insta-grad-blog

[insta-grad-blog]

We sure hope so...

[insta-grad-blog]

Hank Green, a self-proclaimed “Internetainerpreneur,” was one of three YouTube channel creators to be invited to interview the President after his State of the Union address. And guess what? The news media establishment was not entirely happy about it. Green retorted back with this op-ed about his experience interviewing the President, as a YouTube innovator, rather than a regular reporter.

Green thinks that Generation Y deeply mistrusts conventional news sources, such as cable news:

"This complete lack of objectivity and representation in cable news has degraded the legitimacy of news media as a whole. Young people have absolutely no faith in people sitting at desks on television anymore….The news is losing an entire generation."

Is it true that we, (i.e. Millennials), don’t really trust the news? Do we see through the rhetoric? And where do you go for news? How do your receive information? Would you trust a YouTube star, say, over Barbara Walters or Diane Sawyer?

[insta-grad-blog]

"Throwing Money at the Problem?" 

"Only 6 percent of undergraduates at Wash. U., as it’s known, receive federal Pell grants, which typically go to students in the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution. The university rejects dozens of qualified low- and middle-income students every year rather than giving them the financial aid they would need."-The New York Times 

But Wash. U is planning to raise the percentage of students who would receive Pell Grants to 13 percent, (typical for a college of its size and resources.) 

But is increasing financial aid simply throwing money at the lack of socio-economic diversity in higher education, specifically at top schools? Setting aside money for those who need it must be an imperative for any school who wishes to base its student body upon a commitment to equal opportunity. But Universities might also have to get more boots on the ground to make their campuses more reflective of communities outside of their Ivy-covered walls. For instance, recruiting at high schools that don’t normally send kids off to Ivy League Schools, through alumni, teacher and/or counselor initiatives could be a start.

How might your future have changed, had someone from one of these top schools visited you and encouraged you to apply? 

[insta-grad-blog]

"We are credentializing a new elite by legitimizing people with an inflated sense of their own merit"

Dartmouth college received 20,500 applications for the class of 2019. Princeton received 26,993 applications for only 1300 spots. And the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia received a whopping 37,264 applications. 

As application numbers rise and admission rates expected to fall, there is no question that the competition to get into an Ivy League institution is stiff. An applicant can only hope that "merit"  will help them get into one of these elite colleges. But what is "merit," anyways? And how should universities define it? Is it SAT test, scores? Or should admission counselors be looking out for something more than just a number? 

[insta-grad-blog]

Looking Back: What would you have done differently during your college years? A Columbia College professor shares some advice. Some of his pearls of wisdom are rather unconventional, like take statistics, but don't take a foreign language. What do you think will work best for your education and future career?

[insta-grad-blog]

We also have the serious version of nonemployed work days from the New York Times. More interactive, but not nearly as fun to look at at.

[insta-grad-blog]

It’s no secret that lots of millennials are not working full-time. Almost 30 million Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 don’t have regular jobs. Whether your “non-employed,” or “underemployed,” how do you spend you non-gainfully-employed-working days? Thanks to GOOD Magazine for illustrating the daily struggle. ;) Check out the full story from GOOD here. 

[insta-grad-blog]

It’s that time of year again - when high-achieving, twenty-somethings have an existential crisis after reading Forbes “30 Under 30.” We still have like five or six more years to make it on this list, right?

[insta-grad-blog]

"Mind the gap:" Common in Great Britain and Australia, gap years between high school and college are gaining a US following. And this could be a good thing given that many Millennials are coming into and out of college burnt out. Could the next generation of co-eds benefit from a yearlong break? Moreover, since many Millennials have entered the job market with little work experience, could a gap year, spent outside of school, (either before starting college or in the middle of the college years), better prepare the next generation for the job market and the "real world" ahead? Looking back, would you have taken a gap year to pursue non-school-related opportunities, like internships, jobs, independent projects or travel? Lastly, are "gap years" a sign of privilege and status - a luxury good? What some might call a "gap year," others might call "taking time off" to take on jobs / earn money/ save up money for their studies. What is the difference between a "gap year" and "taking time off?" Perhaps the name tells us more about about class & status than anything else. 

