Here are just a few colleges throughout the country that are celebrating their love of film on campus.

Indiana University
Indiana’s 3rd Annual Oscar Party, presented by Union Board Films, will be held at the Indiana Memorial Union from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Watch the Oscars on a big theatre screen, enjoy free food and win DVDs by correctly picking the award winners. Also, this year IU will hold their Student Oscars – there are five films in contention and the audience will vote for the best one!

New York University (NYU)
The Graduate School of Arts & Science Master’s College Board Program at NYU presents a Night at the Oscars, starting at 7 p.m., at West 3rd Commons. Movie fans’ first round of drinks – as well as food throughout the night – will be free. There will be drink specials and chances to win prizes with trivia games and an Oscar Party Ballot Pool. Red carpet attire is encouraged by not required.

Emerson College
Emerson Mane Events will host an Oscars Viewing Party from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in Piano Row’s Multipurpose Room. The party includes an Oscars picks contest, prizes and free pizza and appetizers. A group of Emerson Journalism students, accompanied by their advisor, will work the red carpet and interview key players in Sunday night’s awards show. You can also join in the Online Watch Party on Twitter – just follow @EmersonCollege and use the hashtag #ECOscars.

Other schools holding Oscar parties include:
- Princeton University - 6:30 pm in the West TV Lounge, Frist Campus Center
- University of Wyoming – 5 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Family Room
- University of Louisville - 7 p.m. Floyd Theater, 3rd floor of the Student Activities Center

How are you celebrating the Academy Awards? Is your school having an Oscars party?

Check out where some of your favorite nominees went to school. Find film schools. Read about movie clubs and other student activities. Like Campus Explorer on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more information about college life.

Luckily, times have changed! These days, students have smartphones, as well as  apps that can make life as a student even easier.

Here are five of our favorite organizational apps.

iStudiez Pro/CoursePro or Class Buddy Pro
I used to have a recurring nightmare that I was registered for a class like biology that I hadn’t even known about until the final, and then I had to pass or I wouldn’t graduate. I’d wake up freaking out, drenched in sweat. iStudiez Pro ($2.99 on the iphone) and CoursePro ($2.99 for trial version, $4.00 for full version on android phones) can help ensure you never find yourself in that (however improbable) situation.

iStudiez Pro lets you organize complicated schedules (including rotating or block schedules and holiday weeks), prioritize your homework assignments, receive reminders for due dates and track your grade point average with different weights for different assignments.

With CoursePro you can also track your grades, assignments and courses. It doesn’t allow you to set up reminders, but several free apps can fill that void. It does, however, give you the option to define the type of assignment, such as exams, projects, labs or regular homework.

Other android users prefer Class Buddy Pro for $0.99. With this app, you can schedule your courses, events and tasks – such as homework and errands – and calculate your GPA. It even offers an expense tracker that you can link to your tasks and events.

myHomework
Since the old “dog ate my homework” excuse has never really worked, you may not need it with this free app available for all mobile devices. Do you forget important assignments or events? No problem! Track your schedule and due dates – plus get reminder notices – with one user-friendly calendar. Have you already forgotten something but can’t remember what? Color-code your assignments into categories like “late” or (hopefully) “upcoming.” For an extra $1.99 per year, you can sync your smartphone with a website accessible from any computer.

Evernote
Far more than a simple scheduling app (available for free on all smartphones), Evernote allows you to get to your clippings, URLs and notes from a central hub that’s accessible from your smartphone or computer. Through this app, you can even share notes with other students – a great way to entice others into a study group. Best of all, you can set up an easy notebook sorting system that lets you search with tags or keywords. And “notes” can include lecture notes, test notes, photographs, websites, voice recordings, presentations and more. If you find yourself needing more data, the ability to work offline or to collaborate with others, you can subscribe to the premium service for $5.00/month or $45.00/year.

Springpad
Ever dream of having your very own personal assistant? Believe it or not, there’s an app for that. It may not cook or clean like the personal assistant of my dreams, but it can help you get organized. Springboard (free on all smartphones) allows you to jot down ideas and notes that it then automatically categorizes and even supplements with useful links and other enhancements. You can also share notes, set up reminders, scan barcodes and receive alerts for specific news or special deals.

