Is there a link between getting education — especially higher education — and health?

CNN inferred there was a correlation between the two in an article about the healthiest cities in the United States.  The healthiest city –according to the Centers for Disease Control — is Burlington, Vermont, and the unhealthiest city is Huntington, West Virginia.  These two cities are strikingly similar when it comes to demographics, except for one thing — over 40 percent of residents in Burlington have at least a college degree, while only about 15 percent of the folks in Huntington do.

In a report that seems to confirm the hypothesis that there’s a correlation between health and education, the National Institute of Aging has repeatedly found that there’s a strong link between longevity and education, and that, in fact the only factor that had a stronger correlation with health was smoking.

Interesting, huh?

1. Know your stuff- Look over old tests and old quizzes to see what you don’t know or where your weakest points are. Once you know where you are weakest, you can begin by studying those things, since they are the most important. This doesn’t mean you should overlook what you already did well on. Be sure to also spend time on things you know well, a little review never hurt to make sure you know your stuff!

2. Talk to your teachers- If you have any questions concerning the final or materials, ask your teacher! That’s what your teachers are for, to answer questions you may have. So if you want to know what’s on the final (if they will tell you!) or just want some extra practice with some subjects you find rather difficult, talk to your teacher.

3. Relax the night before- Much like taking a standardized test, relaxing the night before is important. Staying up late into the night to cram last minute material will not help you. So go to bed at a decent time, do something you enjoy, and don’t freak out about the final!

4. Find somewhere to study- Somewhere where you won’t be bothered by your little brother/sister or anyone else that may be a potential distraction. If this means shutting yourself up in your room with no phone, then do that. Studying without distractions will help you go much more quickly through your review.

5. Go into the room prepared- I know this may seem like common sense, but going into your classroom with all appropriate materials is crucial. I remember taking a math final and the teacher wouldn’t loan a student, who forgot their calculator, one to use on the test. She wouldn’t let anyone give her one either. So double-check before class starts that you have everything you need, whether that’s an assignment to turn in or a calculator and pencils, make sure you have it!

Do these things and I bet finals will be much less stressful. Be confident and you will have no problem with your finals.

When I was a professor, I was pretty lenient with my students. I let students turn in things late if they had a decent excuse, and bent lots of other rules as well.  But there was one rule where I never exercised leniency with students, and that was plagiarism.  If I could prove that a student had plagiarized a paper, that was an automatic failure for the course and a report to the dean’s office.  End of story.

Why was I so serious about plagiarism?  Because plagiarism is seriously wrong.  Here are ten good reasons why students should avoid plagiarism:

1) It’s stealing and lying. Stealing and lying are wrong, remember?  Stealing someone else’s words and putting your own name on these words is wrong.  And even if you have permission from the original author to do this, you’re still lying to your teacher.  This isn’t exactly an ethically gray area.

2) Writing skills. You need them.  Trust me.  Jobs where you don’t need to know how to be a proficient writer are few and far between these days.  Writing assignments teach two things: first, whatever it is that the course is about, but second and perhaps more importantly, writing assignments are about writing practice.

3) Consequences.  Check your school’s policies about plagiarism.  It might involve failing an assignment, failing a class, or worse.  Usually, getting caught cheating multiple times means suspension or expulsion.  It’s not worth it.

4) Professors aren’t stupid. I was always amazed by some of the ridiculously poor attempts some students made at cheating.  There’s the classic “copy from Wikipedia” strategy.  Duh!  If a professor suspects cheating, they first thing she does is a Google search.   But even “smart” cheating often doesn’t get past professors. They may not be able to catch the cheater, but if the writing is significantly different than the student’s other work, they can still tell.  Which brings me to my next point.

5) Professors are vindictive.  It’s true.  If a professor has a pretty good idea that a student has cheated — even if there’s no physical evidence — the professor’s opinion of the student will go down the tubes.  Professors see plagiarism as a personal insult since, after all, it shows a pretty blatant amount of disrespect for the professor and the class.  So when it comes down to giving that student a grade for other assignments, well, watch out!

