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Apple iPad: it’s ALL the Rage — Even in Higher Ed!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Sleek 'n Shiny: the Apple iPad! If you think your high school textbooks are heavy now…just wait until college!  But, if Apple has its way, the sleek 1.5 lb Apple iPad tablet could end up changing the way you learn at college…and possibly save you a few bucks (and your back) in the process.

How?  With eBook capability built right into the multi- touch-sensitive device (and their own iBookstore)!  Almost 150,000 iPhone applications will cross-over from Day One – so you can use your favorite iPhone apps to help fill out your college applications or take a break with a little Plants vs. Zombies, without having to wait!

No drab gray here, the iPad is all about color – and interaction!  Touch highlighted words (like vocab or concepts) for more information.  Create bookmarks to pick up where you left off, browse a touch activated slideshow, and flip through images, charts, or diagrams.  Surf the web or watch an awesome college video lecture.  Think of the possibility!

Pick a social media network and chances are somebody, somewhere is talking about it – what they heard, what they read, what they hope to see — and who can blame them?  Even colleges share in the iPad enthusiasm!  The Abilene Christian University student newspaper, The Optimist, is the first college newspaper to declare their intention to be on the iPad –  or, at least, it will be when the Apple iPad (finally!) hits stores April 3, 2010.

Don’t forget about George Fox University!  GFU is offering incoming students a choice between a computer (as they have done for the past 20 years) or the new iPad tablet.  Great idea for GFU’s computer possessing freshmen – or for those planning to purchase eBook textbooks down the line – and hoping to save big in place of hefty college texts.

The 429978333803sleekness of the iPad tablet dazzled My College Guide so much…well, what could we do?  Offer up a chance to win an Apple iPad of your very own, of course!  Request college information and you will be automatically entered to win the sleek and shiny Apple iPad (it isn’t like you don’t need college information)!  The contest will end on June 1, 2010.

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Posted in College Life, Fun Stuff, Preparing for College, Technology | No Comments »

Had Enough Yet? The Big List Part 4: Colleges and Universities Who Twitter

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Don't Forget to Follow My College Guide on Twitter!Private universities or public colleges, trade schools or community colleges – we are all about education We love to bring you the latest news about everything higher ed – from college blogs to Facebook Groups, we’re on it!  We know that your college-bound life just wouldn’t be complete without Part 4 of our Big Twitter List: 50 More Colleges and Universities who Twitter!

Colleges and universities are tweeting about the things you care about: campus events, the college admissions process, student issues, college scholarships, even new classes and majors.  Sure, some are more willing to engage directly with you than others – but what a great way to stay up on all the current happenings at your favorite colleges and universities!   There’s a lot to choose from – so make it easy!  Follow My College Guide’s List of Colleges Who Twitter.

Did we miss your favorite college or university? Two years or four – we love them all! Feel free to add your colleges of choice to the comments section for inclusion in our next Big List edition!

Alfred State College Loyola University Chicago
Arizona State University Michigan State University
Augsburg College Middlebury College
Aurora University Milwaukee School of Engineering
Baylor University Ohio State
Bowling Green State University Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City
Bryant University Ottawa University
Butler County Community College Remington College
Cal State San Bernardino Rhode Island School of Design
Colby College Saint Michael’s College
College of DuPage School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Coppin State University Southern Polytechnic State University
Dekalb Technical College Stony Brook University
Delaware College of Art and Design State University of New York
Emmanuel College State University of New York Cobleskill
Empire Beauty School Tacoma Community College
Essex County College Texas Tech University
Evergreen State College Trocaire College
George Washington University Tufts University
Harrington College of Design Unity College
Indiana Tech University of Delaware
Indiana University Purdue University University of Denver
Judson College University of Notre Dame
Kansas State University Western Governors University
Lake Superior College Duluth Western Illinois University

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Life, Fun Stuff, Preparing for College, Social Media, Technology | 2 Comments »

Bad Study Habits Keeping You Down? Tips to Improve The Way You Study

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

At the risk of sounding like your mother – well, we know how important it is to develop good study habits sooner rather than later!  From Google Chrome Extensions to Firefox Browser Add-ons, we’ve already shared ways that technology can help you increase your productivity.  We’ve got tips to help you improve your study habits so when the college workload hits you like a ton of bricks…you’ll be ready!

alaskaval/Val

Nap time? Everyone has that time of day where work seems impossible. Your energy lags, your attention span is missing in action, and motivation is out the window.  Try to figure out when you feel the most alert and schedule your important college related activities and study time accordingly.

