Personality Test to Supplement Grad Exams

(NEWSER) - Sweet sixteen is the right time to leave high school and leap into higher education, New Hampshire education officials say. Following advice from a blue-ribbon panel that warned of America's educational decline 2 years ago, the state plans to test 10th graders with tough new exams. Those who pass can attend community or tech colleges instead of high school, Time reports. More»

U.S. News accused of fabricating average SAT scores

(NEWSER) - A college president is lobbing allegations of shoddy journalism at U.S. News magazine, accusing its annual college-ranking guide of fabricating data for its upcoming report. Although Sarah Lawrence tossed out its SAT requirement for incoming freshman, president Michele Tolela Myers says U.S. News decided to assign an average SAT score to the school anyway—one that it made up. 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»

Education linked to better health, longevity

(NEWSER) - Sure, college costs a lot of money and you won’t necessarily get a job after you graduate, but good news! At least you'll live longer in your loan-induced poverty, because higher education is linked to longer life. An annual report from the CDC shows that those who obtain a bachelor’s degree or above live about nine more years than those who never graduate high school. Education is also linked to other healthy habits, USA Today reports: More»

Nation's economy creaks under $1T in student loan debt

(NEWSER) - Wannabe college students have a lot to prepare for: all-night study binges, grueling exams, and the three jobs they'll need to pay off their crippling student debt. What's worse, that financial burden is only growing, the New York Times reports. Today, just 38% of the nation's $1 trillion student loan debt is being paid off, and the default rate has recently doubled. “I’ll be paying this forever,” says a 24-year-old dropout with $70,000 in student loans. “For me to finish it would mean borrowing more money. It makes me puke to think about borrowing more money.” More»