But this morning, something jarring stood out to me when I was searching Google News. The headline read “School bus monitor bullied by students” and the text of the story was painfully hard to digest.

On Tuesday, a 10-minute video hit YouTube depicting some of the most inhumane verbal treatment of an individual that I have ever seen or heard. For 10 minutes, a group of middle school students from Athena Middle School in upstate New York disparage, ridicule and torment Karen Huff Klein, a 68-year-old woman who has worked as a school bus monitor for over 20 years.  And all the while, some pitiless kid sits there with his cell phone recording the whole thing.

The kids not only poke fun of Karen’s weight, appearance and socioeconomic status, but also threaten, mock and physically jab her. Some of the most horrific comments include a group of boys telling her that they will come to her house to do harm and that Karen’s children should commit suicide; they also make sure to spew off several lewd, suggestive comments. The video has quickly amassed well over 1.5 million views and, as one would surmise, viewers have been outraged by the video, as evidenced by the stream of comments.

To be honest, I hesitate even sharing his video clip, as it is truly gut-wrenching and the public should not have been privy to Karen’s pain. But on the other hand, this YouTube clip will hopefully serve as a strong wakeup call to kids and adults everywhere that animalistic behavior like this has to stop. And that’s simply what this behavior is – barbaric.

If you can make it through this clip (and to be honest I had to stop after four minutes), you will see how truly cruel kids today can be. We might be well aware of the instances of teen cyberbullying and anguish happening in the school halls and in everyday life, but what about adults who are being targeted by kids? Bullying truly knows no limitations as both the young and the old can become its victims.

At least one group out there is channeling its outrage over the YouTube clip into good as a campaign has launched called “Let’s Give Karen a Vacation.” The site asks individuals to donate money until Friday, July 20, to help Karen retire. So far the site has raised more than $174,000 and that number increases every minute. It also lists the school principal’s email address, staff emails and the school’s website. I have little doubt that the school will be inundated with emails and phone calls the next few days.

According to multiple news reports, the school has stated that extreme disciplinary action will be taken and the kids’ names have already been turned over to the authorities. The school district said its bullying team and the local police are conducting an investigation.

"We have discovered other similar videos on YouTube and are working to identify all of the students involved," the district said in a statement.

Karen told reporters at WHAM that she doesn't know if bullies can be charged, but "they should have some form of punishment." She refers to the teens as "regular, normal kids" who one on one are “OK."

"Just don't get a bunch of them together. That's when the trouble starts," she said.

As put by Karen, as the torment unfolded, she tried her best to shake it off and she did not hear everything that was said as she is hearing impaired. After watching the clip back she said that the hazing deeply hurt her. 

Simply put, there is no excuse for these kids’ callous behavior. You cannot even chalk it up to their youth because this behavior is so deliberate and so planned that it could have been avoided. A lot of people are blaming the parents for raising kids who could be so cold. I agree only somewhat. At the end of the day, parents can do the best they can but even the most involved, loving parents, can see their kids take a wrong turn or succumb to peer pressure. And at age 12-13, these kids know right from wrong.

Here’s hoping the school district and police do more than just slap these kids’ wrists. I have written countless stories about bullying but this instance without a doubt rises to the top as one of the most harrowing. And here’s hoping that Karen remains strong during this and gets peace of mind soon.

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14-Year-Old Student Sues Cyber Bullies for Libel - May 08, 2012

The Fight Against Cyberbullying: A Step in the Right Direction - Jan 05, 2012

The Rise of Cyberbullying Puts Greater Emphasis on Anti-Bullying Assemblies - Sep 30, 2011

The New Playground for Bullying - Jun 21, 2011

Media Mogul Funds Anonymous Texting Program to Report Bullies - Jun 19, 2012

Cyberbullying: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back - Jun 01, 2012

But one 89-year-old media mogul is setting out to change that.

This fall, an anti-bullying initiative will be introduced to Los Angeles, Calif. students that will allow the teens to anonymously report threats of violence to school officials through text messages. And the person to thank for this is Sumner Redstone, the chairman of Viacom Inc., which includes MTV Networks, Nickelodeon and CBS Corp. Yesterday, Redstone donated $100,000 to the Safe to Talk Fund program – money which will be used to establish a service called SchoolTipline in schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District.

SchoolTipline is a texting platform that permits students to use their cell phones to report threats of suicide and violence and the presences of guns and drugs on campus without having to identify themselves.

