Instead of the typical polyester gown that we are all familiar with, a manufacturer has developed a graduation gown made out of recycled plastic. What is interesting is that people who have worn these gowns say they are far from uncomfortable. Reports from CB Online showed that the people who tried on the recycled gowns felt the material was actually an improvement of the polyester, feeling lighter and softer.

Another option for a “green” graduation gown is using biodegradable material, which is supposed to decompose after roughly a year. There’s little harm trashing the gown if it is merely going to dissipate after a matter of time.

The idea of reusing gowns is also an important part of going green for graduation. Many schools encourage their students to return the gowns afterwards, so the material does not go to waste… literally.

Despite their similarity in appearance to the original, the unfortunate part about these degradable and recycled plastic gowns is that they are more expensive for students. This probably explains why so many schools have opted to stick with polyester instead of following this new recycled fashion.

Old habits die hard, I am afraid. Every new innovation has to start somewhere. I believe that if the recycled gowns prove to be a smash, we will all be seeing much more of them in future graduation ceremonies. However, considering the current economy, perhaps this new wave of “green” graduation gowns will become popular once the prices begin to drop.

If anyone has tried one of these “green” gowns, please feel free to let the rest of us know what you think of them. Are they actually comfortable? Do they look cheap? Do you feel good knowing that you are helping to preserve the environment?

While the average GPAs for public schools is at a 3.0, private schools are at a 3.3. This may not seem that dramatic a difference, though it may explain why some employers are impressed with degrees earned from private schools. People expect something a little extra from a private school compared to a public.

Depending on various perspectives, this could be seen as good or bad news. If students are forced to pay more to attend a private school, they should be expecting a better education, which will in-turn provide them better grades in the long haul, and possibly a better profile in future employers’ eyes. However, for those who cannot afford a private school, this information may be a bit disheartening. Why should privileged individuals be the only ones allowed the opportunity to earn higher grades?

Then again, the difference between GPAs may not be as dramatic as some people would like. For students who are struggling to pay that extra money for a private education, they may be hoping and expecting an even higher average than 3.3.

Of course, we should speculate the reasons why students earn higher grades in a private school. Not everyone earns a high GPA just because they attend a private school, obviously. Students have to apply themselves in order to get good grades. A 3.3 average is not a guarantee for every student. I would be willing to speculate that the higher GPAs may be the result of a different state of mind when attending a private school.

I know that if I had been able to attend Stanford University (like I had so dreamed of doing) I probably would have applied myself even harder than I did at my local university. I would have felt pressured to make the most of the money being spent on a prestigious institution. I would have had to sacrifice to attend such a school, and being among that kind of atmosphere would have made me feel obligated to try to fit in with the rest of the crowd.  If I could not fit in with the rest of the ritzy crowd, at least I could try to impress others with my grades and dedication.

My point is that there would be higher expectations in going to a private school. Not only from the students, but maybe additional pressure from the parents who may be paying for their children’s education, as well.

In short, earning a better education could be a state of mind. If you cannot afford a private school, then do your best to apply yourself as best you can at a public college. That does not mean that private schools are not all that they are chalked up to be. But, not all students have to attend a high-end college to earn a good GPA.

What are other people’s thoughts on the differences between private and public colleges?

A recent article by the Washington Post reported that the number of students being able to transfer to high standing four-year colleges have lowered for the newer generation. This is definitely disheartening news considering the current state of the economy, and most students’ opting for a more inexpensive education through a community college.

Supposedly, the community college are just as prepared for the universities, if not more so, than the freshmen who are entering the four-year schools. So, if the transfer inhibitions are not based on a student’s abilities, then what else is the problem?

Since it is the more prestigious schools that give the most difficulty in the transferring programs, it would seem that snobbery may play a big role in the acceptance of transfer students. Perhaps the fancier schools are offended that students are only completing the last half of their education within the universities. Or, maybe those schools are merely trying to earn more money by accepting students who will pay for a full four years over students who will only pay for two.

Whatever the reason, it seems that if a student cannot afford to get into an esteemed university when they initially start their college education, they may have to forget the idea all together. Chances are, those prominent schools may be out of range for students who are on a tighter budget anyway.

