If you are trying to decide on a college major, but none of the typical ones like Business, English or Political Science seem like they would be right for you, consider one of these majors that can lead to fast-growing careers. In fact, these areas are growing so quickly that none of these 10 majors even existed 10 years ago! Be a forerunner at your school by pursuing one of these exciting new options.

1. New media
Online media is one of the fastest-growing areas of journalism. New media majors combine traditional journalism studies with courses on the design and management of digital media. Some programs, such as the new media program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, concentrate on computer skills and design of online media. Other programs, like the one at Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, integrate communications and digital skills.
2. Biotechnology

Biotechnology combines biology and technology to solve agricultural, food science, and medical issues. It is an interdisciplinary field and is often combined with a business degree, as in he joint degree program at Johns Hopkins University. Read the rest of this entry »

Just toys? Researchers say video games may be key to teaching youngsters.

Tired of badgering the kids to quit wasting time with those computer and video games and get started on homework? Here’s a news flash for the 21st Century: It turns out many of the games might be better than homework.

In a series of research projects as likely to thrill young people as they are to horrify their parents and teachers, academic experts across the country are unearthing educational benefits in the digital games that surveys show are now played by more than 80 percent of American young people ages 8 to 18.

At the top of the experts’ lists are simulation and role-playing games, often played on the Internet alongside thousands of other participants, because of the vocabulary, reasoning and social skills they can boost.

Click here to read the rest of the Chicago Tribune article, ‘Skip the textbook, play the video game.’

By Howard Witt
Chicago Tribune senior correspondent

1) Attend Orientation With Your Kids

Orientation allows students to visit with counselors and advisors, set their schedule, meet other new students, and tour the campus. Parents have the opportunity to meet faculty, brainstorm, and bond with their kids. If you haven’t been involved in the decision process by now, Orientation is a great opportunity to get started with the transition.
2) Help Students Move In.
Whether they’re lucky enough to have their own apartment or are moving into a dorm the first year, they’re going to need your help. The experience can be overwhelming enough, so why not bring someone along (like you!) who can make sure all the paperwork is signed, clothing is packed, and trip is properly mapped out? Every parent has had to move at some point in his or her life, so consider taking time off of work to lend a hand.
3) Let Them Call You.
It will be difficult not to pick up the phone and dial your student’s number every five minutes just to “check up.” But resist the temptation! You and your student can make plans to call regularly once or twice each week, but give them at least one full week to adjust to college life alone. This time is crucial, for they are expected to start friendships, classes, social activities, and adulthood all at once. Believe me, if they need you they’ll call. If not, be proud of your great parenting skills and wait patiently. Read the rest of this entry »

Feeling comfortable on your new campus is vital to a smooth transition. However, this can seem like a daunting task.

You are no longer a nervous freshman, but you are changing schools and adjusting to a new environment. You’re probably also going to be attending a much larger university than your old community college. Don’t let this intimidate you.

This is your chance to really become a part of your university, not just another face in the crowd. Read on for some suggestions that will help make the shift from community college to university a little less intimidating.

Get to know your school
This will make it easier for you to meet people and feel at home. First of all, hit the Internet and do some research. Learn about the school’s traditions. Find out what the school song is, what they use for a mascot and what your new school colors are. You can even buy some t-shirts and sweatshirts with the school’s name and logo.

Find out about clubs and organizations
Most schools have a long roster of clubs for just about any major or interest. Join an art club, the student government, or put yourself on the committee for student activities. Whatever your interests are, there should be one available for you. Once you join, you will automatically have a network of people who enjoy the same things you do.

Put yourself out there
Talk to as many people as you can. This may be hard, especially if you tend to be shy, but you have to try. You won’t meet anyone if you don’t put yourself out there. Besides, there are probably tons of people just as nervous as you. By Marian Dodd, Staff Writer

Check out the teams
Athletic games provide a great way to socialize. Cheering on your school’s athletes will give you instant common ground with other students, plus it’s fun to be surrounded by a bunch of people rooting for the same team.

Volunteer
Volunteering is rewarding, but it is also a great way to meet people. When you volunteer, you meet other people who live on or around your new campus. It can also give you perspective about the area in which you go to school. As an added bonus – it’s great for that all important resumé.

Expect the unexpected
Don’t set yourself up with a lot of ideas about what your new school will be like. Be open to different people and new experiences. You’ll learn a lot of things and meet some great people.

Now go out there and make your new university your home. Don’t forget to show some S-P-I-R-I-T along the way!

