Undead Take Over College Campuses

What happened to Sylvia Plath and Allen Ginsberg?

(NEWSER) - A few decades ago, college kids turned to radicals to satisfy their literary thirst, but on today’s campuses, “you're more likely to hear a werewolf howl than Allen Ginsberg,” writes Ron Charles in the Washington Post. Other than Barack Obama’s tomes, the bestselling books among college students these days are the Twilight series. “The only specter haunting the groves of American academe seems to be suburban contentment.” More»

College freshmen share their lessons about admissions success

(NEWSER) - Applications continue to flood into top US colleges despite the economic slowdown. With admissions as competitive as ever, the Wall Street Journal talks to six people who know—college freshmen—and asks for their advice:

• Don't let naysayers deter you from your dream school: "It pays off to keep on going for it even if you're told you can't do it," says a Stanford product design major.

Wis. school offers freshmen free cycles for no-car pledge

(NEWSER) - Incoming freshmen are jumping on a Wisconsin college’s offer of a brand-new bike in return for leaving their cars at home, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Ripon College aims to save parking spots, and perhaps the planet, with its Velorution Project. The initiative, one newly minted student cyclist says, shows that Ripon is “innovative and changing with the times.” More»

And they're the most likely to default

(NEWSER) - You think it's tough being a recent graduate with a mountain of student loan debt? Try being a dropout with a mountain of student loan debt. Nearly 30% of college students who took out loans in 2009 dropped out of school, up from 23% in 2001, according to a new study . That's alarming, because dropouts, for obvious reasons, face higher unemployment, make less money, and are among the most likely to default on their loans. More»

Students log just 27 hours of class, study time a week

(NEWSER) - In 1961, college students spent 16 hours in class each week and another 24 hours studying, making college the equivalent of a full-time job. Today, just 27 hours are spent in class and studying—or the same amount of time, the Washington Post points out, as the typical five-year-old spends in all-day kindergarten. The average amount of weekly study time has dwindled to about 15 hours, according to a new survey, but students are still skating by. "I do get good grades, and I’m not working very hard," says one sophomore. That type of statement is leading many to wonder if college students are actually learning anything for their increasingly costly tuition, or if they are simply getting, as one researcher puts it, "four or five years of country club living." More»