Time Savers. Are you always rushing to make morning classes?  Stop while you’re ahead! Figure out in advance what you’re going to wear. Gather together snacks, keys, your wallet, purse, cell phone, and laptop.  Get everything organized and ready for the day.

Jot it down! College professors will be heaping on the homework.  Assignments, study groups, or dinner with friends?  Don’t rely on your memory – write it down! Whether you use a planner, small calendar, your laptop, or a notebook, get used to writing down everything you need to do and you’ll save yourself plenty of headaches and missed deadlines in the long run!

Decisions, Decisions. It’s called time management.  What are the most important items on your to-do list?  While it might be tempting to hang out everyday with your friends, those essays won’t write themselves (unfortunately).  Learn how to juggle your college homework with studying, friends, and campus activities early on before it becomes a problem.

Got Stress? Get into the homework groove and out of the procrastination rut.  Wouldn’t it be nice having a paper done days before it’s due – instead of mere hours?  When you feel overwhelmed – take a break! Use 15 minutes to do anything but schoolwork and come back to it feeling a little refreshed, energized, and ready to dig back in!

Have any tips you would like to share?  Please, add them in the comments section below.

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15 Google Chrome Extensions to Make Your College Bound Heart Sing!

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Google Chrome: sleek, fast, and easy on the eyes, the Google Chrome browser is perfect for the Google lover — and the perfect tool for the college bound!  While it may lack the pizzazz of the Firefox Browser (download themes to perk it up), it’s definitely minimalism at its best.  Simplify and work smarter with our sweet list of must-have Google Chrome Extensions for college — and beyond!

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Smooth Gestures –  Using arrows to flip from page to page?  Slow. Using only your mouse?  Fast – and fun!  Pictures display your customization so quit  playing the guessing game.  Brilliant!

StayFocusd – Compulsive Facebook checker?  We’ve all been there.  When self-control runs thin, turn to StayFocusd to back you up…or at least lock you out of your favorite time-draining sites!

Diigo Web Highlighter and Bookmark – Ever bookmark something for a specific reason and then have no idea why (or is that just me?).  Highlight the important stuff so you can easily come back and find it.  Bonus: add sticky notes to leave yourself reminders for next time!

Tab Jump — No muss, no fuss! There are a few tab extensions out there, but Tab Jump enables you to instantly see your open tabs.  It’s subdivided tabs sort recently used and most used making it easy to, um, jump to whatever tab you need!

ChromeMilk — Love Remember the Milk? Access (and add to) your to-do list from the Google Chrome toolbar itself.  While it might be a work in progress, for RTM lovers – it’s just awesome.

W.O.T. Some extensions are good no matter what browser they are on.  Enter: Web of Trust.  Internet addict?  Then you, my friend, must install this Chrome extension.  See what sites can be trusted – and what sites you need to avoid like the plague!

Shareaholic for Google Chrome – Use your time online wisely, you know, share stuff!  Instead of jumping from page to page, make it easy on yourself, and get Shareaholic installed!

RemindMe: Set up multiple reminders on a sparkling clean interface – organize or delete as needed.  Oh, and the alarm?  It’s almost musical but will still make you jump out of your seat the first time you use it.

Google Dictionary – There are all sorts of complicated words out there just waiting to trip you up.  Highlight and right click the mystery word and select the dictionary option.  How easy is that?

Download – Download a lot?  This one’s for you!  Eliminate the extra “click” – this handy button makes it easy to get into your downloads and find what you need right from the Chrome Browser.

kenleewrites

UnDoIt – Did you just close that tab you needed?  D’oh!  Reclaim that accidental closed page with the click of a button…instead of digging around in your history looking for the one without any extras.

