ScholarUp

Happy New Year From ScholarUp!

ScholarUp is proud to serve as your go-to resource for scholarship and college-related news and advice. We have some great things planned for ScholarUp for 2013, including a new layout, new sections and contests!

Have a happy, successful and exciting 2013!

Happy Holidays from ScholarUp!

We hope you enjoy your holiday, no matter what it is you do!

Back-to-School Resources

The 2012-2013 school year is well underway, but it can never hurt to have an additional resource for all your school-related questions and research. Check out Fastweb's Back to School 2012 page for help with scholarships, college searches and more!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

How are you helping to spread the word about breast cancer prevention?

Have We Become Slaves to Technology?

Facebook. Twitter. E-mail. iPad. YouTube. Blogs. FourSquare.

How many of these do you use daily? Perhaps multiple times a day? What about the ones not mentioned?

Our lifestyles are becoming increasingly dependent upon and integrated with new technology and social media. Young people - like college students - are typically quick adopters when it comes to new gadgets and tech upgrades. Over the last several years, more and more colleges and universities have jumped on the technology bandwagon by integrating handheld devices and newer technology into their curriculum and campus environments. Sure, technological advancements can and often do make things faster, easier and more efficient- but at what cost?

A recent article in Newsweek Magazine explores the effect of technology and the Internet on our social, physical and psychological well-being. It's an interesting read, so check it out and let me know your thoughts.

You can give your feedback on the blog or other ScholarUp social media. I guess that means the answer to the title question, for us, is Yes.  

Commencement Entertainment, Courtesy of YouTube

YouTube has compiled its list of Top 10 Commencement Videos of 2012 - if you weren't lucky enough to experience one of these moments first-hand, get ready for some surprising and funny moments.  

 

http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/ccp/youtubes-top-10-commencement-videos-of-2012

Did something amazing or shocking happen at your commencement but didn't make this list? Share them with us - and if you have video, even better!

The Art of Waiting

If you are a college-bound student who has already received decision letters from the colleges to which you applied, be grateful. You get to experience the relief that comes with finding out whether you got in and excitement of planning your future, while some of your peers must continue to wait.

If you are in that "other" group - the wait-listed or deferred - don't be discouraged. There are still some things you can do to move forward in your college-planning process. Check out this post from The Choice, a college blog of the New York Times, for tips and resources for college applicants in limbo:

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/what-to-do-while-on-a-college-wait-list/#

Three Years and Done?

If you are a high school or college student, chances are you have heard the phrase "College is the best four years of your life" at least once from a friend or family member. College is still considered a rite of passage, as well as an investment in one's future - but the quintessential college experience certainly does not come cheap. Tuition rates at colleges and universities around the country continue to rise and recent changes to federal financial aid legislation could greatly impact many American families' ability to pay higher education costs. Four years of tuition, room and board, book fees, etc. can add up to some serious debt - and of course, not all students finish in four years.

To combat the current financial obstacles to going to college, some schools - like Baldwin-Wallace College and American University - have introduced three-year undergraduate degree programs. These programs help students and their families save money on tuition and student loans while also enabling the student to enter the workforce earlier.

Less debt after graduation is certainly an incentive, but would you be willing to cut your college experience short?

Read more about the trend toward three-year degree progams in this U.S. News and World Report story and let me know your thoughts.

Give Your Valentine's Day a Makeover

Celebrating Valentine's Day can be romantic and fun - but with the pressure to buy gifts and go to a fancy dinner, it can also be expensive.

Higher education blogger Kelci Lynn Lucier recently offered up these tips for a nontraditional Valentine's Day, no significant other required:

• Spend the day volunteering
• Organize a campus event focused on loving yourself, relationship issues or a healthy sex life
• Hang out with your friends 

Here are a few more ideas, straight from the folks here at ScholarUp:

• Plan a cozy night in: With a few decorations and a little creativity, even your dorm room can transform into a romantic setting
• Embrace your sporty side: Buy tickets to a game on campus, hit up the bowling alley or batting cages, or try a new class at the gym
• Keep it simple: Order takeout and pick up a movie on Redbox - it's cheap, easy and you don't have to deal with traffic or crowds. Pizza, anyone?