Who needs a skateboard when you can simply fire up that shopping cart.

Sometimes you wish you had just applied yourself a bit more while in school. In fact, the folks at Gizmodo lay it all on the line:

When you were in college, you spent your free time drinking tallboys of Bud Ice and playing Mario Kart 64 until 5am.

Instead, an adventurous and yes, more serious MIT student has spent his time turning a standard shopping kart into the LOLriokart. There is much more on the notion of choosing something other than longnecks for a good time at EqualsZero but here are some of the key elements:

……a whimsical attempt to strap a set of large nickel cadmium batteries (a cache of massive aircraft wet-cell NiCd batteries), discovered in a dusty back room, to something - anything……

……the logical progression from the insane electric vehicle project of yesteryear……an attempt to strap a massive brushless motor (a 15 horsepower brushless motor) to something - anything……

……a barrel of monkeys……

The Key Specs on LOLrioKart 1.0

Drivetrain: Midship-Rear 2WD

Hackermann steering geometry

Mechanical front brakes

Mechanical Welded steel tubing stock frame 6061, 2024 aluminum addenda

Motor: MARS Electric ME0201013001 (OEM brushless Etek) 15HP peak
Controller: 200 Amp Kelly BLDC KB72201 with regenerative braking
Battery: 54 volt giant nicads
Instrumentation: Dead Wreck-oning
Top Speed: 45MPH
Acceleration: ?!
Curb Weight: 350lb

Back to the folks at Gizmodo:

And you’ve got to assume that in Cambridge, seeing a motorized shopping cart with a nerd inside tooling around on the street isn’t all that shocking.

While we agree far too many us of spent way too much time with the tallboys, we are not so sure what the reaction might be when folks see this puppy coming at them. In fact, you just may want to make that judgment yourself.

For more on this wondrous little toy watch the YouTube video or explore the great fun these guys are having building and playing with the LOLrioKart at EqualsZero.

There is clear evidence that familiarity with the types of questions asked on tests like the SAT and the ACT will help students perform better on these important exams. The idea that scores can be improved has led to an entire industry that features various test-prep standardized test coaching models.

However, there is mounting evidence that these extremely expensive test-prep coaching programs do very little for students despite marketing claims to the contrary. A new report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that the costly coaching of test-prep firms boosted average SAT scores by a mere 30 points combined on the verbal and math sections (1600 possible) and but one point on the ACT (36 possible points).

Such numbers pale against the claims from these firms that coaching can help students improve by hundreds of points on the SAT or as much as five points on the ACT. When all is said and done, it appears that the gains students make after these expensive coaching sessions (more than a $1,000 per program), on average, could have been obtained in a more cost-effective manner.

Some Shady Doings Alleged

According to critics, some test-prep firms attempt to inflate their impact by giving students mock tests that are actually harder than the true exams. When students take those harder, sample tests, they obtain lower scores than normal. Later, when they take the real test, the students obtain much higher scores, a result that leads these test-prep firms to claim they have significantly helped students.

One such example is cited by John Hechinger writing for The Wall Street Journal. The article tells the tale of Jonah Varon, a straight-A student at Lowell High School in San Francisco, who theoretically scored 2060 out of a possible 2400 on a mock test by one coaching company, Revolution Prep, but later scored a perfect 2400, 340 points higher, on the real test.

Hechinger notes that Revolution Prep offers students a “score improvement guarantee.” The firm stipulates students will improve SAT test results by 200 points - the caveat, students who do not obtain a 200 point or more gain are not given their money back. Instead, they get to take the course a second time for free.

Varon gathered test scores from 15 classmates who apparently had very similar experiences then wrote an article for his school newspaper. Varon contended that either the mock test was scored more harshly or the exam was simply harder than a typical exam.

He concluded: “It seems like dishonest advertising.”

Colleges Feed into the Test-Prep Frenzy

Unfortunately, one key issue fueling the test-prep industry is the number of colleges that continue to place great emphasis on standardized test results and in particular see a 30 point difference among students as significantly relevant. Simply stated, at some schools, even the smallest of gains can be critical in the admissions process.