Ad Block — Firefox’s AdBlock Plus – for Google Chrome!  It blocks ads, period. Is there actually anyone who pays attention to those pesky pop-ups anyway?  We think not.

Google Similar Pages – Make it easy on yourself. Discover Google’s idea of related pages with the click of a button.  Beta or not, it’s a promising work in progress.

Copy without Formatting – Floating button = fun in our book, but if you find it distracting, you can get rid of it.

Handy Google Shortcuts – Google Chrome user?  Chances are you’re using other Google products.  Keep Google shortcuts to Google Buzz, Gmail, Wave – 40 buttons of non-stop Google fun!

Okay, so, what did we miss?  Are there any “can’t live without” Google Chrome Extensions that we missed?  Let the world know in the comments section below.

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Posted in College Life, Fun Stuff, Preparing for College, Technology | 1 Comment »

It’s a Trap! No, Just Ole Miss Students Voting

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

lukeamotion/Luke Pickard

Colleges sometimes have really unusual college mascots – or, possibly even more unusual — no mascot at all!  That’s the  case with the University of Mississippi.  Ole Miss retired Colonel Rebel, their controversial southern gentleman mascot, back in 2003 — and haven’t had one since!

But a mascot is in the future for Ole Miss students.  Tuesday, February 23, 2010, University of Mississippi students voted online as to whether or not they wanted a voice in choosing the new mascot – or if they wanted to leave it in the hands of college officials.  The result? UM students voted yes — well, 2,510 students voted yes with only 856 voting no.

Students selected to serve on the Student Mascot Advisory Committee will begin developing a new mascot, keeping the school colors (red and blue), and the name “Ole Miss Rebels” which only leaves the question – what (or who) should be the next University of Mississippi mascot?

Students, alumni, and the Twittersphere in general have been tweeting all sorts of hilarious mascot suggestions but the favorite by far is currently none other than Admiral Ackbar – yes, you read that right: the Admiral Ackbar of Star Wars fame!  The Mon Calamari and his catch-phrase “it’s a trap” has been appearing everywhere: on his website, Facebook page, Twitter account, and is suddenly one of the high ranking search terms on Google!

What do you think?  Will Lucas Arts permit Admiral Ackbar to become the new Old Miss Mascot or do you think that Ole Miss students should move on?  Do you have a better idea?  Share it in the comments section below!

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101 College Blogs to Put You in the College Mood

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

alamodestuff

WordPress, Blogger, TypePad…there’s all sorts of blogging platforms – and higher education is using them!  College blogs are a fun way to learn about college life.  Straight from the colleges themselves, (though not necessarily a reflection of that school’s opinions) you’ll discover fun campus superstitions, big events and celebrations, exciting classes, or even new majors.

Follow along with the life of a college student or read what college admissions has to say.  Some may be more descriptive than others, but they all possess value: a peek at the inner workings of colleges and universities.  It’s a great way to stay on top of college life – and aid you in your college decision-making process!

Did we miss your favorite college blog? Oops! As always, feel free to add it to the comments section below.  While you’re at it – don’t forget to get My College Guide Blog updates free via RSS or Email.