"You can't have a quality education without a safe environment, and that's the whole point of my contribution," Redstone said in an interview Monday. "This will allow students to report violence, bad behavior and threats of bad behavior, without being identified -- and without fear of retaliation."

With the $100,000 donation, the district will be able to train students, teachers and school officials and pay for the technology and texting time, according to Fraser Nelson, executive director of the Community Foundation of Utah, which is overseeing the Safe to Talk Fund nationwide.

According to recent statistics, the travesty of bullying is showing no signs of slowing any time soon as about 42 percent of kids have been bullied while online, with one in four being verbally attacked more than once; 77 percent of students have admitted to being the victim of one type of bullying or another; and an estimated 35 percent of kids have been threatened online. Moreover, the American Justice Department bullying statistics show that one out of every four kids will be bullied sometime throughout their adolescence. But even though bullying instances are so common, kids are reluctant to move from bystanders to anti-bullying advocates.

“There are a lot of kids who want to speak up but they are afraid that they will get hurt too," Nelson said. Text messaging is the communications tool of choice for young people, she said, adding, "It’s another way to have the dialogue" about discouraging bullying.

Any campaign that encourages students to take a stand against instances of bullying or violence is a campaign worth implementing. Over the past few years it has become painfully evident that the cycle of victimization and cyberbullying is not curtailing any time soon and, therefore, it is campaigns like these that can give kids enough courage to help curb the cycle. Administrators and parents can do all they want to stop the vicious behavior, but until students start looking out for students, we will get nowhere.

I commend Redstone for his efforts and for his keen insight in realizing that the place to start with regards to bullying is with students themselves. I encourage all celebrities to do more than just publically declare their commitment to eradicating bullying; instead, I encourage them to use their means and influence to implement specific programs that will empower kids. 

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14-Year-Old Student Sues Cyber Bullies for Libel - May 08, 2012

The Fight Against Cyberbullying: A Step in the Right Direction - Jan 05, 2012

The Rise of Cyberbullying Puts Greater Emphasis on Anti-Bullying Assemblies - Sep 30, 2011

The New Playground for Bullying - Jun 21, 2011

Welcome to the Hallway - Jun 14, 2011

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But what if I told you there were a few more secret tips that might make acclimating to the post-college life a tad easier… oh, and also get you off that couch and into a real office with cubicles sooner.

This week, I wrote an article that included four tips that all college commencement speakers should have touched upon during their pontificating about how to really make it in the “Real World.” Yes, I am talking to you President Obama. Sure it’s all about knowing the right people, determining which path to take when you come at a crossroads, and realizing that “everything happens for a reason.” And, yes it’s also important to gloss over the front page of the “New York Times” so that you can fully understand the debt crisis and gay rights marriage contention and, of course, for some inexplicable reason you should have to listen to at least one hotshot who made his dreams come true off of nothing but determination and passion. But commencement speakers should have also mentioned about how you can end up being a part of the 50 percent of college grads that is actually employed if you follow a few very important technology guidelines.

Want to know what I am talking about? Then click here. Don’t agree with my suggestions? Then let me know at Twitter or on the blog. Happy job searching college grads!

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NCAA Football Coaches Red Flag Athletic Prospects' Use of Social Media - May 29, 2012

Just How Valuable is that College Diploma? - May 17, 2012

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A New Major is in Town and its name is Social Media - Apr 12, 2012

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Okay, okay so I am being a bit dramatic because I am sure we have all been there and yet most of us probably still managed to get employed despite that ugly “C.” My story, however, is a bit more harrowing as I got a “C” in a class that I didn’t even have to be taking; I am going to chalk this up to college freshman naiveté. Okay here goes.

It was the end of first semester of freshmen year and I realized that I needed a science class to complete my one science requirement at Newhouse. Just one measly science class. Mind you, I was that student in high school who opted to take two AP math classes just so I could drop science senior year so that should effectively convey to you my distaste for all things atom-related. 

So anyways, I consulted with one of my fellow Newhouse friends who suggested that we both take Geology second semester freshmen year. Being the freshman that I was – and being for no valid reason opposed to meeting with any individual whose title started with advisor – I took my peer’s word for it that the Geology class would satisfy my only science requirement towards a major that would never require my knowledge of rocks and sediment flow. Big mistake.

Turns out that for my friend who was majoring in broadcast journalism, a geology class was just fine. But for me, a magazine journalism major, I was supposed to take science… with a lab. Shouldn’t looking at rocks count as lab work?!