The report notes that colleges essentially promote SAT-prep courses whenever they establish a baseline score. The report also notes that many schools indicate that the thirty point difference could in fact be the catalyst for that student to be admitted.

So while it seems inconceivable that it would be worth it to spend thousands of dollars only to see a student’s combined math and verbal results go from 1110 to 1140, on the more selective side, the difference from 1310 to 1340 could matter, at least at some schools.

Try a Cost-Effective Approach First

If it just so happens that money is no object for you, utilizing one of these test-prep firms certainly would help you gain familiarity with the format of these exams and the type of questions that would be asked. However, familiarity can be gained in a number of other ways at costs much less than the $1,000 coaching course or the $100 per hour private tutorial sessions offered by these test-prep firms.

In talking with Hechinger, College Board senior vice president Laurence Bunin acknowledged that “familiarity with the SAT tends to provide the biggest short-term gains for students.” He of course recommended the materials provided by the College Board including their $20 study guide.

Other options do exist, each at a fraction of the price of the private test-prep tutorials. Unless money is truly no object, students owe it to themselves and their families to consider the most reasonable options.

A new report from a leading research market company, the NPD Group, reveals major confusion regarding netbooks, the latest portable computer option. According to the study, 60 percent of those purchasing a netbook did so thinking that the portable device would offer the same functionality as that of a laptop or notebook.

Because of that faulty thinking, only 58 percent of consumers who bought a netbook instead of a notebook said they were very satisfied with their purchase. Perhaps most significantly, in the 18- to 24-year-old age group, 65 percent indicated they had expected a better performance from their netbook.

However, that dissatisfaction, according to NPD, comes primarily from a lack of understanding by the purchaser as to what the capabilities of a netbook are.

Just What Is a Netbook?

Before you consider purchasing a netbook, it is important to clearly understand what the machine is designed to do. First and foremost, the idea of a netbook is increased mobility.

In simplest terms, a netbook is a small, cheap, and under-powered computer that runs either an old (Windows XP Home) or the unfamiliar Linux operating system. If you are a fan of or extremely used to specific software, it is extremely important to understand that a netbook will not run XP Professional, Vista, or OS X.

By small size, we are talking generally 7- to 10-inch screen sizes and machines weighing somewhere between 2 and 3 pounds. That small size also translates to keyboards that are roughly 80 to 90 percent of that of a laptop.

As for price, these new computers range from $300 to $500 (if the price exceeds $500, there is no sense considering a netbook, go with a laptop instead).

What You Get and What You Don’t Get

The key concept here is cheap, basic computing ability with a high level of portability. If you are not interested in mobility, i.e., routinely taking it out of the dorm room, then there is no reason to consider a netbook. You can and you should go with a desktop with far more power for the same price.

With a netbook you have to give up playing CDs and DVDs and generally have to accept an older version of Ethernet/Wi-Fi that is functional but not quite as fast. Essentially, netbooks can be thought of as last year’s technology - instead of being cutting edge the intent is to perform using old staples, the proverbial computing that is not necessarily the best but is in fact good enough for most applications.

That said, one key element of the netbook concept is that it could render the Kindle or other e-readers to the scrap heap very quickly. As experts have noted, why would you want to carry a small device that does only one thing when you can carry a small box that does more than one thing.

While its screen and keyboard are small, a person can always connect their netbook to another monitor or use it with a mouse and/or traditional keyboard. Of course, without these external connections you still can do basic web tasks (web surfing and email) as well as other computer basics such as word processing and data spreadsheet work.

When purchasing, it is imperative that you consider the various models available. Screen sizes vary from 7 inches to 10.2 inches. It is critical that one understand just how small 7 inch screens are. Of course, the larger is less mobile so it is critical to be sure of your objective.

Keyboard sizes are also worth looking at if you are going to be doing some serious amounts of word processing. Again, the larger the screen, the larger the device so if you go for a 10 inch screen you get a keyboard that is about 90 percent traditional size, a huge positive if you will be typing a lot. One other factor to consider is that some machines offer non-standard board arrangements - if you are a skilled typist you do not want a machine where keys have been moved to different locations.

