Banned Books Logic

Image by mySAPL via Flickr

I didn't become aware until today that this is Banned Book Week. Rather than review a banned book, I've decided to write a little bit about reading banned book.

There are some books that I've only read because they are on the Banned Book list. Out of those, there are many that I'm glad I did. On the other hand, there are a lot of books I've read that I suspect are only popular reads because they have been banned so frequently. Some of Judy Blume's books are good examples of this, such as Deenie. I didn't find it all that believable and I can't help but think that it was written in order to be controversial.

Another example is Sex Education by Jenny Davis. The premise is alright, and starts off reasonably. But some of the characters are over the top and their motives do not always make sense. The ending is not only disappointing but rather extreme as well.

The topic of Banned Books brings up a second moral issue. Is reading a book just because it's banned all that different than not reading a book because it's banned? Also, is there ever an acceptable reason for keeping a book away from readers?

Finally, I would like to know if your school does anything in honor of Banned Book Week.

The Websites You Will Love in College

The useful:

• About.com
• Wikipedia.org (just don’t cite this on a paper or refer to it in class. The teacher will lose all respect for you.)
• Ehow.com
• Facebook.com (I know it seems weird to have this on a list of research sites, but it will be extrememly useful for contacting your classmates or figuring out what to get a friend for their birthday.
• Google News (news.google.com)
• Amazon.com

On Twitter

I just got a Twitter account for this blog. My user name is CollegiateDown, so please see if you can find me. Also let me know if you have a twitter for your blog and would like to be followed. I will gladly comply.

Personal Ethics and the Job Hunt

In applying for jobs, I cannot help but notice a lot of the jobs that are hiring are companies that I don't feel right working for. I know that in this job market I can't always be picky, but its more than just a matter of not wanting to do the work.

As an environmentalist, I do not support a lot of energy companies' practices. I would feel like benefiting from working for, say, a coal company, would make me hypocritical. Or I've seen job ads for various alcohol or tobacco companies, but seeing as I'm pretty against their product, especially tobacco, I haven't even considered applying for any of those jobs.

I guess it all comes down to where I want to draw a line. Sure I may not like brand name drug companies and the way they sell drugs, but am I willing to work for a generics company? For a long time I've tried to support small businesses, but so far that hasn't extended to only applying at local companies that support the local economy.

Fun uses for credit cards

This is just a random story I found awhile back. As soon as you turn 18 it seems like you get bombarded with credit card options and this is just a fun way to make use of them. Just make  sure that before you throw out any credit cards, make sure they are destroyed completely.

http://allweirdnews.com/crazy-uses-for-credit-cards/

When to Start a Job Hunt

Image via Wikipedia

Job hunting sites are filled with disheartening tales of well-educated folks who had to look for a job for over a year. This makes it seem like seniors should look for jobs alongside of finishing their final year. While this may be necessary in some cases, there are a few flaws in logic with the plan.

For one, not everyone has time for the job hunt before graduation. It is said that job hunting should be a full-time job, and with a part-time job, classes, sleep and eating, it isn't possible to cram anything else into the schedule. While senior year has the reputation of being the easiest year because that's what students try to make it, that isn't always the truth. Capstone can kill us, and its when we're forced to take those classes we've put off for four years. In fact, job hunting distracted me from my school work more than anything.

Job hunting before you can accept an offer is not really practical. If there are immediate openings, they will be filled by the person who can accept the job now, not a year from now. Meanwhile, the company isn't going to hold on to your application for much longer than six months. You will just end up reapplying.

At the beginning of senior year your resume isn't as good as it could be a year from now. I took most organization leadership positions during my senior year, and added another year of work experience.

Finally, in my opinion, if you have to look for a job for a whole year, you're doing something wrong and you need to change your methods. It's the same reason why I don't think job hunting should be a full-time job. If you are spending that much time, I think that's a sign that you need to take a break and change something. Build experience through a part-time job or volunteering. Join some networking organizations. Maybe take a few classes. Or just target the companies you apply to better.

Related articles

• tips for job hunting on-line (manchesterlibrary.wordpress.com)
• 14 million working hours spent job-hunting every week in UK and Ireland (jobcontax.wordpress.com)
• Job Hunting Isn't Cheap (diggingoutandup.wordpress.com)

Community Colleges

Did any of my readers out there decide to go to a community college? What were your reasons for doing so? How has your experience compared to your friends who attended four-year institutions? Do you feel that it prepared you well enough, especially if you transferred? What are the benefits that you have noticed? Down-sides? Do you notice any stigma associated with community colleges?

According to this article, not only is community college enrollment on the rise, so is the tuition.

Finally, do you feel you made the right choice?

Related articles

• Community College: A Viable Option (education.com)
• Community College: Transfer Agreement and Timeline for Transfer (education.com)
• What's Next After Community College?: Four-Year Colleges Will Want You! (education.com)
• As Deep Cuts Threaten Programs, Community Colleges Look to Future Budget Battles (slog.thestranger.com)