College Suggestions: How to Get through College a Little Faster and a Little Easier

 

College can become a little difficult when it takes longer than 4 years to get your degree, takes up much of your free-time for social activities or work opportunities, and leaves you stressed out (see A College Mess: The Double Standards) when you take into account how many bills you're looking at when you come out of school.

To make it easy, I have compiled some small tips that I've tried that have greatly lessened the load.

1. Take college classes before you reach College. When I was in my junior year of high-school, I decided to take college classes after school or during free periods. I went through what was called the Excel program, specific to the Georgia area (although there are others by different names specific to other areas), which allowed me to finish up general requirement classes (a.k.a useless pre-requisites or introductory classes) in an actual college and college classroom. I knocked out Math, English, etc., and got to get a feel for a real college classroom and all the expectations of one. In my senior year, I went to college mostly during my free periods at the end of the day as well and knocked out some more classes that would have took up most of my coursewaork in my first two years at a University. *Not the same thing as AP classes in high-school since high-school AP doesn't always tranfer into college credits.
2. Go to a community/technical college first. If you don't want to take college classes before college, try going to a community/technical college straight out of high-school, at least for the first two years. When you take you're two years of general requirement classes at a community college, you pay less for what it would be at a University. Also, some community/technical colleges have quarter hours vs. the semester hour system you mostly see at 4-year universities, so the classes will be a few months shorter than what it would be at a University.
3. Get an inexpensive Associate's degree and/or a short specialized certificate at the community/tech school while there and it will be easier to get a job later. When you choose to do this option first, that's more on your resume and better hands-on experience with the coursework in usually smaller classroom sizes. This will enable you to find a better job while studying for your Bachelor's degree at a University you migt transfer over to.
4. Take summer classes every summer in college, at least 2 (online or on-campus to make it bearable). College classes during the summer can help you fill required classes up faster, and with 1 or 2 classes, you can still find summer employment without having trouble juggling both if you are otherwise full-time during regular semesters.
5. Clep out of subjects you know all too well. If you're really good at Math, take a clep test to clep out of general req. math classes in College. You don't want to take introductory level classes you thoroughly know already and spend more money on being re-taught it, forced to stay in school longer. The same goes for English, Spanish, and other subjects that are covered by Clep.

A College Mess: The Double-Standards

College is a means to an end and an end in itself. We've been told this for so long that we can probably predict when someone is about to say it to us a few minutes before they open their mouths with a thoughtful or encouraging expression; and it's been everyone.
Parents, teachers, school guidance counselors, and maybe even coaches.
So, why do they harshly blame these college-going kids when they wind up in tremendous debt after the college years are up?
I came across an article on youth unemployment in America and it being the worst among the developed nations as there was less job participation among young people in the age groups of 18-34 than any other place.
The article is here if you'd like to read it.
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/05/america-youth-unemployment_n_3219671.html

It is mostly all of what you've heard before with a few more interesting facts about the severity of the problem.
But what surprised me wasn't the article itself, but the commentor's reactions in the discussion board below it.
Just a few of the comments:

....Party less and save more

....You skated through college with bullshit degrees, and you have to expect bullshit

....some of them are too young with no experience, they might as well just start their own business.

The comments speak volumes to the sheer ignorance of some people on this national issue...or explicitly show their lack of concern.
And it is a problem, something we all should worry about and seek the solution for.

The youth are the future, am I right? Because it's been told to each up and coming generation forever, as it should be since the new generation will always predict the standard of living we can expect within this country in the span of some years.

And its not looking so great.

 First off, what made me very angry-these comments are blaming the kids and not the system.

Kids are constantly told to go to college and that if they don't, they will not be employable.
 No matter their economic level or the lack of college readiness, kids are barraged and pushed into higher education for the sake of getting a job.

What I did, and I wish most teachers advocated to me, was go to a community college for 2 years then transfer to a university for a higher degree because I thought that best and because I was ready for it. That way, I had an Associate's that was more specialized (because it was technical/trade college) and most of my general requirements were fulfilled at the low cost the community college offered.

But no, too many people were ashamed of community college/technical schools because of their teachers. They went to a university right out of high school, without being thoroughly prepared for what all that goes into it (short campus visits and brochures don't count, neither do websites)...

Another issue these commentators were blaming on the kids was the whining they do when they get 'bullshit' degrees and expect a job out of it. I understand that some degrees are not as economical as others and that sometimes you are better off getting one degree over another, but let's stop telling kids they can be whatever they want to be if that is the case and that happiness comes from loving your job first. It's a crazy paradox.

