okay, it might be a lot biased, but I do have my reasons for thinking this. I also don’t think I’m alone in my belief that my school is the best thing to ever happen to higher education. I’m betting that most college students think their school tops all others. Maybe Harvard has the best swimming team and maybe Rutgers has the best football team.

Every school has its own claim to fame, and now Madison Square Gardens is recognizing that.

MSG.com has created a website for college students to determine which of the 16 Big East schools is the best.

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It’s almost Spring Break! A week free from school, worries, and responsibilities, where all you have to do is what you want to do.

You could go home and see family and friends that you haven’t seen since winter break. You could put in some extra hours at your job and earn some extra money. You could just kick back and relax. Or, if you are like many other high school and college students, you could go on a vacation with your friends.

Where should you go? This list is the most popular Spring Break destinations in the country.

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It’s finally here! An entire week off from school and it’s time to travel and explore!

If you have a passport, Spring Break is a wonderful time to put it to good use. Many students travel within the country during Spring Break, but if you are adventurous enough, this is a great time to grab some friends and see the world.

Here are the top five international Spring Break destinations for high school and college students.

1.    Cancun, Mexico. Let’s be honest. When someone says Spring Break, Cancun is the first place many people think of for students to travel to. This Mexican beach spot has sun, sand, ocean, and plenty of bars and clubs for a great nightlife. Last year, around 30,000 students traveled to Cancun for Spring Break. Also, there are plenty of companies that cater to students who want to go to Cancun for Spring Break. These companies make it as affordable as possible. This is a great destination if you want to party all night, get your tan on, and not pay too much money.

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This year the Super Bowl will be a showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. On February 7, 2010, millions of football fans will spend their Sunday night in front of their TVs, cheering on their favorite team.

If you’re not a huge football fan, there are still two huge positives of watching the Super Bowl: The commercials and the food!

Everyone knows that advertising companies shell out the big bucks to play their best commercials during the Super Bowl, and some people (including yours truly) watch the game just to watch the commercials. Of course, the yummy finger foods are also a major plus for this Super Sunday.

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