Mid-summer, we had a little party by UCLA. We gave away an HP dv2 and had another one hooked up to a VJ-ing station with a big flat screen, where guests could mix video to music. Right after the party, Kelly wrote about how people reacted to the dv2 at the party.
Stay tuned. This wasn't the last HackCollege party!
This is a post in our 2009 Back to School series. You can see all of the posts here.
So you get two weeks into your college career and you have a certain discomfort with your current university. By the end of the semester, you plan on hightailing out of there. While searching for a school online cannot replace actually going there to experience it, some can help a little bit.
CampusCompare is a service that allows users to search and catalog schools. The list is at 3,000 institutions and 4,000 more coming. If they don't have the school you're looking for, it's probably coming. Students can log-in via FacebookConnect, so that'll speed up that all to familiar website registration process. For the record, CampusCompare isn't just college students who are transferring but any person looking to attend a new college or university.
The search has six subject categories. They are, state, major, career, sports, ivy league and a simple A to Z. The state search was separated into regions where you can click one or more states. If you want to search for majors, it's going to get specific. Besides having a plethora of disciplines it also has more sub-disciplines than you'll need.
Other than search, CampusCompare has some services that aim to take the guess work out of college search. Their top three services are a financial aid calculator, a "what are my chances" calculator, and as per the name of the site, a college comparison feature.
The financial aid calculator shows you how much it'll really cost to attend school. This is cool because they actually averaged what the grocery, parking and other real life costs are. This should probably be called college budget calculator or something other than Financial Aid Calculator.
When I started to search for college, like many other high school juniors/senior, I thought: "What are the odds I can get into this school". Well, providing you know your vitals (SAT, ACT, GPA, class rank, etc.) you'll be able to figure out if it is actually possible for you to get into your dream school.
After you've compiled the schools that you can get into and are financially tangible, you can compare them to see which one you like better. As I've said before, nothing can really replace actually going and spending a day at a university.
One thing I would like to see CampusCompare do in the future is a Grad school version of their site. More and more students are finding they need to get a masters degree to get the job/salary they want. With that being said CampusCompare has done a great job of using Web 2.0 to provide a well designed college search service.
Did you use a service like CampusCompare before picking your school? Comment below to share!
Image Credit: CampusCompare.com
This is a post in our 2009 Back to School series. You can see all of the posts here.
Netbooks are the hottest piece of back-to-school technology this summer and I highly recommend buying one, even if it's a second computer. (My favorite is the Mini 110, pictured below.) If you're interested in starting to take notes in class, it's a great buy. And it's a cheap way of getting you fired up about a new machine without investing in a decked-out one to replace your 5-year-old clunker which can still tolerably handle things that a netbook won't be able to. A netbook can even help you work more efficiently. But it'll take a litte transition -- one I can hopefully help you out with.
The HP Mini 110, my pick for the student netbook. Before I get into some of the difficulties of staying organized between two computers, let's enjoy some of the geeky productivity that'll ensue once you get one.
Netbooks are the ultimate anti-multi-tasking device. Multi-tasking ultimatlely produces poorer results -- especially since the type of juggling a college student does is between a research paper and Facebook. Netbooks have small screens and less power, so it'll be hard to switch between windows and open a lot of different programs. It keeps you working in one program at a time. Creative writers and bloggers will especially love having a netbook since it'll keep you focused on the page.
If you have a desktop computer or a large laptop, a netbook will free you up to do more on-the-go computing. It'll help you utilize short periods between classes or avoid wasted drives home just to do computer homework.
Many of netbooks run simpler operating systems and stripped-down programs. Running nothing but a word processor can often be more nimble on a netbook than your other system since it doesn't have the overhead (calendar programs, task management, Quicksilver, etc.). Because of this, the boot-up time can be speedier, too.
When it comes to syncing data between more than one computer, it's easy to get stressed out. But don't sweat. I say, keep it simple, and most of the time, it is.
One of the easiest ways to keep things "synced" is just to leave your data separated. For a student, it makes a lot of sense to keep your notes and journal entries exclusively on your netbook. As long as you take all of your notes on your netbook, you'll rarely need them anywhere else. It's just like having a separate binder like in the olden days. Make a decided effort to keep whole categories of tasks separate.
Thumb drives are a great way to keep things synced. These days, a 16 gig thumbdrive is relatively affordable, and it can probably hold all of your school work. Do that, and you'll always know where to look. Keep it in your pocket -- except when you wash your jeans. (In other words, periodically, back it up.)
HP netbooks like the Mini 110 come with Syncables these days. It's a pain to set up, but if you have the time and the anal-ness, it's worth it. It can sync just about anything you require.
Web apps are going to be your best friend with a netbook (hence, Google's recent jump in to the OS arena). Google Mail, Calendar and Docs will keep your info wherever an internet connection is. (Just don't find yourself in a place without one.) A fancy mobile device that syncs email, calendars and contacts might be all you need.
Last year, we posted this great video of ridiculous lifehacks. We hope you still enjoy it. The list we're poking fun at is College and Finace's 18 Overlooked Things Everyone Should Bring to College. If you're already moved in, here's our honest assesment of what you'll really need -- and how to fake it through what you've forgotten.
And, of course, we're sure you didn't miss David's list of bookstore rip-offs that you should bring with you now.
This is a post in our 2009 Back to School series. You can see all of the posts here.
Oh, complexities of the typical packing checklist. It always fails. You're going to remember to bring clothes, sure. But what about hangers? Believe me, I forgot them three years running, and the "I'm wearing wrinkled clothes to be ironic" thing only works for so long.