Lastly, a key consideration is battery life. There are generally two options, standard or extended battery packs (these correspond usually to 3-cell and 6-cell batteries respectively). The standard provides about two hours of computing power, the extended about four hours. But again, know your needs as the extended battery pack is of course much larger and therefore heavier.

Know What You Are Purchasing

While netbooks are very inexpensive, the last thing any of us need is another electronic device we do not use. Therefore, it is critical that purchasers understand the rationale behind the creation of the netbook and the stated purpose of these portable computers.

Don’t be one of those in the 18- to 24-year-old age demographic that is disappointed after shelling out the dollars by the limitations of these machines. If those limitations are in fact disappointing to you, just spend the additional money to purchase a laptop.

But if you do so, just be sure you are in good enough shape so as to be able to cart the beast around with you.

It is easy to dump on corporate America and their insatiable quest for profit. But there are times when individuals in these companies turn into real, honest to goodness human beings.

Such was the case with Pixar and the folks at Disney who went to the extraordinary step of granting a dying girl her death wish. Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, had a simple request. She wanted to see the new Pixar movie Up before she passed.

As the story goes, once Colby “saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie Up, she was desperate to see it.” When it became evident that vascular cancer would take her before she would have the opportunity a family friend contacted Pixar.

And Pixar came through, flying an employee with a DVD copy of the movie so that Colby could get a private viewing of the movie in her own home. Seven hours after she saw the film, the little girl passed away.

Mother Lisa Curtin was effuse in her praise of Pixar and the speed at which the company responded. Not only did the movie light up her only child’s last day the balloons and the the movie theme helped Mom envision that Colby was going to go up to heaven.

In an even rarer move, Pixar officials refused to take actions to embellish their incredible giving actions. They declined to comment on the story and refused to name the employees involved.

For more of the story including just how the family friend managed to get through to Pixar click here.

The Awl

If you haven’t yet begun reading and following the folks at The Awl it is high time you did so. Irreverent, off-color, and most certainly politically incorrect, the site just gets the curiosity juices flowing.

Featuring the Superman Lovers- Starlight video on Friday for no explicable reason and of course wondering aloud as to when the rain on the East Coast just might stop, we are now hooked. It is there we learned of Colby and that yet another Hollywood remake was on the horizon, the immensely popular Fame.

Editorial guys Alex Balk and Choire Sicha and business guy David Cho have all the latest including a pipeline to those never-ending political absurdities. Read The Awl to be well, “Less Stupid.”

Paying for College

The idea that college is becoming too expensive for the average American has led to a real spate of articles of late. One of the more interesting pages to read is on the New York Times running commentary site, Room for Debate.

The piece, called Student Debt, Fool’s Gold? is a must read for current and prospective college students. The reason is that it features little from the Times and everything in the form of public commentary that forms the basis for the page, Room for Debate.

At last check there were nearly four hundred comments, most everyone of them worth reading. Our favorite was Kelly’s who took a different approach, earning her bachelor’s degree in Canada and her graduate degree in Europe at a fraction of the costs of American schools.

While collectively they might confuse the issue for some, there are individual comments that should help a reader clarify their own sentiment.

What Life Is About

And now that all the graduation speeches have been delivered we share one of our favorite pieces, “What Life Is About.” So many people have taken credit for this over the years we are not sure who it truly was constructed by.

Suffice it to say, it is not ours but we really, really like it.

What Life Is About

Life isn’t about keeping score.
It’s not about how many friends you have
Or how accepted you are.
Not about if you have plans this weekend
or if you’re alone.
It isn’t about who you’re dating, who you used to date,
how many people you’ve dated,
or if you haven’t been with anyone at all.
It isn’t about who you have kissed,
It’s not about sex.
It isn’t about who your family is
or how much money they have
Or what kind of car you drive.
Or where you are sent to school.
It’s not about how beautiful or ugly you are.
Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on,
or what kind of music you listen to.
It’s not about if your hair is blonde,
red, black, or brown.
Or if your skin is too light or too dark.
Not about what grades you get, how smart you are,
how smart everybody else thinks you are,
or how smart standardized tests say you are.
It’s not about what clubs you’re in
or how good you are at your sport.
It’s not about representing your whole being on a piece
of paper and seeing who will accept the written you.