In essence, I got what I deserved. I didn’t do my due diligence, found myself in a class where I was slowly getting piled on (you know from all the sediments), and the result was a big fat “C,” a grade that killed freshmen year an almost-perfect GPA. Oh and then there was that little matter of me still having to take a science with a lab class.  

The only option at that point was summer school – a time where I could really devote the hours needed to learning all the wonders of biology, figure out how to correctly use a scalpel, and get a respectable “B” for the course. And after a few arduous weeks spent at the local community college Saturday mornings, I found the moral of the story (aside from never trust a 17-year-old friend) to be that summer classes are actually a wonderful way of tackling that one class that stands in the way of you and your 4.0 GPA.

While I did have the option of taking biology over the summer – a move that proved easier for me as I could really devote my time to studying just one subject – students nowadays are even luckier as they have a myriad of opportunities at their fingertips as all they have to do is whip out their trusty laptop and sign up for online classes. Online classes not only allow students to still enjoy all the benefits of a summer internships, vacations and employment opportunities, but they also allow kids who may struggle in certain subjects to get those core requirements out of the way during a season in which the pace slows significantly and distracters like “Thirsty Thursdays” and “Toga Night” are fewer and farther between.

So, as I reflect on my first few years at college, as yet another summer comes reminding me of how far away freshmen year truly seems, I want to remind those younger than me that it is cool to take online summer classes. Not only will it most likely keep your GPA right on track, or enhance it, but it will give you some peace of mind when school rolls back around – a time in which you have to worry about balancing upper division classes with everyday college rituals.

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Ravi, the college student accused of reportedly using a Web cam to spy on his roommate and then stream footage online, has been sentenced to 30 days in jail, 300 hours of community service and counseling, and restitution in the form of a $10,000 fine.

For those who need a refresher, in 2010, the world was taken aback when 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, jumped to his death after being the victim of online bullying. It all came to a head when an intimate moment between Clementi and another male was surreptitiously taped by Ravi and streamed over the Internet. Since then, the trial of Ravi – who was convicted of bias intimidation, witness tampering, hindering arrest and numerous other charges – has charged forward at full steam.

Yesterday, many who have been following this story for years – and the family and friends closest to Clementi – took baby steps toward some semblance of closure as Ravi took his first steps into jail at around 12:30 p.m. yesterday.

According to reports, Ravi, clad in a navy blue T-shirt and brown jeans, moved silently through the crowd and declined to respond to reporters’ questions. His father, Ravi Pashmani, attorney Philip Nettl and two family friends accompanied him. After reporting to the sheriff’s office, Ravi was taken to the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center, where he allegedly underwent routine physical and psychological examinations and a classification process to determine where he would be assigned — a minimum-, medium- or maximum-security section of the jail.

"It’s hard not to be nervous, but he took it as well and was as prepared as he can be because jail is jail," his attorney said. "He’s eager to put this behind him and move on with his life."

Nettl said Ravi was "calm and ready to accept the punishment he received from Judge (Glenn) Berman."

Sadly, as the world took steps towards healing yesterday, a new tragedy occurred in New Jersey on Wednesday – just hours before Ravi started his sentence – as three New Jersey teens were indicted in the bullying of a 15-year-old who committed suicide.

At a news conference, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said 19-year-old Michael Conway, a Morristown High School senior, and two unnamed juveniles were facing charges resulting from the alleged robbery, assault and verbal abuse of Lennon Baldwin, a Morristown High freshman, in the weeks leading up to Baldwin's March 28 suicide.

"Nothing we do will ease the pain for the tremendous loss to the family," Bianchi said of the Baldwins, the Newark Star-Ledger reported. "When these bullying incidents surround acts that constitute assault, harassment, threats, robbery . . . we will criminally prosecute."

These tragedies are showing no signs of slowing down so I am once again putting out a call to parents, administrators, and kids everywhere to protect one another, to be kind, and to be accepting of one another. Every day needs to be a step towards breaking this harrowing suicide cycle. And no effort is ever too futile.