Kids grow up being told to follow their dreams and be anything they want to be, only to be slammed by adults that say their major was stupid or meaningless, and sometimes even their jobs. J.K. Rowling, the successful author of the Harry Potter books, took a major in Greek mythology and used that 'useless' degree somehow to her advantage. If students have the creativity and genius to do something with a useless degree, then it doesn't become useless, although it might need some improvisation and much consideration and planning. Preferably, students should do this if they have in mind what the limitless possibilities are with that degree.

The last thing that bothers me about this slam on the youth is the third comment. It's very hard for young people to start their own business as well as fully functioning adults, especially since their high-schools do not teach them how to within the curriculum. Bureaucracy and government intervention has contributed to the lowest number of independent businesses now existing in America (also, big corporations that come into town). This combination is daunting and lethal, and needs to be addressed.

Before you slam the youth, look at the system you've pushed them in.
College is becoming more expensive each year, therefore becoming out of reach for people who are not rich. Student loans are almost inevitable...how can the youth 'party all the time' when they're worried about paying all their expenses at school or get kicked out? Finding jobs and making connections before they leave school to the point they almost or cant at all enjoy the college years, supposedly the best years of their lives?
Don't lecture the youth, help them do more than scrape by.

It's A Celebrity World

I f*cking hate celebrities, which is why I wrote a short little e-book about it located on the left.
I don't particularly hate all celebrities, but I do hate what celebrities stand for and symbolize as a whole.

This symbol was made clearer to me earlier this morning when I turned on the TV; what came on was Good Morning America, a faux news channel and useless conveyor of important information that usually presents new customer products.

The big story? After the segment on the perfect vacuum cleaner to purchase? Reese Witherspoon was seen caught on camera refusing arrest and antagonizing a police officer when he was trying to question her.

Don't ask me how or why because I could barely listen after that point and at the moment she said this diva-like statement to the officer in the dialogue below:

Reese: "Do you know who I am?"
Officer: No, but I guess I will find out later."
Reese: "Oh, you're going to see who I am and be really sorry."

Or something like that.

I envy police officers in this situation because they're able to put celebrities down a notch and not give a sh*t about what they will say since its their jobs to do so for any disturbance of the peace.

This incident with Ms. Witherspoon (and countless others) show how we unreasonably prop our celebrities up to astronomical heights, to where real news is forgone for updates and statuses of the  trivial famous and rich people with no worries-of course, the only time a regular person is mentioned on the "news" is if he does something really wrong, really great and out-of-the-ordinary, and really outrageously stupid, sometimes courtesy of YouTube videos that go viral, which makes me wonder why we don't want real news that can actually benefits us.

 I also couldn't really blame any religious person for thinking the public worships idols.

There is a show called American Idol and represents just that...young hopefuls wishing for the chance to be the next, big stars that don't have to take sass from anyone anymore. Nikki Minaj told one 12 year-old boy that auditioned that he should get ready for chicks to start swarming him.

Why do we treat these people like Gods who can do no wrong even though we've seen them do wrong countless times?

What do they actually do for us to warrant special treatment, like shortened jail sentences, being let off, or all the attention they receive from a scared media too afraid to shine light on how most regular Americans live day-by-day...and in a struggling economy ? The illusion of equality shatters a little more as this continues to happen.

Yes, some of them have made decent movies that contribute to entertaining the masses, and yes, maybe they've donated to a few charities, but we don't get so celebratory towards normal people who contribute to charity unless they contribute huge sums.

If I were to donate to charity, but then do something illegal the next day, there is a strong possibility that I would still be thrown in jail and mocked endlessly by the media for that one incident...maybe until I released a hit song and became famous for it a week later.

Adopt an Indie

These are the instructions on adopting your own Indie Author or Artist (located below):

Adopting an Indie Author and Artist is pretty simple:

Support your local Indie Author and Artist so they can promote more creativity in the entertainment 'industry' (it's only an industry if you treat it as such), whether it be in music or book publishing; any recommendations or suggestions of authors/artists, I will put them up here with a reel of their  music or images of their books/ebooks...even paintings with descriptions. I like to find new people to look out for.

When you help them get discovered (by going to local shows, hearing interviews, which I will be posting up here when I get the information, etc) as you adopt an Indie author and artist, you will notice more creativity in the music and books you come across and get exposed to.

*This is a segment I will be doing that showcases new talent that is otherwise unknown in entertainment. Thank You in advance for any recommendations and suggestions you have for a talent on the rise. I will try to check them out and put them up here. Everyone deserves to be heard and do what they love!*


Here's my suggestion:

He's a new artist on the rise in Atlanta, already doing multiple shows and  gaining in popularity with his networks in Twitter, Youtube, Soundcloud, reverbnation, myspace, etc.:

This is Money Meeko

More suggestions to come....

