The women’s rights movement has been great, right?

In many ways, yes. In many ways women are much closer to equal income and in some college programs there are more women that men. All in all, women have been making strides over the years. But this isn’t the case for all women. While rich and middle-class women have been climbing all sorts of ladders, less fortunate women have the same amount of equality as back in the 1970s.

Economic Professor Nancy Folbre wrote for the New York Times’ blog, Economix, that 18 percent of women with only a high school diploma are granted paid maternity leave. This is in contrast to the 66 percent of women with a college degree, and just up from the 1970s when 16 per cent of high school grads received paid mat leave. Read More »

In a month or so, most of us will be packing up giant plastic bins, selling our souls to the textbook companies and spending another year in a tiny dorm room where busy class schedules, procrastinated final papers, unnecessarily long reading assignments and “he-said-she-said” drama will run our lives. We’ll endure this routine lifestyle for four long years all in hopes that we walk away with a sheet of paper that claims we know a thing or two about business, communications, biology, etc. But do we really? And will anyone ever actually care about said sheet of paper?

Dale Stephens, a 19-year-old self-proclaimed “education expert” who’s been featured on CNN, Tech Crunch and the New York Times (just to name a few), begs to question the significance of a degree in today’s entrepreneurial economy. Along with his colleagues Erich Sparks and David Mattingly, Stephens has developed Uncollege, a program that promises a full college experience that requires no tuition, textbooks, classes or dorm rooms.

So what’s the catch? That little sheet of paper we all dream of: a degree. Read More »

Whether you’re at an Ivy League school, a small private university, or your local community college, we can all agree on one thing: higher education is expensive. Even with a few scholarships and some financial aid, we all dread the fact that once we graduate, we obtain two things: a degree and a giant mountain of debt.

I was brought up believing that the world consisted of two groups: people with degrees and people without degrees. I went through life thinking that the people with degrees ran the big businesses and drove fancy cars, and that the people without degrees worked at McDonald’s (unless they got lucky and invented Apple computers or Google instead). I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I was brought up to believe that having a college degree meant you’d succeed in this world.

The only problem? No one told me- or ANY of us- that the economy would crash and that our government would be trillions of dollars in debt. The jobs that were open and ready to hire five years ago are gone now and thousands of people are getting laid off every day. The promise of a bright future and dream career have become more of a fairytale than a guarantee. When graduation day comes, will any of us really have those advantages and benefits that we were always told would set us apart from everyone else?

It doesn’t seem that way, and now even the people at the top are starting to wonder if our higher education system is working, or worth anything, anymore. Read More »

Sparknotes is the best study tool in the world

Campus fashion

How to save money on campus

Letter from your friend at a warmer school

College degree only guarantees one thing

How to make amazing drunk nachoes

What are the worst theme party ideas ever?

Dealing with over the top party pals

Should there be an anti-bullying law?

Here at College Candy, we’re huge supporters of the college experience.  Whether you’re navigating the sometimes-choppy waters of freshman year or dealing with a horrible roommate, dealing with an LDR or preparing for graduation, we think all these experiences are crucial to shaping post-high school you.

Apparently not all of you agree with us, though.  The Wall Street Journal is reporting that only 63.5% of those aged 18-29 believes college is a good investment. Somewhat more shocking is that 61.5% of those over 65 agree that college is a worthwhile experience.  These numbers have dropped significantly since 2009- from 76.7% and 82.1% respectively.

Given the current economy, it’s not difficult to see why young people regret or want to avoid strapping themselves with hefty student loans.  But for people who went to college over forty years ago, have they not enjoyed receiving a significantly higher paycheck?  Or working in a field that requires a degree?  Do they think that spending four years among other educated young people, sharing ideas and growing together as a generation, isn’t important?

I know we often talk about the more lighthearted highs and lows of campus life, but the truth of the matter is that colleges genuinely benefit those who graduate from their hallowed halls.  Between tailgating and hooking up, five days a week you’re sitting in a classroom actually learning something and working towards a degree that will help you earn almost double what you would with only a high school diploma.  Prior to reading this study, I would’ve felt this is the point at which you’d all be shouting “Duh!”, but I question that now. Read More »

I think many (myself included) kind of just wind up at college somehow with little thought in advance as to why we’re there in the first place. There’s elementary school, middle school, high school… college is just kind of the next step in the education process. An expectation for some; a requirement for others. The reason why college is so paramount to parents is because they equate four-year degrees with success and large figure salaries to come in the future. But now, a number of economists, academics, and policy analysts are challenging all this. And experts have some pretty convincing evidence as to why two-year or technical training schools could be a better option for some Americans.