At least students can feel confident that whatever junior college they attend will undoubtedly have a transfer program for a familiar four-year college. So, make your choices wisely with the community college you pick, and do some research into the transfer programs offered and which schools are affiliated.

Has anyone had any transferring stories of their own they would like to share? Was it difficult or easy?

The idea is to get all of the students to eventually use iPads. But why? Have these schools made an agreement with the iPad company? Not that anyone knows of. From one perspective, it may just seem that the colleges are trying to seem more prestigious. The college that gives iPads away to their students is going to seem more appealing to students.

I haven’t heard of Yale or Harvard offering their students these free gadgets yet. This kind of initiative puts Seton Hill and George Fox a step ahead of other schools. It helps them stand out as they keep up with the latest technology. Spending this kind of money on the students is also a way of appearing well-to-do. With the entire country dealing with an economic deficit, these expenditures suggest that these schools have little worry with regard to budgets.

From my own point of view, I look at the iPad as merely a luxury that students should spend their own money on. Although the colleges are trying to use these gadgets as a means of supporting their college courses, perhaps these schools should consider whether or not these technological advances won’t act as further distractions in class, like laptops and cellphones.

I would like to hear the opinions of other people on this subject. Is this kind of thing just a marketing ploy or is it truly beneficial?

Ashley is an art student way out in Bloomfield Hills, MI. What’s she doing there? She attends the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Sound ritzy or prominent? It is. She declares, “I am a Masters of Fine Arts Candidate in Metalsmithing.”

Interesting major. While studying for her Bachelor’s degree in California she was practicing her metal work and producing one of a kind pieces of jewelry. She continues her studies and work over at Cranbrook. I asked her to share a little about her school with us.

“All of the departments here are open to contemporary ideologies of art including interdisciplinary explorations and material openness. The school in general is the only dedicated Graduate only Art Academy in North America. It has ten departments and a really fantastic history with both the Booth family and the Saarinen family.”

Turns out, the Saarinen and the Booth families are very important people in the up and comings of Cranbrook. The former birthing the architect and co-designer of the school and releasing upon the world the designer of the Tulip Chair. The Booths, Ashley goes on to explain, held onto roots in a newspaper in Detroit and used a large portion of the profits of the newspaper to found the Cranbrook Educational Community. I asked her if she felt that her work will flourish or grow there:

“I know that it already has and that it will continue to do so. In my department in particular, one of the explorative emphasis (is) on materiality and the effect of material on concept. Becoming aware of this is enough to let me know that I have a better awareness of what I’m doing in my studio practice.”

So it seems like Graduate school and school in general helps an artist further their work. I inquired about what she looked towards doing after graduation.

“There’s the hope and dream, and then there’s the practicality. Our field is flooded. We’re taught to believe that we’re each individual snowflakes. But the truth is: there’s a blizzard outside. Ideally, I’d love to be a functioning, eating studio artist abroad (where my field is more developed). But in all actuality I know that I’ll have to suck it in, work my butt off, and hold on by the skin of my teeth to get by. There are two parts of every artist. The part that wants to express their views and opinions of the world and the part that wants to eat.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Glad I didn’t try. Now, where’s my grad school app? I need to…

STUDY HARD!

The main difference between these two types of colleges is the maturity level. The maturity in the atmosphere, among the students, the counselors, and even among the teachers has an effect on how the campus presents itself. Although this may not affect every student, the more studious types may be a little bothered seeing that some of the junior college classrooms are sometimes not that different from a high school classroom.

Students just entering college from high school are the dominant populace on a junior college campus. If there are behaviors on campus that are similar to a high school it is probably because many of the students have just come from high school. There are also plenty of high school students who take classes at a junior college as extra credit to graduate from their local high school. Although it would be easy to simply blame the young students for an immature atmosphere, I have also witnessed plenty of middle-aged adults who break the same rules as the young ones, This shows that it is not just the age of a student that affects their maturity. So, what is it about a junior college that makes people behave in such a juvenile fashion?

