Internet Exercises

For this assignment, explore the websites below. As an alternative, you may do a search for other relevant websites that address these topics. Be sure to note which websites you used.

(See http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/langan/cws/stu_olc/m0_using.htm

Using the Internet for some tips on how to judge the quality or reliability of information on any website.)

http://parentingteens.about.com/parenting/parentingteens/library/weekly/aa031700a.htm

Solid Reasons to Take a Look at Community Colleges

Community College is the answer to the question many young adults ask themselves: What do I do now? There are several reasons why a four year school is not the best alternative after high school. These reasons can range from not having the money to just not feeling like they can handle all the pressure. So if you are questioning your future, here are five solid reasons to explore the world of community college.

http://www.nber.org/digest/dec99/w7322.html

On the Payoff to Attending an Elite College

"Students who attend colleges with higher average tuition costs or spending per student tend to earn higher incomes later on." In today's high-tech economy, just about everybody has gotten the message that it pays to get a college degree. What is less clear to many parents and their college-bound youngsters is whether it makes economic sense to attend an elite school with a total four-year price tag big enough to buy a nice suburban house in many parts of the country. Does the earnings return from a diploma with the name of an elite institution stamped on it justify the higher expense, or is the reputation of the college aristocracy vastly overblown, at least when it comes to subsequent income? It's a question that more and more economists are researching, while many parents and policymakers would like to know the answer.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~evalres/first-year.shtml

Conducted every fall term for the last 30 years, this nationally administered survey provides data on the entire class of incoming first-year students and is completed at matriculation. Approximately 500 other colleges across the country contribute to this survey, and national results are available for comparison purposes from the Higher Education Research Institute.

The First-Year survey includes such questions as 1) frequency of participation in certain activities over the past year ( e.g. volunteered, felt overwhelmed, discussed politics), 2) self-ranked standings compared with peers on various traits (e.g. academic ability, popularity, creativity), 3) personal reasons to attend college, 4) stances on various personal beliefs (e.g. abortion, free speech, importance of raising a family), 5) perceived likelihood of engaging in certain activities in college (e.g. join a fraternity/sorority, join an athletic team, fail a course), and several other sections.

http://www.usatoday.com/careers/ask/ask090.htm

Every Tuesday, the USATODAY.com Career Center and the National Board for Certified Counselors offer advice from the nation's top career counselors. Peter Manzi, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester in the Counseling and Human Development program, answers questions on getting out of the nursing field and putting together a reputable job application.

http://www.embark.com/diaries/default.asp

College Diaries

The real experts on college life are the students. We asked 12 students, of different backgrounds, regions, and interests, to share slices of their lives with the rest of us. Keep checking back for their latest updates!

http://webnz.com/checkers/GoalSetting.html

ABCheckers is an English language consultancy that has been operating on the Internet since 1996. Founded in New Zealand by a group of English teachers, ABCheckers has helped hundreds of people world-wide to improve their English so that they can gain better grades, better qualifications, better jobs, and a better lifestyle. SuperTeach, a component of the website, offers a series of information pages designed to help students - particularly those who are learning on their own - to develop effective study skills.

http://www.topachievement.com/hiltonjohnson.html

The Top 10 Best Ideas For Setting Goals, By Hilton Johnson

You cannot pick up a book or participate in a training program today without the author or instructor teaching the power of goal setting. Yet, most people today spend more time planning a two-week vacation than planning their lives by setting goals. It's been said that achieving goals is not a problem--it's SETTING goals that is the problem. People just don't do it. They leave their lives to chance...and usually end up broke by the time they reach retirement. The author shares with you some of the greatest thoughts about goal setting that he has discovered over the years. The article is aimed at business people, but students may be able to benefit from his advice as well.

http://www.mindtools.com/pggoalef.html

This website offers more hints on setting goals.

1. What is the URL or address for this site?

2. Who created the site? (This may be an individual, an organization, or an institution. For some websites, it's difficult to determine who is responsible for the content. If that is the case for the website you looked at, indicate that here.)

3. What do you think is the main purpose of this site?

4. Is this site effective, in your opinion?

5. If so, what elements does it have that make it a good site? If not, what elements would you recommend to make it better?

6. Why did you choose this site to explore?

7. Did you obtain the information you expected to find?

8. What questions do you have about any aspect of the site?

9. What is the most valuable part of this website?

10. How will this information affect your life?

11. How does this information support the readings in your textbook?

12. Add any other comments you would like to share. For example, would you recommend this site to your classmates or friends? Did you experience frustration with any aspect of this assignment?