Lots of people will tell you what to expect from college life. From large classes to all-night study groups, you’ve probably heard dozens of stories about the good times you’ll have and the things you’ll learn.

What few people mention is how you’ll feel as you adjust to college life.

Going away to college is a major change, probably one of the biggest you’ve experienced so far. With big changes come rough times. You are transitioning from a teenager to an adult, and there are a lot of new responsibilities that come along with this.

These new responsibilities can cause stress and anxiety for students. The good thing is that stress is normal. Completely normal. Though many college freshmen won’t admit to going through tough times, all of them do.

Expect to be stressed
College life can be very stressful. In fact, according to a study conducted at Kansas State University, it’s more stressful today than ever before.

“People just don’t seem to have the resources to draw upon emotionally to the degree that they used to,” said Robert Portnoy, the director of counseling and psychological services at the University of Nebraska in a New York Times interview.

“What would once have been a difficult patch for someone in the past is now a full-blown crisis,” Portnoy said.

John C. Wade, outreach coordinator and licensed counseling psychologist for Kansas University’s counseling and psychological services, says stress in college can be often linked to change.

“Any adjustment itself is stressful,” he said. “Even if it’s a good change, there is always stress involved in making that change.”

So what can you do to combat college stress? Wade suggests four things to help you stay relaxed and in control:

Have realistic expectations. College is going to be hard. It will require more work than high school, and you’ll be on your own to make sure that work gets done. Understanding this will prepare you for what’s ahead.

Stay in contact with your established support system. Call home to talk to family and friends. They’ll give you the support you need to handle the recent changes in your life.

Develop new social connections. You’ll be away from the friends you used to depend on.

Making new friends It’s tough to leave your friends behind when you go to college. What’s even tougher is making new friends. It’s not very often that you have to start your social circle from scratch. You might even fi nd that suddenly you’re struggling with newfound shyness and don’t know what to do.

The California Institute of Technology Counseling Center offers three tips on how to make friends:

Put yourself in social situations. You can’t meet people if you stay in your dorm room. Get out, attend sporting events, go to parties, and introduce yourself to people in your dorm and classes.

Talk. You won’t make friends through osmosis. Conversation is the best way to find out if the person you sit next to in Biology has similar interests. Open up the lines of communication. Start with something as simple as, “What’s your major?”

Hang out. There’s a difference between friends and acquaintances. So how do you turn an acquaintance into a friend? Take the initiative! Get their phone number and call them up to go get pizza or study at the local coffee shop.

The great thing about college is the number of people around you. You’re sure to find other people with similar interests and outlooks.

Missing home
At some point, every college student gets homesick. It’s tough to leave a home where you feel comfortable and accepted, and this often causes separation anxiety and homesickness. While the severity of homesickness can vary, the symptoms are the same.

“A College Guide to Overcoming Homesickness,” from Penn State Erie, sites seven major symptoms of homesickness:

• Feelings of anxiety or stress about leaving family and friends
• Worrying about your academic performance
• Feeling alone and separated from those around you
• Thinking you don’t fit in with others who are having fun
• Depression and little or no motivation
• Wanting to connect with someone like you did with friends back home
• Thinking about home – all the time

If you find that you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important that you realize their cause and start taking steps to make things better.

You can use your homesickness as a reason to get out, explore the campus and the city and take others with you. By exploring in a group, you’ll make friends while familiarizing yourself with your surroundings.

Don’t ignore it
If you find that these symptoms are keeping you from going to class or making it hard to leave your dorm room, fi nd out about the counseling services at your school. Sometimes talking to someone who is trained in overcoming homesickness is just what you need to get past these feelings.

College is a major change in your life, and it’s important to be as ready as possible for what lies ahead. Realize that being stressed, shy and homesick is normal – and you will probably experience each of these feelings during your freshman year.

Keep in mind that you’re not alone. The other freshmen around you are going through the same thing you are. Use those negative emotions to reach out and make new friends. You won’t just feel better, but you’ll have helped someone else out and made a new friend.

In every student’s life there comes a time when they ask themselves, “Am I doing the right thing?!” High school is an exciting time, but it’s also a time to be mindful of the future. Figuring out the who/what/when/where of college can be daunting . especially when everyone and their brother has an opinion on what school is best for you.