Walking into class 15-30 minutes late, constantly being told to stop talking in class, and often bringing food into the classroom are all signs of immaturity, and are all more frequently found in a junior college class than a university class. These actions not only show disrespect to the fellow students and teachers, but they show disrespect to a person’s education. As much as I hate to say it, I am almost of the belief that it is the cheaper cost of a 2- year college that makes students act disrespectfully to their education.

There have been many studies on how people treasure what costs them more, as opposed to something they get for free. I once read that it is unwise to give a litter of kittens away for free because people don’t feel that they put any real effort into getting their new pet, so they do not feel much loss when they just dump the cat in the street after the little fur ball has become a nuisance. Usually, people seem to have more respect for the things they have to earn. Is this the same for a college education? Maybe, getting a cheaper education at a junior college makes people respect their education less than if they were to pay so much more for it at a university. Although I don’t support the recent increase in prices per units, I do wonder if raising the tuition for junior colleges will actually make students behave more maturely in class.

It almost seems that only students who are more financially stable can afford to have a more serious education with fewer distractions during their lectures or study time in the library. I am all for saving money and avoiding getting oneself into debt, but I would have gone straight to a 4-university if I could have afforded it. Maybe I sound like a study snob, but I would get very annoyed with other students who fooled around during lectures as I was trying to pay attention, or who had loud conversations in the school’s library while I tried to study for my classes.

Being able to afford a university is the main thing that stands in the way of a student and his or her education. Although student loans are always an option for the struggling student, I avoided these like the plague because I was afraid of being up to my neck in bills as soon as I got out of college. So, I opted for the junior college experience to save myself some cash.

Switching to a university held a completely different atmosphere than a junior college. Students rarely came to class late or skipped out early. I don’t think I have ever seen a student come into class with a bag of McDonalds. And it was very rare to see a teacher have to shush students for speaking in the middle of a lecture. These students had to pay more for their education; they had to sacrifice more for it, which is probably why most of them took their classes so much more seriously.

When it comes to student services, does money matter?

I love many things in life–knee high polka-dotted socks, the way the distant roar of the freeway can sound like the ocean, buttered popcorn–but one thing I love and appreciate more and more is great customer service. I have never been a demanding or expecting person, but it seems that the service side of most industries has fallen by the wayside. I am increasingly noticing bad service when I get it versus good service when I get it, and there is an interesting correlation between the price of a commodity and how good the service is you get with that item. In other words, you get what you pay for.

On a small scale, consider buying clothes from Ross–don’t get me wrong, I love their prices, but the clothes don’t necessarily fit you all that well. Plus, their service is beyond awful. The line to get out the door is intense, the racks are hard to navigate, and they put their extremely sticky price stickers on places that are hard to remove them from, like the front of a fuzzy album cover or the pane of a picture frame.

A notch up from Ross might be somewhere like Forever 21, whose quality of clothing fit and cashier excellence is a little better, though they do warn you that after 21 days you’re never returning anything to them. And from there, probably Nordstrom, where people swarm around you asking if you’d like to sample perfume. With brands like Rock and Republic and Seven for All Man Kind, the fit of the their clothes is even better and the quality is higher, though the cost of all this glitzy fit is curving sharply upward.

Well, imagine taking this to an even more ritzy store, like Armani Exchange or Ted Baker. You are paying more than a pretty penny (and maybe more than a hundred thousand pretty pennies in some cases) for clothing at stores like these, and you might be wondering what the point is. Yes, the clothes fit really well and the people working there are beyond nice, offering you sparkling water to sip as you perform the odious task of trying on clothes. But darn it if a dress costs more than going out to a nice dinner with drinks seven days in a week. What are you really paying for?

Service.

I have a friend who bought a very expensive and very attractive, but still almost wildly expensive sweater from John Varvatos. Well, a week later a button on the sweater falls off. Frustrated, he heads back to John Varvatos, and a magical thing happened: my friend was recognized right away–the sales clerk remembered him, so my friend didn’t have to produce a receipt right away. Once the lost button was displayed, the employees did more than simply cluck their tongues and murmur about how this was unusual, they immediately found another sweater that could be shipped to the store. If that wasn’t enough, they proceeded to walk to one of the nicest restaurants in the upscale shopping center and buy my friend (and me!) dinner. You buy an expensive sweater from John Varvatos and a button falls off? They are going to buy you a really nice dinner. Service.