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Welcome to the Hallway - Jun 14, 2011

14-Year-Old Student Sues Cyber Bullies for Libel - May 08, 2012

The Dangers of the Twitter, Facebook Streams - Mar 06, 2012

The Fight Against Cyberbullying: A Step in the Right Direction - Jan 05, 2012

A Ways to Go... - Dec 13, 2011

Comments on this Entry:

(The Mommy Psychologist on Jun 2, 2012 1:46 PM)

I'm still so disappointed with the Rutgers verdict. I was hoping that the judge would use this to set a precedent against online bullying and specifically bullying targeting individuals who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender. It was a chance to say we take this seriously and we will not tolerate hate. Instead, it was a slap on the wrist and stern warning not to do it again. My full thoughts on this here:
http://www.themommypsychologist.com/2012/05/21/what-do-you-think-of-the-rutgers-verdict/

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But little has been brought up about potential college athletes being watched and monitored over social media sites – until now. So, for all the Jeremy Lin and Stephen Strasburg wannabes out there, just know that in addition to coaches scouting you and following your every free throw and home run, they are also checking out your social media plays – particularly for you football players.

In fact, social media has quickly become the new way for coaches to communicate with potential recruits and almost every elite recruiter has a Facebook or Twitter account, or both, according to a recent blog post on AJC.

“I’m on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and you name it,” University of Virginia head football coach Mike London said. “You will find out more about guys on Facebook and Twitter sometimes than you will having a 10-minute conversation with them because a lot of times they will let their guard down and show a side maybe you haven’t thought about before.”

And for those of you that are wondering if this type of “Big Brother” behavior is acceptable, according to the NCAA, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, rules are not being broken by these behaviors. In fact, as per the NCAA rules, a coach can send a Facebook friend request to a prospective student-athlete and follow them on Twitter.

But what coaches are learning about their prospective linebackers or star pitchers is not all good.

According to the blog, last year, one of New Jersey’s top prospects was expelled from school and had scholarship offers allegedly rescinded after he posted explicit messages on Twitter. And over at Duluth High School in Georgia, Coach Corey Jarvis experienced the same thing when one of his former players was recently kicked off a college team for the same reasons. “It was the final straw. It was stuff that shouldn’t have been posted. I understood where the college was coming from. He was representing the program when he did that.”

For those of you that have the time to check out the blog above, it is worth the read. It is incredible to hear about how many students realize quickly that they are being tracked via social media and how many students soil their chances to play collegiate sports because of social media misconduct.

After reading this blog, I have to admit that although I tend to be against social media monitoring, a bigger part of me feels content with the fact that college athletes will be held to the same standards as any other college student when it comes to social media use in that colleges have no problem saying no to a student who cannot exhibit proper networking behavior. After all, we hear countless times about how college athletes are given the “Red Carpet” treatment – from not having to attend class regularly to grade inflation to illicit substance cover ups. It is nice that maybe the carpet is being shortened a bit.

Simply put, if a college will deny a non-athlete admission because of poor behavior online that same behavior should not be condoned just because that particular student can help the college win the NCAA championship.

It’s time to level the playing field (pun intended) and have each student held accountable no matter if they don a jersey on weekends or a sparkly dance top instead. And to you high schoolers – with college scouts (both for sports and admissions) on the prowl, you may want to think twice before tapping the mouse on that most recent Tweet.

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A New Major is in Town and its name is Social Media - Apr 12, 2012

Is Anything Sacred on Social Networking Sites? - Mar 09, 2012

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It was the first time in the district’s history that a threat had been made against the school and panic quickly set in. On the day of the supposed bombing, school remained open, although less than 10 percent of the school’s population attended and those who did were greeted with metal detectors, bomb squad dogs and police officers. The school was certainly trying to send a message: we will not bow down to unsubstantiated threats. But another message emerged as well. Could someone really be capable of harming the family?

Fast forward more than decade later and now administrators are not looking for warning signs etched on desks or on the bathroom walls, but rather posts and status updates shared via Facebook, Twitter and other social media avenues.

Just this week, two West Haven High School students, a junior and a sophomore, were arrested and expelled from school after teachers reportedly found tweets earlier this month in which the junior referenced placing a bomb in a locker and the sophomore wrote about shooting himself and others. Despite both students contending that the messages were meant as jokes, the teens are now facing felony charges, according to Sgt. Dave Tammaro.

“The two happened so close together that we thought someone needs to say to these kids that if you post something, you’re going to be held responsible,” Tammaro said Monday, adding that the names and ages of the students would not be released because they are juveniles.

According to Principal Pamela Gardner, the school is working with police to prevent instances like these from occurring again by holding programs to educate parents about the dangers of social media.

“I think kids don’t really think when they post on Twitter, and it’s really important that kids understand that what they write on any social media, they’re held accountable for, even if it’s tongue-in-cheek because you can’t get the meaning across — you don’t know if it’s sarcasm or how it was intended,” Gardner said.