1. Amarillo College 34. Harrington College of Design 68. Rasmussen College
2. Amherst College 35. Hartwick College 69. Rhode Island School of Design
3. Appalachian State University 36. Haverford College 70. Roger Williams University
4. Arcadia University 37. Hudson Valley Community College 71. Saint Anselm College
5. Ball State University 38. Illinois State University 72. Saint Joseph’s College
6. Baruch College 39. Indiana Tech 73. Saint Michael’s College
7. Bates College 40. Indiana University Bloomington 74. Smith College
8. Belhaven University 41. Ithaca College 75. Southern New Hampshire University
9. Berkeley College 42. Johns Hopkins University 76. St. Mary’s College of Maryland
10. Bethany College 43. Kansas State University 77. Suffolk University
11. Boston College 44. Kent State University 78. Swarthmore College
12. Bowie State University 45. Keystone College 79. Trine University
13. Bowling Green State University 46. Lake Superior College 80. Union University
14. Bryn Mawr College 47. Lawrence University 81. Unity College
15. Butler University 48. Linfield College 82. University of California Davis
16. Carnegie Mellon 49. Louisiana College 83. University of Central Florida
17. Catawba College 50. Michigan State University 84. University of Delaware
18. Clover Park Technical College 51.Middlebury College 85. University of Idaho
19. Coker College 52. Milwaukee School of Engineering 86. University of Indianapolis
20. Colby College 53. Montana State University 87. University of Missouri
21. Colorado College 54. Montclair State University 88. University of San Francisco
22. Colorado State University 55. Mountain State University 89. University of Tennessee Knoxville
23. Cornell University 56. Mount Holyoke College 90. University of Virginia
24. Edmonds Community College 57. Newman University 91. Utah State University
25. Elmira College 58. North Carolina State University 92. Vassar College
26. Evergreen State College 59. North Central College 93. Virginia Tech
27. Ferris State University 60. Northwestern University – Fiedler Hillel 94. Washington College
28. Florida State University 61. Northwood University 95. Washington State University
29. Fort Valley State University 62. Oklahoma State University 96. Wellesley College
30. Goucher College 63. Oregon State University 97. Wentworth Institute of Technology
31. Gustavus Adolphus College 64. Pierce College 98. Wilson College
32. Hampshire College 65. Portland State University 99. Wisconsin Lutheran College
33. Hanover College 66. Providence College 100. Wichita State University
67. Randolph College 101. Wofford College

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Classes, College Life, Fun Stuff, Housing, Preparing for College, Social Media, Technology | 7 Comments »

One More Reason Why Extracurriculars are a Great Idea

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Colleges and universities love to see that you are actively involved in extracurricular activities.  High school is a great time to discover new passions and interests that can last a lifetime: that club you joined on a whim could evolve into a future career.  Now we’ve got one more reason why it’s a good idea to get involved in high school and beyond: it could be your ticket into a music video!

College students in the University of Notre Dame’s marching band got a chance to be a part of OK Go’s This Too Shall Pass music video for the album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, shot live.  How fun is that!  Sure, it’s an experience that the majority of college students probably won’t get to have, but it just goes to show, you never can tell.  And, wow – what a story to tell the grandkids!

Overheard on Twitter from Shawnz.

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus, College Life, Extracurricular Activities, Fun Stuff, Preparing for College | No Comments »

Celebrities in College: 6 Stars Who Traded Red Carpets for Blackboards

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Trevor Haldenby

They’ve already banked millions of dollars for movie roles or modeling contracts, but some celebrities are determined to prove that they’re more than just a pretty face — and headed back to school. Here are a few famous people spending their days taking notes in the college classroom instead of parading the red carpet.

Emma Watson – She’s made millions from the Harry Potter film franchise, but this young British actress just wants to be a regular college student. Last year, she enrolled at Brown University, where she’s studying literature. Chances are, she probably won’t be reading J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter in any of her classes, then again — you never know!

James Franco – This tall, dark, and handsome star of films like the Spiderman series, Milk, and The Pineapple Express is eager to show that he can do more than act. Find him doubling up on course credits, pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University and taking filmmaking classes at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Remember his bizarre guest-starring role on General Hospital? According to Franco, it was simply part of a course project (hope he scored an A for that one).

Christy Turlington – One of the most famous cover girls of the 1990s, Christy Turlington has traded the catwalk in for college life. These days, you can find her pursuing a master’s in public administration at Columbia University, while also producing No Woman, No Cry, a documentary film about pregnant women in developing countries.

Haley Joel Osment – Remember the creepy little kid from The Sixth Sense who saw dead people? Looks like he’s all grown up now—Haley Joel Osment, who also starred in films like Pay It Forward and A.I., is now studying acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. During his time off, he appears in Broadway plays—wonder if that counts as an internship?

Jerry O’Connell – As a child, he was one of the stars of the classic film Stand By Me. Later, he moved on to the sci-fi series Sliders, and movies like Scream 2 and Jerry Maguire before settling into married life and parenthood with model/actress Rebecca Romijn. Now, the famous family man has decided to tackle the world of law, and is currently pursuing a J.D. at Los Angeles’ Southwestern School of Law.