The same thing can be applied to colleges and the service they provide students. If you go to a big, public university, you are more likely to get poor service when you go to Student Services. They deal with all sorts of things, from sending off copies of official transcripts and dispensing career advice  to handling issues with the ingredients of the food at the dining commons. Not only that, but it’s much harder to get your voice heard at a large university. Imagine you are upset that you cannot get the classes you need to graduate, there’s too much noise and confusion to really get your questions answered and to even consider having your needs met. It would be like going to Forever 21 and being frustrated about finding a rip in the seam of your new jacket–you could try to let your voice be heard, but there are so many other satisfied customers, and so much commotion and music and busy-ness, it’s doubtful anyone will even care about your problem.

On the other side of this is the land of private universities–a place that would be equitable to John Varvatos in this metaphor. Private universities cost what may as well be infinitely more than their public counterparts, but you get service from them that is unheard of at the public level. When you call the Registrar’s office, you get to speak to a live human being right away, instead of being filtered through a phone system only to be told everyone is at lunch. If you cannot get a class you need to graduate, you go to the Dean of Students (because they make the time to meet with you) and they’ll help. They do all this because they can, and because you are paying them a darn-tootin’ lot of money to give you this service. When your button falls off, they might not buy you dinner, but you might get some free ice cream.

I am in no way saying a private university offers a better education than a public university, nor am I implying that all public universities are failing their students when it comes to service or that all private universities are reaching the stars. In terms of context, I have been a student of a public university that rocks the free world with their service (the University of Oregon) as well as of a public university that continually has made me more frustrated than any human being should be allowed to be (San Francisco State University). In addition, I have been an employee of a private university that other schools should take lessons from (the University of the Redlands) and I’ve heard the numerous tales of joy and woe from friends. All signs point to the fact that you get what you pay for when it comes to service, whether it be in retail or in education.

School Atmosphere

At TU, diversity is the watchword. It goes far beyond the student body. You have the choice of watching a Division 1-A football game or eating a halal meal in the cafeteria — and that’s just on the weekend. Studies at the school are equally broad. TU has top-notch engineering and science programs, as well as an English department responsible for the James Joyce Quarterly and an internationally renowned literary journal. It doesn’t hurt that the university’s roster includes such names as poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
The University of Tulsa is a liberal campus — for Oklahoma. It’s the only wet campus in the state (a point of pride for TU students) and is home to a very active BLGTA organization, as well as the usual complement of sororities and fraternities. At the same time, though, there are very active and very large religious groups on campus. TU was founded as the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls in 1882 and has maintained close ties to the Presbyterian Church in the past. The school is now secular, but Presbyterian services are still offered on campus at Sharp Chapel. On top of that, the Baptist Student Union, United Campus Ministries and the Newman Center all have their own buildings on campus. There’s also a mosque and several churches on campus.

Student Housing
That diversity extends to student housing. While freshmen are required to live in the campus residence halls, other students (including law and grad students) have the choice of on-campus apartments. Both apartments and residence halls vary in amenities — some apartments are actually town houses, for instance. Certain organizations arrange to sponsor sets of apartments, allowing you to live in a community of language students or another group of interesting people. Both the residence halls and apartments host numerous programs for students: cook outs, swim parties and even video game nights are common.

Other housing options include the sororities and fraternities. Members of the Greek system have the option of living in houses lining streets known, respectively, as Sorority and Fraternity Row. Many upper classmen also choose to live off campus. Many of the houses in the area immediately surrounding TU have been converted into rentals and cater to the college crowd.

Local Hang Outs
There are plenty of hang outs for TU students, both on campus and off. If you’re interested in staying on campus, you can grab a beer and watch a game in the Hurricane Hut, located in the Allen Chapman Activities Center.
If you want to get off campus, start with a meal at Tally’s. Just a few blocks off campus, this diner is a piece of Route 66 history — and the prices haven’t change that much from when the highway was a thoroughfare, making it perfect for a college student’s budget.