Mental Case/StudyDroid
In the past those unfortunate students without cell phones also had to create flashcards on simple 3″x5″ index cards for everything they wanted to memorize. Mental Case for iphones and StudyDroid for android users allows you to create flashcards using not only text but also photos, videos and/or audio. Both apps also have existing flashcards online sorted by subject matter that you can download onto your smartphone.

What is your favorite organizational app? 

Read about taking notes, college lecture etiquette and technology in college. Also check out student travel and SAT study apps on The Explorer Blog. “Like” Campus Explorer on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more tips and information about college life.

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Laura Horwitz has worked as a freelance writer and researcher for ten years in both London and the United States, focusing frequently on education and career advice. She graduated with honors from the College of Creative Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara, and currently lives in Los Angeles.

No matter what your highest level of education, there are always opportunities to explore new careers and higher education. It’s just a matter of discovering – or rediscovering – your interests or taking a leap and looking into a new and exciting field that has always piqued your interest.

Learn about college programs for adults and find out how college has changed. Start your college search.

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“Like” Campus Explorer on Facebook and follow us on Twitter  for more information about planning for college in high school and as an adult student. 

For this reason, the top healthcare colleges can be split into two separate groups: – top undergraduate and graduate programs and top associate degree and certification programs. These schools are the best of the best with great job placement rates, top professors, first-rate facilities and curricula that challenge students with both experience-building fieldwork and intense classwork.

Graduate and Undergraduate Programs

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan is a large research university that’s consistently at the top of healthcare college lists. Its healthcare management and nursing graduate programs are both ranked in the top ten, churning out students who go on to successful careers in hospitals, doctors’ offices and clinics.

University of Minnesota
Ranked second in 2011 by US News and World Report, University of Minnesota’s healthcare administration program has long been held in high esteem. With world-renowned professors and some of the best job placement in the country, the University of Minnesota excels at producing outstanding healthcare graduates.

Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing has been ranked number one among nursing graduate schools, number one in community and public health nursing, number five in nursing service administration and number seven in family nurse practitioner by US News and World Report. If that’s not enough, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where nurses train, is ranked first in the country.

Associates Degree and Certification Programs

Pima Medical Institute
Pima Medical Institute in Tucson, Arizona, is the premiere medical college for students in the west. It offers associates degrees in everything from nursing and radiography to veterinary technician. Plus, it boasts top-notch certification programs that ready students for jobs as medical assistants, massage therapists and ultrasound techs.

Community College of Allegheny County
As the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) so astutely puts it, “More than 75 percent of healthcare is delivered by professionals other than physicians.” CCAC is set up to make sure that 75% is prepared. With more than 30 associate degree and certification programs, CCAC is one of the nation’s leading producers of healthcare graduates.

University of Alaska, Anchorage
The University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) has consistently been ranked as THE top phlebotomy college in the United States. While traditionally a four-year university, UAA also offers a wide array of associate and certification programs for the surrounding community.

Explore in-demand careers in healthcare and hot jobs in health and medical services. Find healthcare colleges. Read all our Focus on Healthcare posts.

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“Like” Campus Explorer on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more on our Focus on Healthcare series. 

The issue of paying for college prevents many students from furthering their education and causes others to drown financially.

What if students could go to school without having to pay a single cent up upfront? A new plan from Fix UC – a student created and run organization attempting to solve the University of California’s current funding crisis – is proposing a way to make that a reality.

The Fix UC Plan: Once graduates of the school secure jobs, they will pay 5% of their income over the next 20 years. Payments to the school will be entirely based on alumni salaries, eliminating the financial burden of fees, loan payments and interest. The plan’s outline will supposedly also allow the UC system to eventually incur enough revenue in order to put an end to its reliance on funding from the state.

What do you think of this proposal? Is it a better option for students? Is it a realistic solution? 

Read about the types of loans that are available and find out how to keep student debt low. Find California colleges.