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The City Project/Robert Garcia

Ashley Judd – Though Ashley Judd, star of films like High Crimes and Double Jeopardy, dropped out of  college when her acting career took off, she decided to head back to school in 2007, completing her bachelor’s degree in French at the University of Kentucky. Well known for her political activism, Judd is now pursuing a master’s in public administration at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth — As a manipulative villain on The Apprentice, Omarosa’s latest career move was quite a shock: she enrolled in United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio to pursue a master’s degree in ministry.  Maybe this is a true transformation on her part—then again: we’re wondering if there’s a camera crew involved.

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The Big List Part Three: 50 More Colleges and Universities Who Twitter

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Even with all the Google Buzz to-do, Twitter seems to be hanging in there just fine, thank you very much.  To celebrate, we bring you the ever-anticipated Twitter list: 50 MORE Colleges and Universities who Twitter!

Click on the name of your favorite college or university to land directly on their Twitter page!  Can’t decide?  Follow them all using My College Guide’s Complete List of Colleges Who Tweet right on Twitter.  It doesn’t get any easier!

Don’t forget to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the Big List to find your favorite tweeting colleges and universities!  Feel free to retweet our list to your followers – and add anyone we may have missed to the comments section below — to be included in Part 4!

Agnes Scott College Oklahoma City Community College
Butler University Pacific Lutheran University
Canisius College Park University
Colorado College Rockhurst University
Columbus State University Roger Williams University
Delaware Tech Terry Seattle University
Delta College St Mary’s University
Ferris State St Norbert College
Florida International University Texas Christian University
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College/R.A. Meyers Library Trinity University
Henderson Community College Utah State University
Kalamazoo College University of Alabama
Linfield College University of Alaska Southeast
Maryville College University of Arizona
Millsaps College University of California Irvine
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities University of Chicago
Montana State University University of Florida
Morehead State University University of Hawaii Manoa
New School University of Missouri Columbia
Northampton Community College University of Missouri Kansas City
North Carolina State University University of Oklahoma
North Central College University of Texas-Pan America
North Dakota State University University of Wisconsin Madison
Ocean County College Wichita State University
Ohio Northern University Wisconsin Tech College

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Life, Fun Stuff, Preparing for College, Social Media, Technology | 8 Comments »

Going away to College? Google Buzz Could Keep You Connected

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

clintonjeff/Clinton Jeff

College life: the studying, the papers, the finals (eek!),  make it tough to find the time to keep up with old friends (let alone new ones!) across the oh-so many social networks.  Even before you ever get to college, those campus visits, financial aid forms, and college applications are enough to keep you busy!

Google Buzz, very recently unveiled by Google (we’re talking February 9, 2010),  wants to be your one stop shop: upload your photos, videos, and your status all from one place.  We’ve all got friends who use Facebook or MySpace but don’t Twitter, who favor Flickr over Photobucket  – and vice versa.  Instead of signing into all these separate social accounts Google Buzz aims to replace them all, so you have one place to keep track of everything – and that’s the big difference.

Instead of logging in to a bunch of different sites, you simply log in to your Gmail account, hit up Google Buzz, and tweet, upload, and comment away – after carefully setting privacy settings, of course.  When a friend responds, instant update alerts are sent straight to your inbox, where all of your Gmail contacts have been automatically imported.  You can spend less time finding “friends” and more time hitting the books!  While many social networking sites connect: Facebook doesn’t.

You’ve probably seen your Facebook friends grumbling over recent layout changes, but — do you really think they’d ditch their FarmVille or Mafia Wars gaming apps for Google Buzz (especially with rumors of Facebook email in the future)?  Facebook was made for college students by college students.

We’ve played around with it and, oh yeah — it’s fun!  But, then again, new toys are always fun.  We’ll see if it actually sticks.  Google Buzz might have potential: it’s all in one place (even on the iPhone and Android) with a familiar layout (um, hello Facebook!).  But, after the failure of Google Wave…we’ll just have to wait and see.

What do you think?  Does Google Buzz have everything you need in order  to keep in touch when you head off to college?  Does it entice you to make the Gmail switch (if you haven’t already)?

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