PHD Comics: The 2397th Annual Academic Awards
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PHD Comics: The 2397th Annual Academic Awards
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Category Archives: Soapbox
The Question of a College Degree
Posted in college, Recruitment, SoapboxBefore we start: I would like to reference my Disclosure Policy. This is solely my opinion and no one else’s. 
Today, some may think that college is becoming more of an option than a requirement. In today’s environment when its a challenge for people with *multiple* degrees to gain employment, people are questioning if having that piece of paper is worth it.
Of course we have heard of the success stories of people forgoing college for stardom, and others have also been successful by starting their own companies (ahem, Bill Gates).
What about those stories that we don’t hear about?
Amber Naslund of Social Media Today, recently posted My Dirty Little College Secret about her journey and her decision regarding the question of college.
In the meantime, this shows that its time to look to new ways of recruitment. People are considering at different stages in life and its up to us to start the conversation and build relationships in order to continue having college being a part of the conversation.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments?
From the Rock n’ Roll College Archives
Posted in SoapboxDoes Recruitment Really Ever End on a College Campus
Posted in Alumni, Soapbox, StudentsLately with the discussion of recruitment videos from different institutions wide and far, I’m starting to realize that recruitment doesn’t end when “signing day” or “deposit day” comes and goes.
Colleges and universities have to work not only to recruit new students, but also to keep continuing students to come back.
This weekend, I saw a recruitment video for a campus organization to recruit new members. As the members of the organization talked about their experiences, I realized that for some, its not the lectures that keep students. Its about the support systems and the relationships students build with with each other that keep them coming back the next year.
So, I invite people to not only focus on the incoming class, but also take a look at how current students and alumni are being “recruited”. Institutions ask these audiences to stay involved and to be included in the college’s support system.
So take a note from the business world. It cost less to keep a current student, than to recruit a new one.
Textbooks, iPads and e-books oh my!
Posted in Soapbox, Students
I am an Amazon Affiliate.
Unless, you have been under a rock, it has been a crazy couple of weeks in the industry of old school media (meaning books.)
The iPad came out, further questioning the delivery of books. When I first saw it, I has flashbacks of the Minority Report
However, in terms of academia, this all remains to be seen. Do I see student’s flocking to buy the device? No.
Students multitask and the peanut gallery has deemed that this is not a multitasking device.
In “the stuff I wish I had when I was a student category,” Barnes and Noble is rolling out textbook rentals. This is a good move because at the end of the semester, students would be lucky to get a quarter of the price that they paid for the books at the beginning of the semester.
Finally long standing academic publisher Macmillan, is in negotiations with Amazon to offer ebook content.
Folks aren’t exactly on the fence to see if this will be the “game changer” like what people are touting the iPad to publishing ad iPod to music.
As the group Swing Out Sister says in it recent album, Beautiful Mess
Winter Break
Posted in Soapbox
Winter Break for most colleges typically means taking a week, two, or a month away from campus.
While I was in college, I hardly took a winter break. Instead, when I thought of breaks, they meant time to catch up , work on campus to earn for books and supplies.
Even though I loved my family dearly, I would go back up to campus early, sometimes right after the Christmas holiday so that I could have some time to myself.
Lately, I have also taken time to evaluate , regroup and focus for not only the upcoming semester, but also for this year as a whole.
So this is more of a reminder than an insight or lecture. If you are already back on campus, not quite there yet, or finally out of college, take the time to focus and re-group. Especially in these times, it more important more than ever.
Should Social Media be a separate college course?
Posted in Soapbox, Teaching, TrainingOver the weekend, I stumbled upon this post: 5 Things I Would Tell a Social Media Professor.
Being that I did teach two marketing courses as an adjunct professor, the logical choice would be to include it as part of an internet marketing course or a general marketing course.
One could also argue that its also a good idea to have an online reputation management course, but that’s a post for another day.
If you look at it, if you asked a professor 5 years ago if Internet Marketing should be its own course, it would have been quickly disregarded. Now there are multiple internet marketing courses in on-line, offline and hybird formats.
I think its a bit pre-mature for it to be its own course at this point. However, I’m saying in those famous words, never say never.
Life after college: A letter to recent college graduates
Posted in Alumni, graduates, Life after College, SoapboxBefore we start: I would like to reference my Disclosure Policy. This is solely my opinion and no one else’s.
Welcome to the second third edition of Life after College. It has come to my attention that their is a certain news article about a recent graduate suing a college because they have not been able to find employment.
Do they realize that we are in a recession? People that have degrees (including people that have multiple degrees) had jobs for years are getting laid off left and right are unable to find jobs. I even know of a teacher who’s salary was cut, so everyone is affected.
Back in the last century, (now I’m dating myself) it took me 6 months to find a job after graduation, also then the economy was a bit shaky.
Like Seth Godin suggested, why not start your own business, or volunteer at a community center to build and showcase skills on a resume.
Also let’s not forget about networking. There are online groups, meetups out there for every career interest. If not create one! It can build on leadership experience. One cannot depend solely on any one source for anything ( I’m still learning that by being a sole proprietor) . Some recent grads also took their message to the streets.
Catch up on books that you wanted to read during college but couldn’t. Read Johnny Bunko. Take classes you want to, not have to take. Volunteer at trade shows and conferences. Be creative, think out of the box, make an impact, and make your own opportunities.
Life after college
Posted in Alumni, college, graduates, Life after College, SoapboxAs it is still graduation season for some colleges and universities, I can’t help but to think back on what happened after I “graduated”. Lately, the job market has not been kind to anyone, especially college graduates.
I stumbled upon an article, that talks about college graduates having to move back home and the compromises made during the process. It reminded me of the 2 years I had to face when moving back home after going away to college. It took me six months to get a job out of college, but with the current state of affairs, who knows how long current graduates would have to wait it out.
Perhaps if there was a guide like in Seth Godin’s recent blog post, then things would not have seemed so bad.
On the other hand..
Posted in college, Reading, Soapbox, StudentsYou got to appreciate the irony in this. In the last post, we talked about how a college was requiring students to have iPods.
Now, a Japanese University is giving them away.