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“I was stunned to open my inbox the other day to find out that I had won the Campus Explorer scholarship,” Stone says. “I had never used the website before, but I am really glad I did! As a new graduate student, transplanted into a different part of the country, this scholarship will help me to start chipping away at my personal mountain of student loan debt.”

Stone is in his first year of grad school, working towards his masters of science in natural resource studies. He has a bachelor of science in environmental policy and management, as well as a bachelors of arts in International studies from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

“I hope to continue my education and pursue a PhD in renewable natural resources,” he explains, “then continue to research ways to improve our understanding of human-climate interactions, and ways we can work to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce current carbon emissions.”

The defining experience of Stone’s academic career was when he was invited to join a research team at the Byrd Polar Research Center in the summer of 2009 to conduct field research in the Peruvian Andes.  ”This opportunity cemented my desire to contribute to the environmental field through research,” he says.

“If I could go back to the fall of 2006 to advise the 18 year-old version of me, I would tell him to get out of his dorm room, read, chase down experiences, travel and get involved on campus. I went into college at Ohio State without declaring a major. Looking back, I feel like I wasted a year not knowing what I wanted to do. The more I experienced, the more I learned about myself and was able to find the direction I needed to take in life.”

Learn about planning for college in high school, advanced degrees and paying for college.

Campus Explorer is giving away free scholarship money every month. Enter for your chance to win the February $1,000 Scholarship Giveaway. Just create an account – or sign in to CampusExplorer.com, if you already have one. Then click “apply now” and “like” Campus Explorer on Facebook. It’s that simple. 

“Like” Campus Explorer on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to learn about our latest scholarships and meet the lucky winners.

Black History Month is a time to focus, reflect, educate and celebrate. Campuses across the country are doing just that with events to commemorate this month-long celebration.

University of Wisconsin – Madison
The Badgers have numerous events celebrating Black History Month on campus, including volunteer opportunities, such as Sickle Cell Blood Drives, sponsored by the Urban League of Greater Madison, and clothing drives, led by the Black Law Students Association. The Center for Cultural Enrichment held “Discussing Spike Lee — The Man Behind the Movies” – a discussion and a movie about the man who paved the way for African Americans to be much more than actors. The Wisconsin Public Television Historic Film Series will hold programs through February 27.

Tennessee Tech
The Office of Minority Affairs has been hosting events on a weekly basis. Still to take place this month are a forum on Tuesday, February 21, titled “Racism in America: Does it Still Exist?” and a screening of the award-winning/Oscar nominated film The Help on Wednesday, February 29.

Kansas State University
Over in Manhattan, Kansas, students have been participating in a number of free Black History events at the Kansas State student union. On Tuesday, February 28, the Wildcats will be holding a Taboo Talk – an event encouraging everyone to speak openly about issues pertaining to African-American culture. It is meant to be friendly and welcoming, allowing students to respectfully address current issues in the community.

University of Arizona
Events for students, faculty and the public in Tucson have included a field trip, film screenings and lectures – one recent lecture was about whether or not South Africa is a democratic success. At the end of the month, there will be a Black History Month block party for everyone to enjoy.

University of Hawaii
They have been holding all sorts of Black History events throughout February at this island university. A recent event, titled “Music, Art, and Words,” was a public conversation with Lois Ann Yamanaka, Oliver Jackson, Quincy Troupe, Kelvyn Bell and playwright/professor Paul Carter Harrison. Each speaker discussed their work in music, art and writing … and the significance of the Blues as a root form of expression.

Have you participated in any Black History Month events? Tell us about them in the comments.

Learn more about college life, student organizations and life beyond campus.

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Pursuing a career in medicine be truly rewarding. However, many students do not realize that the healthcare industry also has a huge need for employees interested in nursing, assistant, technical and non-medical positions. 

So what exactly does that mean for you? In a nutshell, it means that because the healthcare industry today is such a growing and wide-open field, students with skills that have little to do with medicine, science or math can still enjoy successful healthcare careers. If a non-medical job in the healthcare field is an option that appeals to you, keep reading. These are the types of college classes you’ll likely to find yourself taking if you choose to go this route.