If you’re having difficulty making concrete decisions, there are people you should listen to (like, uh, your gut) and people you should avoid like the plague! That being said, here’s a semi-comprehensive list of people to avoid when making life-changing college decisions:

5) Your girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other of five minutes
Okay, face it . if you end up going to a certain school just because you have a serious case of puppy love . well, that’s just stinkin’ thinkin’! High school sweethearts can fade, but an education is FOREVER. Plus, trust me . once you get to college there are about a bazillion new people you’re going to meet.

4) Your current boss
Chances are . you’re looking to land a bigger, better gig once you’ve scored your diploma. And while I’m sure there are currently plenty of job opportunities at the local TasteeFreeze . you are not going to be making sundaes forever. On the other hand, if you have a good working relationship with your supervisor, you may be able to have your ice cream cake and eat it too. Securing a part-time job through college is not always a bad thing.

3) Demi Moore
Demi Moore dropped out of high school at age 16. Demi Moore ended up a famous actress. Chances of that happening again are 1 in 8,443,912,619. Demi got an education in the school of hard knocks, but you can get ahead the old-fashioned way and get your college degree. Shoot, Ashton Kutcher started out at the University of Iowa . which is also my alma mater. Too bad I got the brains and he got the looks, but whatever.

2) That ONE friend
You know who I’m talking about. The person that you’ve been stuck with the last four years and are desperate to shake. Unfortunately, they’ve latched on to you like a relentless barnacle and you can’t get rid of them. Well, guess what . pick the right college and you NEVER have to see them again. Except at those pesky high school reunions . but by then you’ll have a killer job while that ONE friend is still working at the Bowl-A-Rama.

1) The almighty dollar
Okay . in this scenario, let’s pretend money is a person. And not a helpful one at that. Just because you may not have the $BLING$ to go to Harvard doesn’t mean you can’t ATTEND Harvard. Again, stinkin’ thinkin’. Schools have scholarships, scholarships have scholarships . find ‘em, use ‘em. Student loans can get you where you want to go. Where there’s a will . there’s a WAY to get in to the college of your choice.

There is silence as I stand amid a thousand tombstones, there is silence as time sweeps concentric circles around me. Long tendrils of human emotion grope my flesh and bring my bones closer to harmony. The emerald locusts that know me as their empress shudder nervously in adiabatic contentment. My words become the white hot copper filaments in lonesome street lamps. The soft moths who beat their bodies in towards the ambient beauty, so terrified of darkness they chose to kill themselves with light.

Carmelita Jaramillo carries a notebook on her like a survivalist carries a water canteen. Wherever she can find room for it, in a backpack or back pocket, she opens its pages whenever the creative mood strikes and sometimes when it doesn’t. Her journal is almost as necessary and common to her as a heartbeat. One doesn’t exist without the other.

For an 18-year-old poet like Jaramillo, there is much to write about in the New Mexican landscape, and many other brilliant poets to share ideas with. The state has earned a familiarity in many lay persons’ minds for its dry desert lands, high-reaching cacti that blot out the sun, a mountain range and some roadside adobe dwellings, and its tombstone cemeteries.

True artists and art collectors, both nationally and around the globe, know there is much more to New Mexico than turquoise costume jewelry and paintings of windblown landscapes with wagon wheels and tumbleweeds. The state is actually home to dozens of art galleries, artist colonies, performance venues, and bestselling authors like David Morrell and Natalie Goldberg.

Jaramillo, a senior at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, hopes to join the ranks of the state’s most notable writers and performers through poetry slam performances. Like many artists, Jaramillo works to realize creative inspirations inside of her, yet she also feels her writing fulfills a personal sense of duty. The words that she puts to paper are from her soul, and she brings them out to brighten people’s eyes to the beauty and emotion of the world they walk through.

“Poetry is a very cathartic exercise,” Jaramillo said. “I really feel like it is my personal responsibility as a human being to try to do something to inspire other people and inspire change.”

Last fall, Jaramillo came in second in a statewide online Webslam sponsored by New Mexico CultureNet (NMCN), a state-funded organization that supports and promotes the work of local artists. Since 1998, NMCN has conducted an online poetry contest for New Mexican teens that lasts three weeks and challenges writers to contribute poems on a given mood or subject each week. Juniors and seniors from a dozen high schools throughout the state submit entries in hopes of placing with the state’s most prolific young writers.

Falling headfirst
From the age of 10, Jaramillo has been writing. She ventured into poetry at 14. Her enjoyment of the writing craft led to her involvement as the president of Santa Fe High School’s Poetry Club and in numerous other activities, including drama. Those who work closely with Jaramillo tout her as one of many upand-coming poets on the New Mexican spoken word scene.