So you get to school, realize you need all these little things, and where do you go? The bookstore. Where they rip you off, steal your money, and laugh at you while you pay $11 for a clothes hanger.
To save you some money, and stick it to the man that is the bookstore, here are 11 things you should bring with you to college that you might not think about.
Printer Paper - Printer paper is something you'll use constantly, and a big pain to not have available. Hunting for paper ten minutes before an essay is due is not the most fun experience, and the bookstore knows they can rip you off in your moment of need. Make sure you've got more printer paper than you could possibly need when you arrive - it might even make you someone else's savior.
Printer Ink - This one's the big kahuna, the one that's caused me more anxiety in college than anything else. I'll be printing a paper, and all of a sudden it starts coming out lighter and lighter, until the pages are just white. Bookstores, once again trying to take advantage of you, charge a whole lot more than, say, Staples. Or better yet, buy online.
Hangers - Edges of chairs, your headboard, the door - all these are replacements for hangers, and none really work that well. You're going to have times when you need to look presentable, and having clothes ready is key. Bookstores don't always have hangers available, and when they do, they're about $43 each.
Light Bulbs - It never ceases to amaze me how creatively I can destroy light bulbs. I've tripped and broken one, hit one with my shoe, and just flat-out dropped one - it's no fun. Go to Walmart or Target, and buy light bulbs in bulk - you'll need a bunch over the course of the year. Darkness is highly overrated.
Count 'em! That means seven more after the jump.
This is a post in our 2009 Back to School series. You can see all of the posts here.
More and more of our college lives are morphing from hardcopies to online forms and notifications. This is true for scheduling and everything else that comes from the university through email. Also we're talking and socializing online more and more everyday. Why not study online as well?
Sites like StudyBlue and CourseHero are taking course notes and studying online. These sites bring students who are taking the same classes together and allowing them to upload notes, notecards and share them in a social networking atmosphere.
CourseHero is one of the most widely known online study networks. This site has a lot of material, mostly because, out of a requirement for membership, students must upload a number of documents to get unlimited access to their library of notes, lectures, etc. If you don't have as many or as motivated to upload as many documents as the site requires you can also pay for as much time as your bank account can handle.
The sites document increments are pretty hefty go as follows: 40 documents for one month, 80 documents for three months, 160 documents for six months, and 400 documents for a year. If you want to forgo uploading your class presentations and such, you'll wind up paying 29.95 for a month, 19.95 a month for three and 6.95 a month for a year. I don't advise anyone to go for an unlimited pass to study for one test. If this is your method of studying, having these documents on hand seem like its really worth it but otherwise it's kind of a waste of time and/or money.
Study Blue takes a personal approach that's a lot more developed. While CourseHero focuses on getting as much material as they can online, StudyBlue works on the act of studying. You don't have to contribute to the site to be granted access to public documents, but there are also less documents total because of that.
iPhone and iPod touch applications are available for students who pay for the premium version of StudyBlue. The premium version also strips the ads, helps you create a study regimen and allows you to print other users documents that are public. The cost of the premium package is 9.95 a month and 59.95 for a year. I feel like this deal has more to offer outside the realm of study material. Also, what it lacks in it's volume of notes it makes up for in its cheaper price and extra features.
Have you every used these sites? Does study online help you more than regular studying would? Comment below to share!
Image Credit: Pacific University Oregon
Yesterday, while you were packing your belongings into a car, getting settled in the new place or even getting back from your first class of the semester, two students were eating pizza like... normal college students. Only faster.
To update those just joining us: Last week, we announced that we'd be giving away an HP dv6 (a huge notebook), a Mini 110 (an awesome netbook) and a Timbuk2 backpack via Twitter. Those who dilligently read our blog knew that tuning in to our Twitter accounts on Monday evening could win you the computers. And several hints along the way suggeted that it'd be a crazy challenge. We had some really evil ideas, but we ultimately settled on what we thought was a rather mild challenge:
We figured -- pizza is a staple of the college diet and a student who's savvy enough to keep up on Twitter and send us a video of them chowing down quickly embodies at least a few things that we enjoy.
Click through to watch the story unfold.
This is a post in our 2009 Back to School series. You can see all of the posts here.
;)
Every once in a while we get guest post requests from odd sources. My younger brother, Blake, recently installed a hardwood floor in his dorm room at Notre Dame. I thought it was rather excessive, but it really brings the place together. Then my dad wrote up this instructional post on the lessons learned from the project. Enjoy! --Kelly
This idea is not as crazy as it sounds. Hardwood looks better than the default institutional floor. And after a party it will smell much better than a wet carpet.
Some ground rules for this project: It can't be too expensive, it can't be permanent, and the only tools allowed are a knife or scissors, and hacksaw blade.
;)
Your dorm room might be a mess for a little while, but the class will pay off.
Be prepared for a helpful store employee to offer advice on how to install this flooring. Expect them to recommend the high-end product, and warn that the flooring needs to sit days to “acclimate” before being installed. Thank them and then go for the cheap stuff that you will install today.
Ignore any instructions to stagger each row Lego block style. Instead use a grid layout.
Lay an entire narrow row at once.These panels snap together easily when there is only one edge to snap.It is hard to snap a panel into two adjoining edges.So add each narrowrow by first snapping 2 panels together along their short edge, then adding that row as one long piece.
Enjoy your better-than-average dorm room.
Have you done tried to install a hardwood floor in your dorm room? Let us know by posting a picture or sharing a story.
Saturday, August 29, 2009