[insta-grad-blog]

Insta*Grad’s Insight: “I don’t want to grow up?” - Following graduation, I moved back home because I couldn’t support myself on my own. I didn’t have a job offer, but I did have an internship. I worked from home (freelanced) & commuted from home (to unpaid internships) for a year, before entering J-school and moving out to a boarding house near campus. Moving back home was a good choice for me because I saved money and was able to build up my resume with the safety and security of my home and family to support me. I didn't earn enough money to fully support myself, but I didn't lose money either, (thankfully I graduated from a University with an excellent financial aid policy). Returning home is not always the lazy choice, the safest choice, (especially if that home wasn't safe or supportive to begin with), or the most convenient choice, it might be the necessary choice for a young person to just get by. So should Millennials have to defend their choices to return to the nest? And why do we continue to shame those who decide to return home? - Camp

[insta-grad-blog]

Some Millennials — And Their Parents — Are Slow To Cut The Cord

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

Millennials get a lot of financial and emotional support from their parents, which critics say causes delayed adolescence. But actually this close relationship benefits both kids and parents.

Insta*Grads's insight:

Meet the Parents: Many recent grads and millennials have moved back in with the parental units in order to save on rent.  But staying close to home, or at least close to the 'rents, may not actually mean that millennials are any less independent.  It also might indicate that our notions and standards for "helicopter parenting" are changing.

See on npr.org

[insta-grad-blog]

Where Young College Graduates Are Choosing to Live

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

More young people are moving to the very heart of cities, even in economically troubled places like Buffalo and Cleveland.

Insta*Grads's insight:

Your Move: Where will millennials end up next? 

See on nytimes.com

[insta-grad-blog]

From GIs To Gen Z (Or Is It iGen?): How Generations Get Nicknames

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

Baby boomers, Generation X, millennials — every generation has a name. But where do these names come from, who chooses them, and why do we need them?

Insta*Grads's insight:

Take us seriously, but maybe we're not so attached to labels. #NewBoom #NPR

See on npr.org

[insta-grad-blog]

A Silent Majority Of Undereducated And Underemployed Millennials

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

Millennials are often portrayed as overeducated and underemployed. But a large portion of millennials lack a college education, making it even harder for them to find work.

Insta*Grads's insight:

While the world should be taking Millennials seriously, we also have to be looking at closing serious inequalities and disparities within this generation. #NewBoom #Optimism 

See on npr.org

[insta-grad-blog]

Why You Should Start Taking Millennials Seriously

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

There are more millennials in the U.S. than there are baby boomers. Why do they get so many eye rolls?

Insta*Grads's insight:

Watch out world. The Millennials are Coming. #NewBoom

See on npr.org

[insta-grad-blog]

Reasonable People Disagree about the Post-Gen X, Pre-Millennial Generation

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

Meet Generation Xennial (because no one uses Generation Y), born between 1979 and 1983. Did that timing help or hurt this micro-demographic?

Insta*Grads's insight:

Alphabet Soup: Not Gen X or Gen Y? Hate the "M" word? You may be part of a micro-generation, newly dubbed, "generation xennial." These writers argue about the pros and cons of being a part of this pre-millennial generation, but here's the more interesting question: what makes an "xennial?" And how similar and different are they from their millennial younger cousins? 

See on magazine.good.is

[insta-grad-blog]

College Recreation Now Includes Pool Parties and River Rides

See on Scoop.it - Insta*Grad

In the university recreation center arms race, the latest idea is to turn a piece of campus into something approaching a water theme park.

Insta*Grads's insight:

The Case for Delayed Adulthood Part 2:

Adult Swim or Kiddie Pool? While staying young in mind and spirit may do the brain some good, should an extended adolescence also include waterpark-level oases on college campuses?  

See on nytimes.com