Life just isn’t those things

Life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It’s about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.
It’s about keeping or betraying trust.
It’s about friendship, used as a sanctity or a weapon.
It’s about what you say and mean,
maybe hurtful, maybe heartening.
About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.
It’s about what judgments you pass and why.
And who your judgments are spread to.
It’s about who you’ve ignored
with full control and intention.
It’s about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.
It’s about carrying inner hate and love,
letting it grow, and spreading it.

But most of all, it’s about using Your Life to touch
or poison other people’s hearts in such a way
that it could have never occurred alone.
You, and only you,
choose the way those hearts are affected,
and those choices are what life’s all about.

When it comes to choosing a specific online program over that of a traditional program, there are essentially three major areas to consider.

The first is a person’s rationale for choosing to study online rather than on a traditional college campus. The second is whether to choose an entirely online program or one of the more innovative hybrid options. Finally, there is the traditional decision for any college selection, the choice of an actual school.

The Rationale for Online Education

The primary reason to consider an online education program over that of a traditional, on-campus study option is the level of flexibility and convenience. Online education offers enormous flexibility making this study option one of the easiest to fit into an already busy schedule that includes work and family obligations.

With online programming, you can do your coursework in your pajamas at virtually any time of the day. Depending on those work or family commitments, you can do your studies in the early morning or late at night or entirely on the weekend.

In addition, these online programs often offer sliding start dates (no need to wait until the fall or spring semester) and at times flexible completion options should a student wish to progress at a faster rate. Lastly, because there is no class to drive to, you can also spend 100% of your time strictly on completing the necessary coursework.

But as with any endeavor, a commitment to school requires time and discipline. Students must determine the actual number of hours they can devote and then compare that with the expectations of the program they select. And while students will not need to free up time every week to meet a class schedule, they will have to find the time to handle the course materials and assignments.

Most importantly, some students have the idea that the online degree format flexibility translates to courses that involve little time or work. Any viable college program that leads to a meaningful degree will place significant demands on students.

Online versus Hybrid Programs

All online programs consist of two options: either the program is 100% available online or students take a combination of online and on-campus courses called a hybrid program. While the first option offers almost complete flexibility, hybrids, because they mix distance learning with specific on-campus learning, require students be available at specific times for classes or seminars.

Because of course expectations in specific areas of study, not all programs can be completely offered online. In such programs, students may be required to attend a monthly seminar, a summer session or some other on-campus option where all online students gather simultaneously.

Though these programs do have specific time constraints, some students find they prefer this mixture of course offerings. They find the chance to meet face-to-face with fellow students and professors periodically a positive motivational tool. In addition, the chance to actually meet with professors and other students interested in their desired field of study often adds a great deal to the overall learning experience.

Of course, to consider a specific hybrid option you must live close enough to the school to be able to travel to the campus at the required times. It can be the perfect option for the student where the program of study they are interested in just happens to be offered at a school close to home.

In simplest terms, the hybrid option is a great step in convenience when compared to the traditional method of taking courses on campus. But these programs are nowhere near as flexible as an option that can be completed entirely online over the Internet from some distant location.

Choice of School

If a student does a Google search using the term online education and then begins surfing sites, he or she will be bombarded with advertisements. Education is now big business and many schools advertise heavily to gain name recognition.

If you are considering online education, start by looking past the school name and search for the academic program that you are most interested in. Some schools focus entirely on business options or the teaching profession while others do seek to offer a more general course of studies.

In other words, some of the biggest advertisers simply may not offer a program in the area you are interested in. Once you have determined the schools that offer the program you want, move on to check the accreditation and program standards for that entity.