In your freshman year, there’s a decent chance the vast majority of your schedule will be filled with general requirements, like English and mathematics. Some schools offer a number of core classes with healthcare aspects (sociology courses that focus on diseases or epidemics, for instance), so definitely keep an eye out for those when planning your freshman year. Aside from those core requirements, however, your first college year is a good time to study one of the basic sciences, such as chemistry or biology, even if the medically-related healthcare fields aren’t necessarily of interest.

During your sophomore year, you’ll probably want to start giving yourself a solid foundation in subjects that have broad applications within the healthcare industry as a whole. Some of those subjects might include economics, statistics, anatomy or psychology. A business communications course would also be an especially wise choice. That’s because solid communication skills are an absolute must for so many different aspects of the healthcare industry today.

In your junior year, you should begin focusing primarily on your major. More specifically, you’ll want to focus strongly on whichever direction you want your healthcare career to take. Depending on where your particular interests lie, your course schedule may include subjects that cover public health policy, medical ethics, accounting or perhaps business administration or nonprofit administration. If you happen to be interested in the medical research or pharmacology fields, both of which have great needs for business professionals, you’ll want to hone in on the more advanced science classes. This will give you at least a broad understanding of basic medical and science terminology.

For many students, senior year is often a good time to catch up on electives, especially if your schedule hasn’t previously allowed for many of them. But instead of taking easy or “throw-away” electives in order to insure a higher GPA, look for elective courses that focus at least somewhat on your specific interests. Students going into the business side of the healthcare industry, for instance, might want to consider project management or human resource classes. If you’re interested in a job that combines a liberal arts or business foundation with some medical knowledge, you might want to spend time on advanced science or psychology work.

What’s more, senior year can also be a good time to study a second language, assuming you haven’t already. And for those students who haven’t yet started interning or volunteering, the senior year is definitely the time to make that a top priority. Keep in mind that many private practices and other healthcare organizations often have internship programs. Regardless of whether your interests lie in the social work sector, the insurance field or even biotech, there’s almost certainly an internship or volunteer opportunity waiting for you somewhere.

Thankfully for those students who don’t happen to be science or math whizzes, the healthcare industry is rich with non-medical opportunities. And for those of you who aren’t entirely certain that the healthcare career you are working towards will actually hold your interest in the long-term, don’t despair: After you’ve gained a bit of solid work experience – and assuming you have a basic knowledge of various medical issues and practices – it’s often surprisingly easy to switch gears in the non-medical sector and to try something new.

Explore in-demand careers in healthcare and hot jobs in health and medical services. Find healthcare colleges. Read all our Focus on Healthcare posts.

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Dan Eldridge is a cultural reporter based in Philadelphia, and the author of Moon Pittsburgh (Avalon Travel), a guidebook to Pennsylvania’s second-largest city. Eldridge earned a bachelors degree at the University of Pittsburgh, and spent one of his college semesters traversing the globe as a student in the legendary Semester at Sea program.

Respond to the Question of the Week on The Explorer Blog or on Facebook.

It can only benefit you to start your search for an internship early. However, the number of internship opportunities should increase as summer nears.

The best thing to do is to spend most of February researching internships. Find out which companies are looking for interns … and what they are looking for in their interns. Make sure you have the appropriate qualifications, and get any materials – resume, recommendations, school transcript, etc. – ready to send out. Also, be aware of any important deadlines. Some companies will not accept any resumes after a certain date.

Once you have all of your materials ready to go – and the list of internships for which you plan to apply – then you can begin the process of contacting employers. Each company will have a different preference of how you should go about contacting them, so make sure you know how to get in touch ahead of time. Remember, the larger your list, the better your chances of ending up working at a summer internship that you will enjoy.

Remember, be professional, and approach each internship opportunity as if it were your dream job. Your eagerness and enthusiasm for the position will help you land the gig.

Share your internship success stories in the comments.

Read about how internships can help you stand out on college applications and see all of the best cities for internships. Plus, check out our internships posts and job search tips on The Explorer Blog.

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