thrive » college

US News & World Report Rankings 2012

Ryan — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:33:02 +0000

The big news item this week is the release of the 2012 US News College Rankings which apparently will happen tomorrow. Last year’s rankings were pretty boring, and unimaginative with the three big Ivies in the top 3 spots.

What Are The Top Online Schools?

Ryan — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:24:30 +0000

Wondering what the high quality top online schools are? The ones where you can be sure you aren’t being scammed? Here are two lists that use rigorous ranking methods that you might want to consider: OeDB Rankings & Top 25 Online Schools

ITT Tech and Jobs

Ryan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:13:49 +0000

I’ve been wanting to interview someone who has either gotten an education from or knows someone has gotten an education from ITT Tech. I’m interested in what kind of jobs people who get their degrees from ITT Tech end up securing afterwards. I’ve heard differing reports, but all secondhand. Would like to hear from people who have actually done it all.

Strange College Courses

Ryan — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:13:16 +0000

So, is there any more proof that higher education is becoming a big joke than this? Courses in “Underwater Basket Weaving” and “The Art of Walking” – how disturbingly bizarre. 15 Strangest College Courses In America.

Online Law Degrees

Ryan — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:13:25 +0000

Random thought of the day: do people seriously think they will be taken seriously if they get an online law degree?

Maybe I’m just old school, but if I’m going to hire a lawyer, I want them to have had a rigorous, “head in the books” education. Next thing you know, our surgeons will have received online degrees.

Best College Movies

Ryan — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:29:45 +0000

Anyone else remember the movie PCU? That was one of my all time favorites. Maybe if I were to watch it again I’d be embarrassed to call it a favorite, but it’s always been one of those movies from my youth that I’ll never forget. Sort of like The Crow (original only). Anyway, I was happy to see PCU on this list of the 12 Greatest College Movies

Starting Salaries For Many Careers

Ryan — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:58:24 +0000

Wondering what people make out of college these days? Check out this pretty thorough list of 2008 starting salaries.

Obama, McCain and College

Ryan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:36:10 +0000

I’ve gotta say, I love Obama’s plan to send people who serve our country to college. We need a culture of service rather than greed. We need to re-learn the idea of serving a cause greater than ourselves. And it’s great when government sets policy to encourage and reward service oriented behavior.

Here’s an article that considers the differences between McCain and Obama on college education.

education in pleasant environments

Ryan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:47:46 +0000

I wonder if there is any research into whether more or less learning happens near beaches. Despite the obvious distractions, I think there is something to be said for the positive attitude and mood that a nice environment induces. I bet it’s ultimately a better learning environment for those who can moderate themselves. [5 Reasons Why Schools on the Coast are Better]

how good are online degrees

Ryan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:27:27 +0000

Maybe I’m just old school or something, but I’ve had this feeling deep in my gut for a long time that online college educations are watered down and don’t prepare the student in the same way that a traditional college education prepares them. I can’t shake the feeling and I’m genuinely curious how companies perceive potential employees who received an online degree.

Schools like University of Phoenix and Strayer, while doing many things right, in this person’s view, tend to cheapen the college experience. Again, this might just be a generational thing. I went to college in the 1990s and online education didn’t really take off until the 2000′s. Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me?

The last few days I’ve been doing research on various schools and the degrees they offer. Yesterday I was searching for DeVry University degree information but time and time again just found conflict-of-interest articles that were promoting the school because they were making money by promoting it.

What I want is an unbiased analysis of the online college phenomenon. Is it the future? Or is it a cheap fad?