Downtown Tulsa is home to much of the area’s night life, with bars and coffee shops open to all hours. McNellie’s, an Irish pub, is a favorite with TU students because of its huge variety of beers. Another favorite downtown hangout is Gypsy Coffeehouse, which offers free WiFi along with great coffee.
TU makes sure students can get out to big events in Tulsa. For the yearly Oktoberfest, the university runs shuttles back and forth between campus and the festival. While it may be hard to get off campus if you don’t have a car, TU will make sure you don’t miss anything important.

TU’s Appeal
The University of Tulsa routinely wins awards for student happiness — in 2008, the Princeton Review ranked the school sixth in that category nationally. Students have the opportunity to get a great education without the pressures of attending a big school. The TU community is small enough to provide face time with anyone you want to spend time with, from student groups to professors.

Ranked ninth on the Princeton Review’s list of Top Dream Colleges, USC truly is the place everyone wants to be. Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, it is only a half-hour drive from anywhere you could wish to go in L.A: the beach, Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, or any of the numerous little hide-aways that only Angelenos would know.

In addition to these benefits, USC has also risen dramatically in academic standing in recent years, and is now no. 27 on the US News and World Report’s ranking for national universities. As an expensive, private university, USC may still retain the title “University of Spoiled Children” with some reason. But today USC is not just a school for wealthy partiers; those who match the stereotype better maintain a 4.0 while they’re at it.

I am currently double-majoring in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing, and International Relations with an emphasis in Security Affairs. Within both departments I have enjoyed a rigorous course load that is both stimulating and challenging. My experience with the General Education requirements has been somewhat less impressive, particularly in the mandatory science classes. However, USC’s policy of including top professors from every discipline in the G.E. staff makes for some truly amazing courses. Given the size of USC’s endowment, the school has literally been able to buy some of the best professors in the country, so this is no small statement.

In fact, USC only admits about 22% of applicants every year, and the majority of those students are in the top ten percent of their graduating class. These students can look forward to a place in the largest school, the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, or one of the seventeen professional schools USC has to offer. Particularly elite are the USC Film School, the Annenberg School of Communication and the Marshall School of Business.

USC is quite a draw for international students as well, with fully nine percent of the sixteen thousand undergraduates coming from outside the country. These students provide a diversity that might otherwise seem somewhat lacking, as white non-Hispanics make up 50% of the student body, while black students are a mere 5%, Hispanics 13% and Asian or Pacific Islanders 21%.

Perhaps the most common complaint from students is in regards to the dangers of the surrounding environment. Although Los Angeles has channeled millions into building up downtown, with significant success, there is still a high level of crime in the area directly surrounding USC. This has had tragic consequences for students, with everything ranging from petty theft to rape and even murder in the last school year.

This is not to say that crime is unavoidable. The majority of criminal incidents occur late at night, when students choose to walk home instead of using the free student-run Campus Cruiser program, the USC tram or the Yellow Cab service, which allows students to pay from their discretionary account. Furthermore the Department of Public Safety has vehicles constantly stationed all around campus, as well as a virtual army of DPS officers on Segways patrolling the area. With all of these resources available, the primary prerogative for students is simply to stay informed and to use common sense.

There is a certain sense of moral obligation to dedicate at least a paragraph to USC athletics. The cult following Trojan football includes every alumni, every current student, and the entire population of Los Angeles, as the city has no football team of its own. There are entire buildings on campus filled with trophies and memorabilia commemorating our many Olympians, and the various fields, courts, pool and the gym are constantly swarming with athletes and casual enthusiasts of every description.

For those in search of culture, there is also the innovative Visions and Voices. This program brings exceptional talent to campus and exposes students unique projects in the arts for free. Some of my personal favorites from this year included the Trey McIntyre Project, a ballet that incorporated all forms of dance and music, a lecture by physicist Steven Hawking, a trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a lecture by author David Sedaris.

Some students might not love USC, but I’ve never met them. I’m not in a sorority and I don’t play a sport, and “getting involved” for me means doing directed research with a professor. No matter what your goals or interests may be, USC has something for everyone, defying the stereotype while still living up to the hype.

Sources:

1.http://tinyurl.com/ca5xdd

2.http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/fresh_profiles.html

3.http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-search/page+2

4. http://sev.prnewswire.com/education/20090325/NY8849525032009-1.html