Examine both the respective accreditation and program standards the online school indicates that it adheres to. Once you have determined what accreditation standards the school claims, do a quick review of the organization that awarded the accreditation.

There are of course a number of diploma mills that allow students to buy a worthless degree. However, not only should students stay away from these schools, they should also be leery of some legitimate schools that may have failed to earn program licensures in certain fields of study.

Students should immediately look for another option if a school is not accredited or if the program they offer does not ensure a student earns the desired license or certificate that is necessary to enter a specific career field.

One last, additional consideration is the cost of the program. The first thing that students must realize is there are often higher costs associated with online programming. In other words, that convenience and flexibility generally cost money.

At the same time, costs of programming vary significantly among schools and whether or not a student elects to take a program in-state. It is absolutely essential students do their homework here. In certain cases prices may vary two- or three-fold.

Ultimately, cost cannot be the overriding factor when it comes to the other areas. A less expensive, unaccredited program is not worth considering. Nor is a less-expensive school that simply does not offer the area of study you want to pursue.

Online Programming a Great Option

The bottom line is that online programming is revolutionizing education. While traditional college attendance rates are stagnating, online rates are actually growing exponentially.

But remember, there are three keys to ensuring that online programming will work for you. As with all college choices, choosing the right program at the right school is critical.

But be sure to add in the rationale for choosing this educational approach.

There are times when I realize I simply graduated from school too soon.

Back in our day, passing notes was the surest way to get removed from class. I can only remember seeing it happen once in college and the results were not pretty.

Especially when the person found himself banned from attending the class he had already shelled out big bucks to attend.

Now, we are hearing cases of students instant messaging and checking their Facebook pages right under the professor’s nose. Without repercussions.

Still we could not believe that there would come a point where a professor actually encouraged students to pass notes in class. And certainly not via Twitter while he was lecturing.

An Invitation to Distraction
But such is the case with Cole W. Camplese, the director of education-technology services at Pennsylvania State University at University Park. According to published reports, Camplese teaches with two projection screens.

One of the screens features what one would always expect, the professor’s notes. But directly alongside of those slides, the professor provides a second screen featuring Twitter comments from students in the room. The theory is for students to enter into a discussion of the material as it is being presented.

But, to be honest, I cannot envision myself in such a setting. Which screen would I pay attention to? And how attentive could I be if I entered the Twitter discussion at any point?

Of course, whatever the students write is visible on the screen for all to see, including Camplese. So talking about the keg party at Bernie’s on Friday or that gorgeous young blond from Sweden who just enrolled second semester simply is not conceivable in such an environment.

So it is not the equivalent of passing notes from my day. And there were a good many lackluster lectures that could have been far more enticing if we had used the Camplese format. Certainly, the more tech-savvy, multi-tasking crowd would find this structure far more in keeping with their Facebook life style.

And while I was at first shocked by the concept, I was even more surprised to learn later that the process had a name: back channeling.

Most adults, myself included have expressed concern that the process will create nothing but chaos in the classroom. However, Professor Camplese insists that it is the first step towards new educational processes that feature the student more and the professor less.

Hmmmm.

Readers, what say you?

Each year, U.S. News & World Report compiles its ratings of American colleges and publishes its summary findings for students. The publication is seen as a must-have for any prospective college student, a factor that makes the annual edition a best seller each and every year.

Because of it’s strong reputation, the magazine is one of the fundamental publications for students and families to review. However, when it comes to the college selection process, many college admissions folks have questioned the validity of the ratings.

Today, officials caution students to contrast this publication with other literature that examines their respective college of interest. To get a sense as to why the US News ratings should not be considered the be-all and end-all, we turn to a recent incident involving a presentation by Catherine E. Watt of Clemson University

Seeking Higher Ratings

It seems Watt, once the head of Clemson’s institutional research office and now the point person for a research center at the school, raised more than a few eyebrows with her presentation at the Association for Institutional Research in Atlanta. Apparently, she was a tad too outgoing with her acknowledgement of the importance of the ratings to schools and her subsequent explanation as to how the school might have been able to manipulate the ratings system.

