I have stumbled upon quiet a collection of random articles over the past few days so I thought I would take the time to share:
Here is yet another study done regarding BPA. I do not understand why this toxic chemical still continues to be legally manufactured.
I hate Proctor and Gamble but I am intrigued by their latest pledges.
Is college really a good investment? Or is it just four years of waste? I think I will have to blog more on this later.
Washing your face with oil? It sounds kind of crazy and possibly disastrous be this Instructable seems pretty legit. I am thinking about trying it.
More later,
CCosner
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Education From Top Univerisities for FREE!
It has taken me a while to get around to writing this particular blog. Not because I was not excited about it. On the contrary! But rather, I wanted to do an adequate job of introducing such an exciting topic.
Self Education
Now lest you roll your eyes and think I am crazy, think again. Here are several things to consider when thinking about self-education.
1) "Education" at universities costs a ton of money. Half of that money will go toward supporting things that you may never take advantage of.
2) Secondly, while paying for said education you will have to take classes that you do not want to take or could care less about with professors who know how you feel so they themselves really don't want to be there either. What an awful situation for both parties and what a waste of time!
3) Traditional college kind of takes over your schedule and might not always provide "real world" experiences or require a tremendous amount of self discipline or hard work.
Now obviously not all of these things are cut-and-dried truths. I find incredible value in my college experience, but I see many people who don't. I feel that my college education will work as a spring board for my self education and that is when I come to this conclusion: If I do not desire to become a university professor than I do not need to consider grad school as seriously as I thought. I can rather begin to learn about the things I wish to learn about on my own time and dedication. It will pay off.
I typed "Self-Education" in the Google search box and I got some incredible hits, including colleges like Harvard, University of Washington and Yale, that provide free online classes. Yes, free classes from Ivy league schools. There are also classes available from organizations like BBC. Free online classic books and lectures as well as resources.
However, there is no such thing as a free lunch so there are a few stipulations. Some colleges provide only 5 free classes other provide far more. Some are just written lectures, others have video lectures, still others include assignments and reading material. There is no set structure, no grades, no "classrooms" and no diploma.
But, if you love to learn for the sake of learning than taking on a self-education project is not about degrees and grades. It is about learning new things and educating others. I see these classes as a way of supplementing my education and broadening my horizons. I plan to make a list of them and take them over time, likely this summer.
There are some areas that I would love to study but I have been unable to in college. Areas like Gender studies, journalism, classic literature, and humanities are things that I want to become more immersed in. But obviously the list of available classes trumps this puny one so I would encourage anyone with any kind of interests what so ever to check out the links I will post below.
One last thing to consider. Record all of the classes you take, all of them. Someday you might want to show it to an employer. They may ask about your education. "I have a bachelor's", you can say, "and I also have this" and then you can hand them a list of self education courses. Not only does it look like you are dedicated and hard working but you also look like a bad-ass....or a know-it-all, or both.
Here are the links:
100 Best Self Education Sites
Self Education Resource List
A really sweet video series on American Cinema that I cannot wait to take.
The original Popular Science article that I read in 2009 which was intriguing and has not left my mind.
Cheers!
-CCosner
Self Education
Now lest you roll your eyes and think I am crazy, think again. Here are several things to consider when thinking about self-education.
1) "Education" at universities costs a ton of money. Half of that money will go toward supporting things that you may never take advantage of.
2) Secondly, while paying for said education you will have to take classes that you do not want to take or could care less about with professors who know how you feel so they themselves really don't want to be there either. What an awful situation for both parties and what a waste of time!
3) Traditional college kind of takes over your schedule and might not always provide "real world" experiences or require a tremendous amount of self discipline or hard work.
Now obviously not all of these things are cut-and-dried truths. I find incredible value in my college experience, but I see many people who don't. I feel that my college education will work as a spring board for my self education and that is when I come to this conclusion: If I do not desire to become a university professor than I do not need to consider grad school as seriously as I thought. I can rather begin to learn about the things I wish to learn about on my own time and dedication. It will pay off.
I typed "Self-Education" in the Google search box and I got some incredible hits, including colleges like Harvard, University of Washington and Yale, that provide free online classes. Yes, free classes from Ivy league schools. There are also classes available from organizations like BBC. Free online classic books and lectures as well as resources.
