academic

  • Google Launches Python Training Program, Offering 2,500 Scholarships

    Google Launches Python Training Program, Offering 2,500 Scholarships

    Google has launched a new online training certificate program to help students and job seekers learn Python, the most in-demand computer programming language.  The certificate program, named Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate, is available through the online course facilitator Coursera. Although it’s not free, Google.org is granting 2,500 need-based scholarships with the aid… Read More

  • Too Much Time Online Will Hurt You Academically, Study Finds

    Too Much Time Online Will Hurt You Academically, Study Finds

    There’s bad news for internet lovers. New research suggests too much time spent online can take a significant toll on a student’s ability to succeed academically, as it makes them less motivated to study and increases their test anxiety.  To come to this conclusion, researchers from Swansea University in Wales and the University of Milan… Read More

  • A Pricey Tuition Doesn’t Always Indicate a Good Education

    A Pricey Tuition Doesn’t Always Indicate a Good Education

    It’s cold outside. And for high school seniors, parents and college counselors, this time of year isn’t only about the holidays. December also marks the peak of college application season, as January deadlines are soon approaching.  But, while seniors make their final college decisions, it’s important for them to remember that picking a college isn’t… Read More

  • Why Inequalities Resurface When Students Earn Advanced Degrees

    Why Inequalities Resurface When Students Earn Advanced Degrees

    There’s a long-standing belief that college is “the great equalizer.” For students from low-income families, it’s seen as their way out of intergenerational poverty.  To a certain extent, that’s true. But only when comparing students with a bachelor’s degree.  Once students go on to earn more advanced degrees, wealth-based inequalities reemerge, as those from low-income… Read More

  • Students Who Are Better at Managing Their Emotions Earn Higher Grades

    Students Who Are Better at Managing Their Emotions Earn Higher Grades

    Students know many factors can affect the grades they earn, including their natural intelligence, how hard they work, their test-taking skills, their sleep habits and even their diet.  But new research suggests there’s another component to academic success — emotional intelligence. Students who are better able to understand and manage their emotions earn higher grades,… Read More

  • Colleges Can Retain STEM Majors by Changing Teaching Methods

    Colleges Can Retain STEM Majors by Changing Teaching Methods

    To support the industries of the future, there’s an estimated need for a 33-percent increase in the number of STEM-degree holders. But right now, roughly half of first-year STEM majors are choosing to drop out or change their course of study before graduating.  For many, the decision to leave STEM fields is rooted in feelings… Read More

  • Walking in the Shoes of a First-Generation College Student

    Walking in the Shoes of a First-Generation College Student

    Being a trailblazer is exciting and something to be proud of, but it isn’t always easy.  Just ask Andrea Reino, a senior at Princeton University and the daughter of Spanish immigrants. Like many first-generation Americans, she’s the first in her family to go to college.  Currently, Reino’s father works as a landscaper and her mother… Read More

  • With Colleges Dropping SAT/ACT Essay Requirement, Should Students Still Take It?

    With Colleges Dropping SAT/ACT Essay Requirement, Should Students Still Take It?

    Every year, millions of students choose to take the optional essay section included in the SAT and ACT, many of whom spend lots of time and money preparing for it.  But should they? The vast majority of colleges and universities have never required applicants to submit scores for these sections. And recently, the number of… Read More

  • Colleges Are Checking Applicants’ Social Media. Here’s What You Should Know

    Colleges Are Checking Applicants’ Social Media. Here’s What You Should Know

    When social media first became popular, it was largely viewed as a place for people to share photos, funny videos and life updates with their family and friends. Despite being on the worldwide web, social media seemed relatively private.  But today, that couldn’t be further from the truth. People everywhere are judged on what they… Read More

  • Quit Social Media and Your Grades May Improve, Study Finds

    Quit Social Media and Your Grades May Improve, Study Finds

    Fight the urge! By spending less time on Facebook and other social media sites, you may be able to boost your grades.  That’s according to a new study conducted by researchers in Sydney, Australia. They evaluated how social media use influenced the exam scores of more than 500 first-year college students.  The researchers found that… Read More

  • Taco Bell Is Giving Out $6 Million in Scholarships to Passionate Students

    Taco Bell Is Giving Out $6 Million in Scholarships to Passionate Students

    Applications are now open for the Taco Bell Foundation’s fifth annual series of Live Más Scholarships. This year, the foundation is giving away more than $6 million to passionate young students across the United States. Each applicant will have a chance to win between $5,000 and $25,000 in scholarship money. All they have to do… Read More

  • Should New ACT Changes Affect How Students Prepare for It?

    Should New ACT Changes Affect How Students Prepare for It?

    On October 8, 2019, the ACT announced a few changes to its college entrance exam. Starting in September 2020, students who’ve already taken the ACT and wish to boost their scores can opt to retake specific parts of the five-section, three-hour-long test. They won’t have to retake the entire test, unless they want to.  Students… Read More

  • Community Colleges Can Pave the Way to Elite Universities, Study Finds

    Community Colleges Can Pave the Way to Elite Universities, Study Finds

    Students know that graduating from a selective college or university will give them a significant leg up in the job market.  Getting into such an institution right out of high school, however, is no simple task. More than anything, students need a high GPA and a good score on their ACT or SAT.   But a… Read More

  • 7 in 10 College Students Find Legacy Admissions Unfair

    7 in 10 College Students Find Legacy Admissions Unfair

    For decades, U.S. colleges and universities have been giving an advantage to the children and relatives of their alumni — otherwise known as “legacy students.” But today, the vast majority of college students are against this practice.   The concept of legacy admissions has been around since the 1920s. And it’s common practice at many of… Read More

  • Are the ACT Test Changes for the Best?

    Are the ACT Test Changes for the Best?

    Earlier this month, the ACT announced changes to its college entrance test, claiming the changes will take some pressure off of students and make it easier for them to improve their scores.  The most notable change is that, starting next year, students who’ve already taken the ACT and wish to boost their scores can opt… Read More

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