Clemson has publicly aspired to being considered a top 20 public research university. Some of the actions Watt claims the school took to help it climb rapidly up the ratings system were steps that took advantage of flaws in the U.S. News rating system.

For example, to increase the schools standings, Watt claims the school had lowered class sizes in specific classes below a critical U.S. News threshold. The magic number of 20 was obtained, again according to Watt, by increasing class sizes in other classes that would not harm the school’s rating.

A second element was the astonishing claim that school officials had taken the step of rating other schools lower scores on the reputational rankings survey of other colleges. In other words, the school sought to improve its standing by downgrading the standing of competitors.

A third involved assertions of duplicate salary summaries, with U.S. News perhaps getting a doctored version. Ultimately, her statements were reported in numerous higher education publications and subsequently discussed by bloggers everywhere.

Clemson Officials Take Exception

Needless to say, the comments created a storm of controversy. Therefore, it is not too surprising that shortly after Watt gave her presentation officials at Clemson sought to regain a certain level of integrity.

According to published reports, Cathy Sams, Clemson’s chief public affairs officer, released a public statement that took exception to the comments from Watt’s presentation. Again, not too surprisingly, the gist of the rebuttal focused on the potential that school officials may have engaged in unethical behavior.

Those same sources noted that while Sams gave “alternative explanations for the reduced class sizes and other outcomes” there was no direct evidence to challenge or contradict Watt’s assertions about the steps related to class sizes. In other words, Clemson had in fact definitively raised its percentage of classes containing 10 to 19 students while decreasing the percentage that held 20 to 29 students.

One area where Watt was rebutted centered on the notion that Clemson might have cooked some books regarding faculty salaries. In that area, Watt asserted that the school may have provided U.S. News a set of faculty salary numbers that were not entirely accurate. Clemson officials unequivocally denied that assertion.

Bloggers also noted that the university was essentially silent in its public statement regarding the claim that Clemson officials had rated the programs at other institutions below average.

Indirect Evidence Provides Some Answers

While the school took the extraordinary step of providing a written rebuttal to Watt’s assertions, the ultimate assessment of the situation is that Watt is still employed by the school. In fact, when the school was reportedly asked if Watt might face disciplinary action, Sams indicated otherwise.

Therefore, though the school has insisted that their employee did not accurately represent the school, the fact that they did not take action against the employee speaks volumes. If it was as simple as school officials insisted, it is hard to imagine that the institution would not have taken some form of disciplinary action.

Regardless of the hoopla and whether or not Clemson specifically sought to game the system, the revelations of Watt appear to match those of others who insist that the ratings can be manipulated.

Meanwhile, U.S. News insists it is one step ahead of those seeking to game the system. Still, Clemson climbed from 38 to 22 making us wonder whether they are indeed one step ahead.

Ultimately, we think the lesson for students is that they should look well beyond the placement of a school within the U.S. News college rankings when considering their choice of college.

Today, students can expect multiple requests for interviews. From applying to college to seeking out scholarships to pursuing a job opportunity, students will receive multiple requests for a face-to-face question and answer period.

In those situations where competition is keen, students must understand just how important these interviews are. The impression you make is critical and these face-to-face conversations are the single largest determinant separating a number of very worthy candidates.

While most advice focuses on the type of questions being asked and the answers that should be provided, there is growing agreement that the actions you take are as important as the actual answers you provide.

Those actions involve a person’s body language and the general behaviors that create an impression that you fit the characteristics the interviewers have in mind, whether it be for admission to school, selection for a scholarship, or a job offer.

The critical behaviors:

Setting the Right Tone

The consensus is that within the first five minutes the interviewer or the committee conducting the interview will form their impression of you. If it is negative, the remainder of the interview will be immaterial – simply stated it is nigh-near impossible to change a poor first impression.

We will skip the standard about your attire as it goes without saying that your appearance is the very first aspect that will be assessed. Assuming you have dressed neatly in clothing that is appropriate for the type of interview setting, the first step is to greet the interviewers with a smile, engaging the person with your eyes and offering a firm handshake (not too firm, but not dead-fish limp either).