 

Disneyfied Bimbos

(I am no FemiNazi or overtly feminist.)

Disney is doing it again. Teaching little girls to be the perfect princess that mostly keeps out of the way (until they're needed, of course) and lives to please their good-hearted prince, bashing and dumbing down girls who refuse the image.

Although they have gotten significanty better at showing stronger female characters who fight for ther princes as well as friends & families (they finally have social lives outside of the guy, people!).

Every time I watch Disney channel though, I go back in time; a time where gender inequality was more prevalent and open. Where certain men affirmed why they were superior to women without the sting of political correctness.

After all, in some cases, woman are still paid less than men (though this isn't so bad when you take into account some of the leadership positions women are more accessible to now). Although we've countered some of these attitudes by seeing  more women in higher positions at work and the small insurgence of stay-at-home dads or very active dads getting more involved in the day-to-day parenting of their children in the recent years, within Disney, the men-as-superior scenario is realized yet again in the modern era of PC Correctness and anti-discriminatory rhetoric; except Disney doesn't have to be so covert about it.

Maybe because parents turn on Disney, the mega kid-center of entertainment, and expect nothing but its wholesome messages to be absorbed within their children.

This gives Disney an opportunity to indoctrinate kids to the old ways.

Just the other day, I came across my younger brothers watching a Disney channel show called Mr. Young.

In this particular episode, taking place in a high school classroom, Mr. Young's high-school kids have to take a mandatory career aptitude test in the hopes of revealing the career path that best suits their traits and skills.

When the principal finds out that one of the students, a blonde girl, did not take the test, he tracks her down and further presses the question at her absence; her response?

"I didn't want to take the test because I already know what I want to do. I'm going to be a trophy wife," said she in a high, giggling voice.

Of course, the middle-aged teacher looks at her dumbfounded...and then she continues to explain as if he doesn't know what a trophy wife is: "You know, get a guy to buy me jewelry and give me money."

Cue the designated laughing track present in almost all Disney shows, since the joke is not funny enough to warrant saying it in front of a real audience that would have booed instead.

There are countless other examples of this, but it would take too long to say it all.

Oh, and the teacher Mr. Young? Badgers one of his female students to wear a semi-sexy nurse costume when her career placement test indicates a promising future as a nurse. I guess it's not so bad because Mr. Young has always liked her and  is the same age as all his students- Mr Young is a super whiz kid who graduated college at age 14.

Still, there's something eerie on his strong insistence that she wears the dress, even more so when he has a flashback fantasy of her taking his temperature and him being a little too eager for it.

I am not an extreme feminist in the slightest or the strongest advocate of Political Correctness (we have our first amendment for a reason and should only be barred from saying racial slurs and possible swear words associated with discrimination) but I do believe women should have the opportunities to work in their desired field, but that both parents should work at things; it's hard to raise a family without two salaries: why can't women be treated professionally enough to be a co-provider without it being frowned upon?

Why is Disney making it a joke for females to be anything but sex-objects and wives that just suck the living life out of their men and their hard work?

I guess because Disney and other corporations that feel this way aren't even giving women a chance to show them otherwise.











 

Review of 1984 by George Orwell

Where do I start?

1984 is one of those novels that many political enthusiasts seem to have read as a cautionary tale to what government could be like unchecked and without controls. In news articles I've read or news clips I've seen, there have been a few references here and there that were specifically directed to Orwell's 1984 when talking about the governments' faulty or sometimes terrifying moves. I have recently joined the ranks of the politically involved (don't badger me, I'm young), and understand why this would be recommended reading. This book is basically a warning against big, overly repressive government, and as recent events would have it, maybe a severe commentary on the things our government is beginning to do with the actions they are engaging in on a daily basis. Besides that rightly cautionary message, I didn't like 1984 as much as I thought I would when I first read it.

1984, which was its purpose, was very dreary and bleak. Right now you're probably thinking I'm being too picky with a book that at least accomplished its goal, but it had an extremely dark tone throughout. From beginning to end, almost. Some brevity or a little bit of humor would have evenly diffused the all-consuming depression it pulls you into towards the end. Alleviation and a bit of balance with different tones would have also done it some good.

But maybe its justified.

Too many mainstream news channels and government entities skewer statistics to always make a pretty bad situation cheerier than it really is.