6) Technology. Has a teacher ever asked you to turn in a paper in digital form?  That’s probably because your professor has access to anti-plagiarism technology.  There are several kinds.  Some schools buy software that allows them to easily search for similar work.  Other schools just save copies of papers for popular classes and compare new papers against the old ones.  In other words, it’s easier to catch plagiarizers than ever.

7) Plagiarism doesn’t necessarily fulfill the assignment requirements. One of the easiest ways that professors can prevent plagiarism is by giving assignments that have very specific requirements. That way, if a student tries to turn in a paper from another class for this assignment, that student will get a low grade because the requirements weren’t filled — plus the teacher may suspect plagiarism since the student didn’t do the assignment per the specific requirements.  I used this trick all the time, and lots of other professors use this too!

8 ) Don’t even think about using “paper mill’ websites!  Yes, there are websites where you can pay someone to write a paper for you.  These sites typically are (a) very expensive, (b) deliver terrible quality products, and/or c) are a scam.  Sometimes these sites hire people from developing nations to write the papers for cheap — which means the writers may not be native English speakers, and it shows.  And again, even if a student manages to get a decent paper this way, the professor still may be able to tell it’s plagiarized, which gets back to that “vindictive” thing.

9) Anxiety. You think test anxiety is bad?  Imagine sitting there in class waiting to get back the paper you plagiarized, or losing sleep because you’re worried that you’re going to get caught.  It’s not worth it.

10) There are better alternatives.  In my experience, most students cheat because they are desperate.  They have a huge deadline and can’t meet it, so they find another option.   This can be avoided through better time management, or by asking a professor ahead of time for a short extension.  Or if you’re really stuck, many professors will accept a paper late for a certain number of days with a lateness penalty.  The lateness penalty is a much better alternative than cheating.  If anything, an honest and adult, “I’m really sorry, I just didn’t have time to finish the assignment,” will be much better received than a plagiarized paper.

Saturday after her auditions for district band/orchestra, we loaded up with her mom and grandma and headed to Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota. After a nine hour drive (that felt more like a 20 hour drive!) we arrived at our hotel and called it an early night; and found it amazing how tired you can be after a day of merely driving. That next morning we woke up a little later and had brunch, then headed to the Mall of America! I had been once a few years ago, but the last of my group had never been so the three of them were extremely excited to see and shop. After shopping from opening to close, we grabbed dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory, and then headed back to the hotel because we had a very important day coming up!

Monday we made our way to the small, quaint town of Northfield, Minn. to visit Carleton and St. Olaf. Despite the chilly weather, we had a blast at Carleton and really enjoyed everything it seemed to offer. After a tour and interview, we met up with a friend who is currently attending Carleton for lunch and a quick tour of Northfield. After a few free hours, we mad our way to St. Olaf. Unfortunately after a tour and interview with St. Olaf, my friend and myself decided that St. Olaf wasn’t a school we were still interested in. This wasn’t because St. Olaf is a bad school, we just decided that it didn’t have what we wanted.

After a tiring day of two college visits, we woke up early Monday and headed to Macalester, which is located in St. Paul. After a visit and interview (like the other schools), I decided I wanted to apply to this school. I had looked at it online before, but I couldn’t remember why they weren’t on my list in the first place! This goes to show just how important campus visits are!

Campus visits can show you how a school really is and whether it’s for you. So if you are on the edge and have the chance to visit the school, I strongly suggest it because it’s better to visit and know than not visit and always wonder what that school could have been like!

According to BusinessWeek, a small handful of colleges in the United States offer special situations that allow students to attend school sans tuition.  Some of these schools specialize in a particular topic, while others offer a work-study program, in which students participate instead of paying tuition.  These schools are known as tuition free colleges, or full scholarship colleges.

Here are some of America’s tuition free colleges:

1) The Cooper Union of the Advancement of Science and Art

Located in the West Village of New York City, this unique institution was founded on the principle that education should be free and accessible to all.  The school offers degrees in fine arts, engineering, and architecture (which it’s probably known for best), and as you can imagine, it’s a very selective institution.

2. College of the Ozarks

Located in a remote area in Missouri near Branson, this Christian liberal arts college offers a work-study program that pays for tuition.  Students work at jobs that help maintain the campus for 15 hours a week — occasionally more — and that covers their tuition.  The school proudly bears the nickname “Work Hard U.”