“And so I think that what is really important is that kids and parents are really aware of how social media is impacting our students’ lives,” she added.

Gardner’s last sentiment couldn’t be more dead on. Students may think that Facebook and Twitter musings are written in jest (particularly when they belittle their classmates and deride their buddies), but the truth is that everything that is said lives on in cyberspace and becomes permanent. As we saw in the recent Tyler Clementi case in which Dharun Ravi was accused of allegedly recording Tyler’s intimate moments with another male and streaming it across the Internet, the prosecution was ultimately able to turn to Ravi’s Twitter account and use previous posts as damaging evidence.

Individuals, especially students, need to start understanding that specific social media use is now being deemed illicit, and posts that was were meant to elicit humor are now being taken a whole lot more seriously.

On the other side of things, administrators and police also need to be aware that for every student that is joking on Twitter about hurting himself or others, there is a student who is speaking the truth. So let us make sure we call out those kids who are crying wolf and also find the ones who really are crying wolf before it is too late. Let’s not ignore the rants and raves in the social media stratosphere.

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NCAA Football Coaches Red Flag Athletic Prospects' Use of Social Media - May 29, 2012

A New Major is in Town and its name is Social Media - Apr 12, 2012

Is Anything Sacred on Social Networking Sites? - Mar 09, 2012

The Dangers of the Twitter, Facebook Streams - Mar 06, 2012

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For those who have not been paying close attention to the trial of Ravi, here is a brief recap. In 2010, the world stood aghast as 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, jumped to his death after being the victim of online bullying. It all came to a head when an intimate moment between Clementi and another male was surreptitiously taped by Ravi and streamed over the Internet. Since then, the trial of Ravi – who was convicted of bias intimidation, witness tampering, hindering arrest and numerous other charges – has charged forward at full steam, and much of the evidence that has been uncovered has been troubling. This past March, Ravi was found guilty of invasion of privacy and hate crimes that resulted in Tyler’s suicide.

This morning, as the 20-year-old was handed his sentence, he reportedly did not speak but let his mother do the talking for him.

"The media was ripping him apart with their misleading facts ... He was absolutely devastated and broken into pieces,” she said, referring to her son as "kind-hearted and loving," reported the Newark Star-Ledger.

Judge Glenn Berman told the court on Monday "I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi. He had no reason to, but I do believe he acted out of colossal insensitivity."

The case has evoked a flood emotions – from the individuals who feel Ravi deserves punishment and suffering for the pain he inflicted on Tyler to the others who muse he was merely an immature teenager at the time who should not be punished so severely.

But for the Clementi family, their sentiments came across loud and clear.

According to reports, Tyler’s father, Joseph, said of Ravi: “He had no call to do what he did. Tyler never did anything to Mr. Ravi to cause him harm." Ravi's actions were the result of his seeing Tyler "as someone not deserving basic human decency and respect, because my son was different from him [and] because he was gay,” he said.

Echoed Joseph’s wife, Jane, Ravi's actions were "mean-spirited, they are evil and, most important, they are against the law." She added, "The court needs to show ... this was not right, and it was not acceptable behavior, and it will not be tolerated."

While I must acknowledge that both families are hurting at this time, and that some might feel that Ravi’s sentencing is a bit harsh, it is every bit deserved – especially as we see that instances of cyberbullying and teenage suicide are becoming more common by the day.

In fact, stats show that suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. And, for every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Every few weeks we hear of another student who either takes his/her life because of bullying or of a student who decides to finally fight back. But at what point can we curb this cycle? At what point will children finally understand that cyberbullying, and any form of victimization, is not only downright wrong, it can be illegal.

I hope that Ravi’s sentencing serves as a wakeup call to all the bullies out there that this behavior is not only highly upsetting, but illicit at times. The cycle needs to be broken at some point. Let’s hope that Ravi’s punishment is a step in the right direction.

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Cyberbullying: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back - Jun 01, 2012

Welcome to the Hallway - Jun 14, 2011

The Dangers of the Twitter, Facebook Streams - Mar 06, 2012

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In a new report produced by CarrerCast.com, positions ranging from a dental hygienist to an online advertising manager to a Web developer to an industrial machine repairer made the list of top 20 jobs you can nab sans diploma. And if it’s really true that you can earn $87,000 on average as an online advertising manger – without having to sit through stuffy college lectures about branding and keyword ad placement – then why fork over the almost $120,000 it costs to earn that advertising marketing degree when research is showing you have a great chance of landing that job anyways?