“I have never seen someone so dedicated to creative expression as a necessary part of life – not just a hobby or a distraction or entertainment, like song lyrics,” said Michelle Holland, coordinator of NMCN’s Poets-in-the-Schools program. “She has fallen headfirst into the world of poetry and spoken word.”

NMCN has partnered with Santa Fe Public Schools since 2004 to produce the Poets-in-the-Schools program at high schools, academies and middle schools in the Santa Fe metropolitan area. The organization screens, hires and evaluates poets who work directly with students and teachers.

Julie Hasted, an English instructor and the sponsor of Santa Fe High’s Poetry Club, works weekly with Jaramillo and her teammates on written pieces and presentation. While Jaramillo has displayed the focus and organizational skills to pull together a band of poets – a talent many artistically inclined individuals do not share – Hasted said her poetry shows an opposite side.

“Her poetry is deeply emotional, incredibly symbolic, and ranges in subject matter from basic everyday tedium to the more fantastic in their initial sense,” Hasted said. “From facial anomalies to cell phones, she can draw connections to things way above the level of most high school students.”

Throwing down
There’s much more to poetry slam competitions that simply writing and reading impressive poems. Performers attempt to convey the meaning behind their works through body language, movement and voice inflection. On stage at small cafés and at numerous poetry club events, Jaramillo has worked to refine the delivery of her own poems.

“I always try to have a natural rhythm that the audience can relate to and think, ‘Yeah, that feels right,’”Jaramillo said.” I don’t want anything that sounds contrived or false. I try to relate as much as possible to the words I am saying. Every move you make, every inflection has to go along with your poem.”

A goal of Santa Fe High’s Poetry Club for 2007 is to compete in poetry slams in Albuquerque and sponsor a competition at a Santa Fe venue. Later this month, Jaramillo will face a steep challenge when she participates in NMCN’s Poetry Jam ‘07. Begun in 2002, Poetry Jam is a two-day festival of poetry workshops, readings, panels and public performances.

Jaramillo has already begun preparing her work for the event by further developing the writing approach she used in previous contests.

“I try to talk about things no one else talks about,” Jaramillo said. “Not necessarily the subjects, but how I portray the subjects. I like to use a lot of metaphors. They might even seem like ridiculous symbols, but I try to make my writing as unique as possible.”

Out among the tombstones and the snowcapped mountains, Jaramillo has found a peaceful soul in poetry. In her words, she hopes others will find similar consolation, taking her path to personal enlightenment before the moths find a bright finale and everything else comes down to bone.

For more information on New Mexico CultureNet, visit http://www.nmcn.org/.

For most first-year college students, a collegiate learning environment is almost appallingly different than high school. There’s more academic pressure. Your assignments are more demanding, plus you’re adapting to a new social environment and possibly new living arrangements. With all of these challenges staring you down your freshman year, we thought you could use some suggestions for making the transition to your new academic life a little easier.

First day jitters
Go to campus a few days before your classes start. Look at your schedule and plan out your day according to the buildings. Don’t worry, just take things one at a time and you will be just fine.

Succeed in classes
Actually going to class is a plus. This might sound like common sense, but you will be surprised at how tempting it is to skip. A lot of teachers give three free absences, and some don’t even take attendance, but just because your teachers don’t keep track of your attendance doesn’t mean it won’t affect your grade.

“College is an investment; you want to put in as much as possible,” Andrew Sison, Dean of Admission at Lewis University, said. “You won’t be able to enhance your grade if you’re not there.”

Note taking
If you have a laptop, take it to class. A lot of schools offer free wireless Internet on campus. You can probably type faster than you can write. Otherwise, take notes by hand. Don’t try to write everything down – you won’t absorb as much information. Try to stick to key points. Check to see if your teacher posts notes online.

Keep a planner
Keeping track of various projects and assignments can be difficult if you aren’t organized. If you have a planner, you can easily prioritize your assignments and plan your time accordingly.

“Time management is one of the most important things when entering college,” Sison said. “You need to be able to give yourself a time-line.”

Stick to small classes Having classes in big lecture halls makes it tempting to skip or just not pay attention. You have more opportunities to ask your professor for help in small classroom settings.

Talk to your professors Visit with your professors during their office hours. This will help you build relationships with your professors and make it easier to ask questions.

“It’s important that students are open to talking to their professors,” Sison said. “They’re more than professors, sometimes they’re your advisors.”