3. Deep Springs College

Deep Springs is an all-male two year college located in the remote Owens Valley of California, about 45 minutes from the nearest town of Bishop.  Deep Springs is a truly unique place that only admits about 10 to 20 students per year, and students pay for their tuition through work-study, which is related to the cattle and alfalfa farm where the school resides. Students are not allowed to interact with the outside world during the semester.  Sound bizarre?  Maybe, but virtually all students go on to four year schools, and a huge percentage earn master’s or doctorate degrees — many at prestigious institutions.

4) The Curtis Institute of Music

The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, and U.S. News and World Report ranks it to be the single most selective school in the United States.  The school only admits enough students to fill an orchestra — plus some additional vocal musicians — so there’s only about 150 students.  All students who are able to get in are on full scholarship.

All of this means that this could be an exciting and innovative new time for education in the United States!

So who should Obama pick?  According to U.S. News and World Reports, these are some of the possibilities.

1) Joel Klein

One of the front runners is rumored to be Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, which is the largest school system in the United States.  As chancellor, Klein has fought to increase teacher accountability and for the creation of charter schools.

2) James Hunt

This former four-term governor of North Carolina is recognized as a leader in education because of the innovations he enacted in his state.  He fought for higher academic standards and started a statewide preschool program.  He has been quoted as saying, “Education is our future – it’s everything. We must not settle for anything short of excellence in our schools.”

3) Linda Darling-Hammond

Darling-Hammond was the educational advisor for Obama’s campaign, which might give her a leg up.  She is the Charles E. Ducommon Professor of Education at Stanford University, and is the author and editor of 300 books about educational policy and practice.  She also headed the prestigious National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future panel.

4) Arne Duncan

Arne Duncan is the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, so he’s Obama’s hometown favorite. Like Joel Klein in New York, Duncan has brought about dramatic changes in the Chicago schools.  He’s closed down under-performing schools and has enriched the city’s science and math curriculum.

5) Colin Powell

An unlikely choice? Maybe, but Powell has more experience with education than you might think.  He’s the founder of America’s Promise Alliance, an organization comprised of business and educational leaders that has called attention to the nation’s high dropout rate.  After Colin Powell’s heartfelt endorsement of Obama, which was political gold, it seems likely that Powell might find himself with an offer to serve the Obama administration in some capacity.

However, you might want to keep your undies under wraps (which is usually a good idea anyways).  According to the Boston Herald, not everyone at the Catholic college is thrilled that Victoria’s Secret has included Boston College in the list of schools for their new college-themed collection.  These new products feature the names of schools emblazoned on sweatpants, T-shirts, shorts, and yes, underwear.  Products with the names of about 30 schools — including Boston College — are available. In exchange for this partnership,  the schools receive an undisclosed amount.

What’s the fuss?  Well, since Boston College is a Catholic and fairly conservative school, some feel that it’s thoroughly inappropriate for the school to partner with Victoria’s Secret.  Although the college products themselves are not racy, the company is well known for marketing racy lingerie and other sexy products.  As critics have pointed out, the college products have been displayed in the store in full view of not-so-Catholic attire.

Other critics argue that Victoria’s Secret objectifies women through its advertising and marketing of products, and that because of this, it’s sexist for universities to partner with such an organization.  For this reason, the University of Minnesota has backed out of their previous deal with Victoria’s Secret.

All of this makes perfect sense to me.  Respecting a school’s religious values and denouncing the objectification of women — who can argue with that?

At the same time, though, there’s another side to this story, which is that the products in this Victoria’s Secret line are perfectly tame — as are many of the products this company sells.  Check out their collection of college sweatpants and hoodies — and even their underwear (which, as far as I’m concerned, is only obscene because they want $24.50 for two pairs of cotton undies).  This is the kind of comfortable stuff you can buy at any college bookstore in the country.

I mean, do these girls look objectified to you?  They look like pretty ordinary girls heading off to class.  They might even be Catholic.

I’m not sure what I think.  How about you?   Is this Victoria’s Secret line demeaning because much of their marketing objectifies women?  Is it inappropriate to market Victoria’s Secret products on the campus of a Catholic college?  Or is this no big deal, since the products themselves are not overly sexual?