In the case of multiple questioners, take the time to engage each of them by adding a “pleased to meet you” followed by the person’s name. Taking the time to pause and truly listen to the person as they introduce themselves is the best method to ensure you make solid eye contact.

Be sure to control the early energy. You will no doubt be excited and nervous. That is a given. The key for interviewees is to refrain from having that excess energy emerge in a negative manner.

A Calm, Confident Demeanor

Once seated, keep you hands in front of you as you answer questions. Preferably, the goal is to not clasp them as that is considered a sign that you are closed off. More importantly, experts insist that you must refrain from touching any aspects of your face, your nose, ears, throat or mouth. Such gestures are considered a sign that you may be hiding the truth.

As you begin answering questions, it is extremely important to come across as calm and relaxed as is possible given the situation. Everyone will expect a certain level of nervousness – interviews can be extremely intimidating.

The key is to project an air that you can overcome that feeling. The ability to conquer one’s fears is considered one of the most positive traits a person can have.

To ensure an appearance of openness and confidence, keep your hands directly in front of you at all times, relaxed and on the table surface or your lap if no table is present. Refrain from shifting in your chair and from crossing your arms.

Likewise refrain from crossing your legs. Maintaining a firm, erect posture with shoulders back is the best way to physically demonstrate an air of confidence.

Listen to, then Answer the Question

Given the nervous tendency that will be natural, it is critical that you slow the interview process down. The first way to do so is to be sure to listen very carefully to the question being asked.

Here again, the key is to give an impression that you are firmly in control of your emotions. Some find it can be helpful to repeat a portion of the question aloud when the interviewer is finished.

Turning your head towards each questioner is considered one of the few acceptable body movements. Nodding to the interviewer as he or she delivers the question is a great way to make them aware of your focus on what is being asked and is also considered acceptable.

A second element is to be sure to answer the question asked and only that question. Keep your answers concise and resist the temptation to answer that question and another that comes to mind.

It is a definite negative to go on and on about yourself and what you know. To demonstrate a true level of professionalism, the line should be drawn when the question has been answered.

Lastly, when there are multiple persons conducting the interview, the protocol is to begin answering with your focus on the person who asked the question. He or she should get the majority of your focus during the time you are answering but it is very important to try to make eye contact with the others in the room at some point while answering that specific question.

Sustain Interest until the Interview Is Complete

While you must set the tone early, it is also important to understand that others will do so as well. Those who are able to control their nervousness and project their basic level of confidence throughout the interview stand the best chance.

This includes the final steps at the conclusion of the interview. Body language must remain open and confident and you must remain in control of your energy level. Such control means your focus must not trail off as the interview moves into its final stages.

Lastly, when the time has come to conclude, repeat your opening. Shake hands and engage each person, thanking them for the opportunity. It can be too much to use the person’s name though if the position is one of true subordinate it can be a nice touch to say thank you Mr. so and so. With multiple interviewers, using first names again and again might come across as a tad too confident.

Lastly, walk out with that same, in control posture that defines the air of confidence you were hoping to project when you came in. The key is to leave one final, very positive impression.

More than Answers to Questions

There is no doubt that your answers will form a basis for an interviewer’s evaluation. But the general consensus is that you, the person, is just as if not more important.

To be the chosen one, it is essential that you project the right image. If you keep these tips in mind whenever you are interviewing you will create a very strong impression, one that ensures the committee will give you careful consideration.

Great minds see the world in a vastly different way.

Buildings typically are constructed with two key thoughts in mind.

First, there is a specific structure based on a notion of function that seeks to meet a prescribed and generally singular purpose. Second, there is sense of permanence and life span, the structure is built to best handle the designed function for decades.

So the idea that a building could be designed to transform is certainly an anomaly. But such is the case with Koolhaas’s Transformer, constructed in a manner that it can not only be reconfigured monthly, it can be removed when its one year life span is complete.

