When it comes to gifts, they say it’s the thought that counts. When it comes to thoughtfulness and affordability, not much beats a great homemade item. We've searched more craft sites than we care to admit, becoming expert "pinners", bakers, sewers, gardeners and–dare we say, artists, in the process of delivering you the most versatile selection of homemade gifts that anyone ...

In 2011, just about every college in the nation offers college courses and even full degrees that can be earned completely online. Gone are the days when online education was something to be scoffed at as inferior to classroom education. Now schools are competing to cut their costs, and win more students by offering online degree options. With all of these ...

It’s no secret that President Barack Obama loves basketball, and though filling out a very public bracket may not be a “hot button issue” for the country, it’s always entertaining to watch the President let loose and give his take on the tournament. For the fourth year in a row, ESPN made a trip to the White House with the President’s ...

Suppose you could major in “Changing the World?” Would you? Apparently, you can come pretty close, according to a new study by Payscale. [gate] According to the The Huffington Post, the percentages listed were compiled from students surveyed that found the most meaning in their jobs and, additionally feel like they’re changing the world through their work. Most of the high ...

As I was exploring topics to cover for my final story in my newswriting class, I came across the issue of whether or not liberal arts education affects the religious practices of college students. The issue really intrigued me because I attend a liberal arts university, and have been taught about many different perspectives since beginning classes in the fall. I’ve ...

It happens to the best of us. You start the semester with a game plan and every intention to avoid the mistakes of the past. Time drains such as the internet, partying, and anything else have been sorted out. Your finances are in order, you have your health, and your personal life is drama free. Then, it happens. Life, whether over ...

It’s finally March, and you’re totally pumped for a week off from classes to hit the warm weather. If college is anything like the Hollywood ideal, then it’s off to Mexico for some serious partying. Or it was, anyways, until you looked at your bank statement. Maybe you’re strapped for cash, or maybe cliché trips to the shore aren’t your style. ...

College athletes are, more often than not, respected as athletes but disregarded as students. Perhaps, if they could study sports, that wouldn't be the case. [gate] When a high school student is recruited for a college sports team, they are asked to declare an academic major. This would be asked of any student attending the school. The slight difference, however, in ...

When I told my friends I’d paid for a meal plan at UGA, they were not shy about expressing their doubts. “You’ll get bored of the food within a month,” they warned me. What they hadn’t known, aside from the 75 national awards that UGA has won for its campus food service, is that making the most of a meal plan ...

Freedom of speech is nothing new when it comes to controversy. Freedom of speech in academia? Been there, done that. Freedom of speech in academia claimed by a faculty member in order to defend the pornography she showed her class? Now we’re listening. [gate] According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jammie Price, a professor of sociology at Appalachian State University, ...

As of late, society has adopted a curious fascination of the awkward. We laugh at Napoleon Dynamite and basically any Michael Cera character, and “that awkward moment when…” has become a popular introductory phrase for interesting Facebook statuses. But the word itself hasn’t changed very much and certainly hasn’t been changed into the kind of adjective you would want used to ...

I am lucky to have found my dream school as quickly as I did. I am lucky to have been accepted into that college. I am lucky that my school is cheap and close to home. I am lucky in so many ways, but not necessarily in the ways I expected to be. When I first visited Truman State a year ...

College tuition costs raise with the blink of an eye, but where does the money go? Do these institutions really need our hard-earned, loaned and borrowed cash? Maybe. We'll let you be the judge of that. According to a list of colleges with the largest financial endowments, compiled by U.S. News and World Report, these are the top ten richest colleges ...

Earlier this month, CNN contributor and national columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr. wrote an opinion piece on millennials in the job market, saying, “millennials are tech-savvy, highly educated and have incredibly high self-esteem even if they haven't done much to deserve it.” And he’s not alone. Needless to say, Navarette’s assessment was a bit controversial to both millennials and non-millennials. But is ...

According to a new survey, most Americans think higher education is still highly valued, but needs to change to compete in the global marketplace. [gate] In fact, 83 percent thought that a college education is necessary to achieving success in the global economy. In reference to their opinions of the nation as a whole, 46 percent consider the state of higher ...

It is 9:16 a.m. and I am already sweating. My calf-length skirt sticks to my legs as I slide out of the cab, inhaling the fresh air of a side street while choking on the remnants of crowded morning traffic pollution still in my lungs. I need water. Somehow, my lukewarm water bottle fails to satiate my craving for just one ...

One thing I wish someone had told me is that social networking is even more popular in college than it is in high school. Seeing the college brochures of students playing frisbee, lying on the grass, studying in libraries, and hanging out at coffee shops had given me this mental image of the college student who is so busy living her ...

I have always wanted to have my own talk show, so I'm just going to pretend that I have one right now. Hello faithful audience and at-home viewers! Welcome to The Alison Show! Today we are going to be discussing a serious topic, one that will give you great life experiences, impressive things to put on your college application, wonderful essay ...

If the school day didn't seem long enough already for students in these five states, it’s probably about to. [gate] Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee and the lucky five U.S. states that will continue an initiative to have the option to add on school days, make school days longer, or both. The options will be decided upon by schools, ...

The end of August invokes quite a bit of “back-to-school” nostalgia for me. From my elementary school days to my last year of college, I have loved this time of year. It meant new notebooks, a clean slate and reunions with friends who were long lost over the summer. Now that I’ve been out of school for a few years, I’ve ...