Search Results for: living at home or on campus

Summer Courses or Summer Vacation?

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Many public and private school systems are now out for summer vacation. Most colleges have been out for several days. So the question now for many recently graduated high school and current college students is whether to begin/continue to take classes or to take summer vacation. When I was in college I took a few summer semester hours and also worked. Some recently graduated high school students are ready to jump in and begin getting through with basic courses. If you are a self-starter and enjoy school, this may be an option for you. However, if you are dreading the … Continue reading →

Facing The Real World In A High Rise—Part Two

In my previous blog I told you about my cousin’s new high-rise apartment. He just graduated from college a few weeks ago and this is his first “real” apartment. He used to live with five other classmates in a house just off campus, but now for the first time ever he is on his own trying to make the most of his new home in the big city. I don’t blame my aunt for being worried about him—-I’m sure I will feel the same way when my first-born gets her first apartment. But, the fact is, if my cousin follows … Continue reading →

Facing The Real World In A High Rise

My cousin graduated from college a couple of weeks ago and will begin his first “real” job next month. That means he has about two weeks to get his new home in order. Last week we drove down to Chicago to help him move into his new… high-rise apartment. Yes, he is living in a high-rise building in the middle of the Windy City. Better him than me. I don’t think I could survive in a high-rise. When I graduated from college I moved into a two-story apartment building and I lived on the ground floor. I hated the idea … Continue reading →

Church Schools

This is the time of year when seniors are graduating from high school and preparing to go to college. In the church there are a lot of people who have a strong desire for their children to attend church schools (BYU, BYU Idaho, BYU Hawaii or the LDS Business College). These are good schools and difficult to get into. The majority of the applicants are not accepted. I am admittedly among those who definitely want my kids to go to BYU—my husband and I both did—in fact I have already told my five year old that is where she should … Continue reading →

A Little Sisterly Advice — Jennifer Stewart Griffith

In “A Little Sisterly Advice,” Julia is going away to college at Utah State University. After living with her socialite sister Bianca for the summer, she feels ready to hit the books and hit the keys, as well – a talented piano player, she’s going to major in music. It will be hard to leave home; she’ll miss her family, but they aren’t too far away and she can go home for weekends. However, that is something she’s been warned not to do. Bianca says she’ll get more dates if she stays on campus during the weekends. Bianca has, in … Continue reading →

World’s Oldest College Graduate

Do you have children in college? Have they arrived home for Thanksgiving break yet? If they have you may want to share the story of Nola Ochs with them. Nola Ochs is like many students who attend Fort Hays State University in Kansas. The college coed will spend some time studying during this week’s fall break, but she’ll also be taking time out on Wednesday to celebrate her 95th birthday. That’s right… in just two days Nola Ochs will be 95-years-old. Apparently, she’s not too old to learn new tricks. In fact, according to the university, Ochs is living in … Continue reading →

What is a Baal Teshuvah?

Are you frum (observant) from birth?” is a question I am asked occasionally. While I feel that there are telltale signs that I was not born in a religious home (i.e. my pronunciation of some Yiddish words), those of us who decided to become Torah-observant at some point of our lives are accepted in “frum” communities like never before. Of course, there are some strongholds where the vast majority of people can trace their tradition of observance back for generations, but he Baal Teshuvah is becoming more and more commonplace. Almost every Jew has a cousin or a sibling who … Continue reading →

Christian Dorm Controversy

For those who wanted it to be a Christians-only home, it just wasn’t going to happen. After all, the building is being constructed on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has strict discrimination policies. But the Christian dorm is still creating controversy. I know, because I graduated from UW-Madison and just returned from a visit to the campus a couple of weeks ago. At the center of the controversy is the Pres House, which is run by the Presbyterian Campus Ministry. As I mentioned earlier you don’t have to be Presbyterian to live there—heck, you don’t even have … Continue reading →

Update: Helping Kids Cope With Natural Disasters

In a previous blog, I talked about my impending return to New Orleans in June. This past Saturday, I met with the contractor who is going to do the work on my house, thus setting the wheels in motion for my return. I never realized there was so much involved (not to mention the cost) when renovating a home. When I bought my house seven years ago it was in move-in condition and before Katrina the only other thing I’ve had to do to it was convert one of the three bedrooms into a child’s room when Tyler came along. … Continue reading →

Online Learning

The first distance education program was offered in 1728 in America with schools in Europe (Gilbert 2001, 18). I would imagine that sending papers over the Atlantic would take months. Boy has distance learning come a long way! In today’s information age, online classes for specialized certificates, four year degrees, and masters programs are plentiful. Now students and instructors can live and work in different regions, but can still attend class together in “real-time.” Online learning is evolving and is no longer available only to college level students. Many online schools and courses are now available for the K-12 student … Continue reading →