The Transformer

Even those without an architectural interest have to be intrigued by Koolhaas’s concept, a temporary construction that now rests near a 16th-century Korean palace in Seoul. The Prada Foundation asked famed architect Rem Koolhaas to create a temporary structure that would host a diverse group of cultural events over the upcoming summer.

While the building will need the assistance of some decent size cranes, the structure began with a focus towards being a venue for hosting a fashion show. Later, the building will be lifted and rotated to serve as a movie theater. Likewise, with the help of those same cranes, it will be adjusted later in the summer so as to host an art exhibition before being reconfigured to again host a fashion show.

Each side is flat and the rotation will involve the amazing step of using a different side as its base for each cultural event. Mathematically, the term tetrahedral is used to describe a structure that has but three sides exposed and a fourth that is used as the base.

Instead of hard, firm surfaces, the structure is wrapped in a white fabric skin and the four sides offer a multi-faceted, visual appearance that includes a circle, a cross, a hexagon and a rectangle. For the first fashion show, the building was set so as to rest on the hexagonal side, a shape most conducive for fashion shows.

Later, for the movie house the building will be placed on the rectangular side, etc. With those rotations will come yet another of the visual effects of a specific shape greeting visitors to the city or the building.

And in the ultimate of transforming, the entire structure will live a short, albeit famed life. It will be disassembled and removed at summer’s end though where it might reappear is apparently still not finalized.

If you are a college sophomore or upperclassman, you have experienced the full-frontal assault of the end of the year dorm clean out.

Because some students have exams right through Friday afternoon, then have only until 12:00 p.m. Saturday to be out of their room, there is no time to appropriately deal with all the items in the dorm room or on-campus apartment. Not only is there simply too much accumulated stuff to fit all of it in your car without making multiple trips home, you simply don’t have the time to deal with breaking the stuff down so that it might fit.

The result, loads of valuable items get tossed into the dumpster or in most cases by the end of the week, piled alongside an overflowing trash unit. Chairs, couches, tables, VCRs, and even television sets can be seen sitting on top of these containers or resting on the curb beside these huge bins.

Perhaps the most appalling aspect is the realization that the space in your car is already spoken for yet you are now witness to literally piles of items that you would scoff up in a minute if it were the beginning of the school year.

Schools and Students Taking Action

More and more, as green-eyed students across the country become aware of the earth and the need for greater sustainability, recycling programs have started to emerge for this end of the year clean out. The goal is simple: reduce the number of reusable items heading to a landfill or transfer station and get them into the hands of another potential user.

There are many successful ways to deal with the process. One simple step is for a group of students to locate a place for storage of viable items, especially the larger units such as mini-refrigerators and other electronic gear. Then, using a group of student volunteers, these unwanted items are collected and taken to the storage facility to be sorted out.

The following fall, those very same items are put up for sale to the incoming students at the school. Any collected funds that remain after the costs of storage have been taken care of are either donated to worthy charities or to the school’s nonprofit sustainability organization to further sustain a school’s green mission (if one exists).

Another common method of dealing with the leftover items is to involve community organizations and use them to solicit volunteers for all the handling tasks as well as the storage of items. Instead of selling them to students, the collected items can be sold in a massive community yard sale. Later, the proceeds from any sales can then be divided among the nonprofit groups according to the time each specific organization puts into collecting and selling the items.

Want to Start a Program?

Many other programs are underway with variations on these themes. In certain instances, students can simply leave unwanted items in their dorm room where they will be collected later.

Still, there are a number of schools where the idea has not caught on.

If you are interested in getting such a program started at your university, a nonprofit called Dump and Run helps interested groups. They can offer ideas regarding item collection, donation and storage, as well as appropriate ways of handling the cash that comes from selling the collected materials.

If the end of the 2009 school year has come and gone and your school still is not on board, it would make a perfect project for next year. Students interested in starting a program at their school can contact Dump and Run for assistance and advice.

Ultimately, the end-of-the-school-year recycling program is a true win-win. No student ever feels good about throwing such material in a dumpster. And our landfills/transfer stations are already strapped with mountains of trash.