Helpful tips:

• Find your classes before they start
• Go to class, even if there is no required attendance
• Use a planner
• Try to enroll in small classes
• Take advantage of your resources
• Shop around for textbooks

Freshmen come and fresh-men go every year at all universities, from the major public institutions to the small private ones. Some manage to make a connection with their professors – maybe not necessarily becoming the best of friends but establishing an in-the-classroom relationship that ultimately benefits their grade. The overwhelming majority of students, though, sit at the back of the lecture hall and disappear before the instructor has a chance to learn their names.

Since this issue of KEY Magazine is devoted to helping you survive your first year of college, our editorial staff decided to get some insights into what a college professor expects from you. We decided to go straight to the source. As a professor of journalism at a major Big 12 division school, Gerry Cain squared off with hundreds of timid college freshmen. Here are his responses to some common questions on the minds of most new college students.

Q. What are some guidelines for writing an e-mail to a professor?
A. Specific and to the point. Profs have little time and a lot of committee meetings to at-tend. However, don’t mistake brevity for informality, which should be kept to a minimum – it is a professional relationship you’re building, after all, not a friend you’re inviting over for pizza and beer!

Q. How do you get to know a professor in a large lecture class?
A. Introduce yourself … often! Stop and talk briefly after class (again, we’re probably on our way to a committee meeting). And re-introduce yourself – first name, at least – with each encounter. We’re bad with names. Repetition helps.

Q. What is the best way to get on a professor’s good side?
A. Come to class prepared to discuss the subject du jour … and engage in discussions. So few do it that we seek out those to converse with just to make class more interesting … if only to our-selves.

Q. How much do I need to interact with a teacher outside of class?
A. Again, lots. If you haven’t had at least three brief encounters and one sit-down in his/her office with each of your profs, there’s little chance we’ll remember you come time for letters of recommendation. And you will want LORs.

Q. How important is class participation?
A. Very, very important. Speak up. Be heard. Often.

Q. How much interaction do you expect from a student in class?
A. Lots. Whether you agree with us or not, we at least would like the chance to have some interaction with you in class. It’s just more fun that way.

Q. What are some ways I could stay involved in a big classroom?
A. Participate in the discussion. If you’re not prepared to talk about the subject, at least come prepared knowing what the subject of discussion will be. Then toss a re-lated question or comment out in class just to let us know you appreciate our time and efforts to educate you.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a student?
A. Find something in every class and every assignment that broadens, enlightens or excites you. That is what the college experience is (supposed to be) all about.

About 66.3 percent of American adults are overweight or obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If that trend continues, out of 100 of your friends and classmates, 66 will weigh more than doctors recommend. For many of them, this extra weight will cause serious health problems.

You don’t have to be one of those 66.

Contrary to what many think, eating healthily isn’t hard. Even as a busy student juggling class, studying, friends and a part-time job, you can still make healthy food decisions.

Take small steps
Healthy eating habits won’t happen overnight. Start slowly, eating smaller portions and swapping water for coke. Try eating healthily for one meal a day. Once you’re comfortable, increase that to two meals a day.

On the go
There are ways to eat healthily at fast food restaurants. Try a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a double cheeseburger. Ask if you can substitute fruit for the side order of french fries. Many chain restaurants offer several salads on their menus. You can even trade the soda for a bottle of water. Speaking of water …

Don’t skip the H2O
There are plenty of reasons to drink eight glasses of water every day. Water energizes and cleans out your body. It also lubricates joints and organs and helps maintain muscle tone. Water keeps skin soft. Water regulates body temperature, filters out impurities, and keeps the brain working properly.

Looks can fool
Not all the foods that look unhealthy actually are bad for you. While cheese fries may never be part of your recommended diet, potatoes alone are nothing to fear. In fact, they are full of antioxidants that are great for fighting diseases. The important thing is to know the pros and cons of what’s on your plate before you take the first bite.

Smart snacking
Keep an emergency stash of healthy snacks for those moments when you’re tempted to hit the vending machine. Breakfast bars and granola bars are easy to store in your dorm room. Low calorie pudding, apples and trail mix are also easy to eat on the way to class. And when you’re heading to class …

Stay active
Even small things, like walking to class instead of driving, or taking the stairs in place of the elevator, can help you stay healthy. Look for activities you enjoy, like biking, running or dancing, to get your heart rate up. After a few workout sessions, you’ll find you have a lot more energy.

The combination of a little bit of planning and some smart choices can help you stay healthy, no matter how busy you are.