The main argument is that there are just too many people going to college in the first place–many who are unqualified. There is also a large amount of overqualified degree-holders in today’s struggling job market. But there are other major issues dealing with the current state of the economy. Before deciding to imprison yourself in one of these four-year institution, there are factors to take into consideration like rising student debt, stagnant graduation rates and, of course, the high unemployment rate among college graduates. Read More »

Maybe that single dad show will happen, after all.

Screech’s tell-all is out!

Is that college degree really necessary?

Tyson Beckford has the hots for Obama.

Live large with these giant accessories.

LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian get serious.

We’re all feeling the effects of the recession; we’ve gotten pretty good at cutting back on expenditures, and super creative reusing the resources we already have.  Despite the economic downturn, though, most of us have not forgone the chance at a college degree, even with the extremely high price tag.  But wouldn’t it be nice to have about $10,000 or so of that cost shaved off?

Many colleges are now considering implementing a degree program that would allow students to graduate in three years.  This could provide some students with access to higher education that they may not have otherwise have had, saving them time and money.  But what are they losing (if anything)?

When I think back to my freshman year, I remember a time of mass confusion. I tried three different majors before I found my place. I dabbled in tons of different departments to figure out where I belonged. Would I have been able to do that and graduate at the end of my junior year? Hell no. Would I have been prepared to enter the real world at the age of 20? Um, I’m not even sure how I’ll handle it next year!

And what about the other stuff – the life lessons? The post-21 partying? The road trips, the friendships, and all the other stuff that comes with a 4 year college degree. Ok, so maybe that’s not the really “important” stuff, but it is the stuff that makes us who we are as adults.  Would a three year program take away from the entire college package?

There is no set three year model in mind. Some schools might just lower the credit requirement for a degree, other schools might require you to attend summer classes.  General education requirements would still be in place (they are, after all, the hallmark of the American education system…unfortunately), but it’s unclear how they would fit in with the new streamlined degree requirements. Most likely: really long days… and no 4 day weeks.

Obviously, with all the details up in the air, this is an issue that needs some attention, and who better to decide what is best for college students than college students? Tell us what you think: is a shorter program worth it, or is three years not enough to get a true college experience and education?

I, like you, went to high school. When I was in high school, I already knew that I wanted to be a musician and a writer when I grew up. Even though neither of those professions require a degree, I was made to believe that I had to go to college to be successful in life. And so I packed my nervous bags and made way to New York by way of Ohio. I apprehensively took my place among thousands of other students at my school and I felt out of place immediately.

You see, I was always a ‘good’ student. I graduated high school with nearly a 4.0. I aced tests and papers without wincing and was in every club. Kids like me were supposed to go to college. Period. But I never wanted to.

I went because my parents wanted me to.

I dragged myself through four and a half years of college. I transferred schools. I worked 2 jobs (yes, 60+ hours a week) on top of being a full time student. I was miserable. I was utterly, thoroughly, entirely, unexplainably miserable until I decided not to go back to college. I was only a semester or so shy of my degree and I woke up and decided I was done. I made a decision for myself and not for my parents. Finally, I took control of my life and my happiness and I have never looked back since. Read More »

T.G.I.F.

Remember when that meant a night of Full House and Family Matters? Now it just means a night of heavy drinking followed by a day of serious sleeping. And I still love it just as much.

This week was a long one. We lost Estelle Getty. Our boyfriend, Christian Bale, was arrested for yelling at his mother. And we found out that all the not-so-hard work we are putting into college isn’t worth crap anymore. Awesome.

But even though another week has passed, crazy girls are still around, we are still too picky when it comes to picking boys, and freaky guys are still all about peeing on us in bed. WTF?

Maybe we should stick to being single? It is far too hard to find a tall guy anyway. And getting into a relationship only means adding another ex to the list…who you will never be able to avoid thanks to our generation’s problem with oversharing.

Ugh. I need a shot.

At least boys are starting to appreciate more comfortable undies. I’ll keep that thought close to my heart as I enjoy yet another awesome summer weekend.