However, there is no such thing as a free lunch so there are a few stipulations. Some colleges provide only 5 free classes other provide far more. Some are just written lectures, others have video lectures, still others include assignments and reading material. There is no set structure, no grades, no "classrooms" and no diploma.
But, if you love to learn for the sake of learning than taking on a self-education project is not about degrees and grades. It is about learning new things and educating others. I see these classes as a way of supplementing my education and broadening my horizons. I plan to make a list of them and take them over time, likely this summer.
There are some areas that I would love to study but I have been unable to in college. Areas like Gender studies, journalism, classic literature, and humanities are things that I want to become more immersed in. But obviously the list of available classes trumps this puny one so I would encourage anyone with any kind of interests what so ever to check out the links I will post below.
One last thing to consider. Record all of the classes you take, all of them. Someday you might want to show it to an employer. They may ask about your education. "I have a bachelor's", you can say, "and I also have this" and then you can hand them a list of self education courses. Not only does it look like you are dedicated and hard working but you also look like a bad-ass....or a know-it-all, or both.
Here are the links:
100 Best Self Education Sites
Self Education Resource List
A really sweet video series on American Cinema that I cannot wait to take.
The original Popular Science article that I read in 2009 which was intriguing and has not left my mind.
Cheers!
-CCosner
Saturday, November 20, 2010
First Day...
We had our first day of filming for The Glass Menagerie yesterday. At my college I have had the fortune of landing a part of Laura in this wonderful and collaborative film project. It has been an incrediable experience so far. Yesterday we shot two scenes. One was particularly intense emotionally speaking. It was a very successful day. I am very excited for more shooting.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Learning...outside of class
I would like to start by saying that I am by nature very stickler about my grades. Always labeled the overachiever and the know-it-all my entire life I now have pulled a 3.89 in college. My grades have fed me, payed my rent, and given me something to always work toward. The benefit of being a hardworking student is the scholarships you receive as a result.
But unfortunately one would argue that the scope of the classroom and a GPA is very limited and I agree with this. In class you are learning about a very narrow topic, such as art history or how to master creative writing. I am not even sure if half of the things that I learn in my classes will be useful for much besides cocktail parties and early morning radio trivia.
There is no life GPA. There is no one grading you everyday. "You helped the little old lady cross the street, A+!" I wish. There is no space on a job application or a resume for "street smarts". In fact you could be one of the most intelligent people out there but if you cannot regurgitate in a classroom than you might as well call it quits.
That is the sad reality of our education system. Pay thousands of dollars a year to prove you are capable of following directions and listening. It seems to me that you actually learn more from the professors themselves than their curriculum. You learn more in the dorms than you do in the classroom. You learn more off campus than on.
I love to learn. But my grades slip because I cannot regurgitate information. I can apply it. Frankly I wish that GPA was based on that application rather than on what facts you can put on a test. But I cannot escape the system as it is so I endeavor to learn outside the classroom, teach myself what I need to know. It boils down to making your own way in this world, not simply repeating the actions and facts that have been repeated to you.
Here is a concept: Skip Graduate School, Save $32,000, Do This Instead
But unfortunately one would argue that the scope of the classroom and a GPA is very limited and I agree with this. In class you are learning about a very narrow topic, such as art history or how to master creative writing. I am not even sure if half of the things that I learn in my classes will be useful for much besides cocktail parties and early morning radio trivia.
There is no life GPA. There is no one grading you everyday. "You helped the little old lady cross the street, A+!" I wish. There is no space on a job application or a resume for "street smarts". In fact you could be one of the most intelligent people out there but if you cannot regurgitate in a classroom than you might as well call it quits.
That is the sad reality of our education system. Pay thousands of dollars a year to prove you are capable of following directions and listening. It seems to me that you actually learn more from the professors themselves than their curriculum. You learn more in the dorms than you do in the classroom. You learn more off campus than on.
I love to learn. But my grades slip because I cannot regurgitate information. I can apply it. Frankly I wish that GPA was based on that application rather than on what facts you can put on a test. But I cannot escape the system as it is so I endeavor to learn outside the classroom, teach myself what I need to know. It boils down to making your own way in this world, not simply repeating the actions and facts that have been repeated to you.
Here is a concept: Skip Graduate School, Save $32,000, Do This Instead
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