The unemployment rate is one of the statistics that is continuously undergoing this sugar-coating and peppering-of-cheer process. Instead of unemployment being 8.7%, its closer to maybe 16%: and that's because we exclude the people who quit looking for jobs...so, their really unemployed by choice?

Anyway,  I guess the overall dreariness could possibly be justified by another reason too.

A totalitarian government, or even a government with tremendous power, at some point becomes too dangerous to a free people to think the issue can be solved instantly once such a force takes over.

These kind of governments gain their power by taking others' power-the people and perhaps the different single states in its country. The federal government has taken over failing businesses before, therefore outstretching one of its arms into private life and the free markets.

More control over big financial industries (industries getting in bed with Government), more control over the people.

Okay, so even if I could justify its bleakness, there is still no way to make the ending any better; very anti-climatic with no insight into what happens now...now that no one has yet to successfully overthrow big brother.

Reality TV's Recycled Cycle of Trash

I am not the biggest fan of reality TV, so this may be a little bias, but I hate how people advocate reality TV by telling me its not meant to be taken seriously. It's not that I'm taking it too seriously- its just so un-serious that it literally isn't about anything.

Take the other day. I was watching some E-news show that dedicated a segment to some drama that was going on between the Atlanta, or was it Miami?...on housewives of whatever show.

Again, it was about another fight or spat that occurred between two of the wives-what, was it about one of the girls stealing someone's husband a second time?

I couldn't tell you.

It is the same thing over and over again to the point where it all blurred together, even which city the housewives were in.

Wasn't the reason for reality TV shows supposed to be the excitement people get when we peak into the lives of rich and famous people or rich people in association with rich and famous people?

Well, obviously not because it's mind-numbingly boring.

I don't know about many peoples' reactions to having lots of money suddenly, but I would be doing a million and one really exciting, adrenaline-pumping things if I had the wealth that some of these reality stars amass from one or two seasons.

And that's just it; the arguments they have are so petty, and the women so grown (40's to 60's), you sometimes wonder why you are tuning in to watch something so mundane and ordinary involving 'sophisticated and classy' females who could do anything in the world because they have no worries.
Instead they fight and bicker, talk about who did this, who did that; even worse, who owned this or who owns that, breathing new life into the stereotype that all rich people are grubby handed, mean-spirited people.

 Also, if I want to see a fight, I can watch relatives duke it out or something-and that would be slightly more entertaining because they actually have more at stake in the fight (it might actually be about a money issue-like not paying someone back)

The only reality TV show that I've found that doesn't have the same issue is Mac Miller's Most Dope Family. It has its flaws, but it really was a breath of fresh air to get away from the sameness that is the cat-fighting, self-absorbed females and their bored looking husbands on the side, or the all-partying and nothing else jersey band.

What stuck out to me was Mac Miller's very mellow personality.

He didn't stress over small things and he took every opportunity he got to have fun or goof around and be a normal 20 something.

Unlike Jersey Shore, it wasn't just simply partying at some dim-lit, neon lighted club with 'friends' that will let you get so wasted you didn't know you slept with someone the night before.

Yeah, 20 somethings can be said to go to the club a lot and get entangled in some sticky situations, but MMMDF touches on the camaraderie of a tight group of friends and how they really interact with one another in the uncharted background of Hollywood glamor and fame, all coming from smaller territory before their big jump to L.A.

It's interesting to see how these newcomers to Hollywood handle themselves in Hollywood Land (because let's face it, it's a different planet there with different  kind of ('eccentric') people), even more entertaining to see that for the most part they are pretty down-to-earth in the crazy antics they pull on one another.

But like I said earlier, even this show isn't without its flaws. Although it was cool seeing in one episode Mac's friend accidentally breaking a plasma TV that Mac Miller instantly shrugged off, saying pretty loudly-"I got millions, bitch-don't worry about it" or something on those lines, and then later deciding to get everyone together and trash it completely for fun, it did feel like family home videos that weren't meant for the small screen, except for America's Funniest Home videos or strictly home-viewing with family and friends.

Although I get a somewhat realistic view of how they act in their new-found environment, it still suffers a little from being boring or not really showing anything unique to a person with so much amassed fame and money.

Maybe its because I haven't seen all the episodes or because it's on the more moderate end of the spectrum to where Housewives and other shows of that ilk (Basketball Wives, Love & Hip-Hop etc.) are on: Housewives and co. are on the extreme side of over-acted drama and Most Dope Family may be on the other end of very mellow and sated fun.

My verdict on Reality TV is that it can be insightful in some ways in relation to the lives of the people you care for most in the entertainment business, but it's the basest and lowest stimulation of the brain because then you're watching people live life for you in a way you might live better if you were them.