At any rate, here are seven nice things you can do for your parents when you come home for Thanksgiving.

1. Thank your parents. It’s Thanksgiving, after all, so let your parents know how grateful you are to have them in your life.  Tell them how grateful you are to have a home to return to for the holidays.  If they are helping you pay for your college education, by all means, thank them repeatedly for this wonderful gift that many parents cannot provide.
2. Spend time with your parents. Are you going to sleep until noon and then head out the door immediately to hang out with your high school friends — and only visit with your parents during the mandated turkey time?  Guess what?  Your parents miss you, and hope that you see their home as more than just a hotel.  Schedule some actual activities with the folks — and yes, you should take the initiative to ask.
   
3. Help out with Thanksgiving dinner — and other chores.  You’re a grownup, so be a grownup house guest.  Do your share of the dishes, offer to make the stuffing and the cranberry sauce, and avoid being a total slob.  If something needs fixing or cleaning around the house, surprise your parents and be handy.  And don’t show up with a huge bin of laundry– unless you intend to do it yourself.
4. Ask your parents about their lives. Your parents will probably have lots of questions for you about how school is going.  But guess what?  They have lives too, and now that you’re transitioning towards having an adult relationship, it’s a nice idea to show some curiosity about their jobs, activities, health, and so forth.
5. Tell your parents about your life. Within reason, of course!  Yes, there are details you don’t want your parents to know.  However, there are plenty of things you do in your everyday life at school that are appropriate to share with your parents, and they will appreciate this.
6. Obey house rules.  For many parents and kids, rules such as curfews, mandated chores, and other “house rules” are the biggest source of conflict over breaks.  After all, at college, students can do whatever they want, so these rules from high school are a real drag.  However, keep in mind that this is your parents’ house, so you really do have to do what they say.  However, if there’s a rule that you think ought to be amended, sit down with them and have a polite adult discussion.
7. Bring home a gift. Everyone feels special when they’re given a present, especially a “just thinking of you” kind of present.  It doesn’t have to be expensive.  Perhaps you can stop in the school book store and buy a T-shirt or key chain that says “Mom/Dad of a (Fill in Your School) Student.”

Recently, our college advisers have mentioned that some colleges have supposedly been getting onto applicants’ Facebooks and looking through their information, such as friends pictures, and your general information. Upon some of my friends hearing this, they become a little apprehensive of what was on their Facebook pages and began to “clean up” their profiles.

Although this may not seem like a fair thing to do to applicants, it may be a smart thing for colleges because some of the better colleges will want someone who isn’t a huge party goer. Or at least someone who doesn’t flaunt pictures of themselves at parties online. So I guess what I’m trying to say is be sure everything on Facebook is appropriate because you are never sure who will be looking at your Facebook. Or if you don’t think there is anything inappropriate, then don’t sweat it. Even if you have a little fear, it might be a good idea to look over everything on there just to be safe. It wouldn’t be very cool if you didn’t get into a college because they looked at your Facebook and they weren’t happy with what they saw.

So the next time you go to a party or decide to wear a not so appropriate costume, think twice before putting those pictures on facebook because you never know who might be looking at them!

At the beginning of the football season, I mentioned rivalsHIGH, a website that ranks high school football teams from around the nation. I just recently looked at the rankings again and noticed they have changed some.

Here are the top five schools for high school football teams, according to rivalsHIGH:

1. Trinity in Euless, TX

2. St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

3. Armwood in Seffner, FL

4. Gateway in Monroeville, PA

5. Poly in Long Beach, CA

rivalHIGH also breaks rankings up into regions across the nation:

#1 in the Atlantic East: Gateway in Monroeville, PA

#1 in Great Lakes: St. Ignatius in Cleveland, OH

#1 in Heartland: Trinity in Euless, TX

#1 in The South: St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft Lauderdale, FL

#1 in The West: Poly in Long Beach, CA

So if you see your school listed on here, congrats on such an outstanding season! Be sure to look at the other rankings to see if your school is listed on the site, either because of being ranked nationally or regionally!