Because unless you are the Steve Jobs’s or Mark Zuckerberg’s of the world, you may have a hard time proving your worth with no education to back it.

Interestingly enough, I was out to dinner with a few friends the other night and this very topic about whether college is paramount for success came up. In the interest of full disclose, I should note that one of my friends who was part of the discussion is a teacher and I am the daughter of a teacher. Here was a point that was argued.

Following high school graduation, if an 18-year-old can get offered an incredible starting job at a software development company he has lusted after for the better part of his life without ever stepping into an Organization of Programming Languages class, who is to say he shouldn’t go for it? Especially, if he can manage to make $30,000 a year as a starting salary. You do the math; in the four years it takes his friends to graduate, he has already earned what it costs most college kids to finish school.

Here’s the problem: At a certain point that individual will most likely hit a cross roads, when either his lack of education keeps him from becoming truly credible or when his lack of education handicaps his potential earnings. Don’t believe me? Then consider the following.

The average American worker with a four-year degree will make approximately $1 million more during his or her career, according to CareerCast.com. Moreover, Bureau of Labor Statistics data demonstrates that the average starting salary for someone with a college degree is $51,000, while a job for which no degree is required starts out at about $28,350.

So, do you take the college route and hope that huge upfront investment will pay off? Or do you dive right into the entrepreneurial swimming pool and trust that street/people smarts is more important than book smarts.

I honestly think it’s up the individual. For some, attending college right after high school means “guessing” at which major will give you success and opting for that path; it has little to do with actual interest or passions. Perhaps for these kids, a dose of the real world might be the better route first. Let these teens experience internships, abroad opportunities and apprenticeships to see where their strengths lie, with the intention of going back to college soon.

And for others, college may simply never be the right route to take. Just look at Mark Zuckerberg who created a billion dollar empire.

My advice is simple: take the route that will ultimately help you reach your dreams, keeping in mind that a college education has been, and always will be, paramount in today’s economy. It is never too late to go back to school and the team-oriented, challenging environment will prepare you for the real world in ways you can never imagine. 

Give college, in some fashion, a chance at some point if you can; the road to learning is long and should never end.

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Calling All College Students - Want a Tech Internship at TMC? - May 15, 2012

A New Major is in Town and its name is Social Media - Apr 12, 2012

Facebook Timeline: Forced to Relive Our Past? - Jan 26, 2012

Are Students Introduced to Technology Way Too Early? - Nov 29, 2011

The Not-So Ugly Side of Facebook - Jun 30, 2011

Comments on this Entry:

(Company on May 23, 2012 5:03 AM)

I think that this question has been asked by all of us, students and our parents! And I have been so many times on the verge of dropping out, because the thought of the growing debt and not such a big usage of the final diploma, were just some of my inner problems. But at the end of the day is true, that unless you do not have an unique idea for the next new fad, you are prone to have not that good of a starting salary. It is true that prob if you do not do what I did and directly go to college straight from the high school and then realize you do not like the major you have chosen!

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Well, bad news for you current college grads and underclassmen: a recent CBS report stated that half of recent college graduates cannot land full time jobs. Even worse, a study by Rutgers University found more than a quarter of recent grads (27 percent) said their jobs have them working below the level of their education. And, if I didn’t depress you enough already, the median salary for recession-era grads in their first job is $27,000, about $3,000 less than those who graduated before the recession began.

But there is no reason to start pounding back bottles of wine or crying to your parents that their tuition dollars will be for naught, because you are capable of being in that other 50 percent – the 50 percent who are gainfully employed upon graduating. And I’ll tell you how.

It all starts with a killer internship. I am not talking about Wall Street (though if you can get it, go for it). I am just talking about an internship that will allow you to sink your teeth into lots of tasks, wear a lot of different hats, and build up a real relationship with your boss or CEO (so that they know more about you than just the fact that you are working for free at their company). With the economy still reeling, businesses everywhere are dying for free (or cheap) labor, so internships are plentiful and you are the prime candidate.

Set your eyes on the place you want and dive in head first. Send your resume, reach out to those already working at the company, and get ready for a 9 to 5 summer that doesn’t involve tanning during the weekdays. And, if you are really smart, you will choose something in the technology, architecture, accounting or computer science fields because apparently that’s where the jobs will be after graduation.

According to that same survey cited by CBS, employers are reportedly more likely to hire graduates with engineering (69 percent), business (63 percent), accounting (53 percent) or computer science degrees (49 percent). Why, you might ask? Because technology is booming, especially as companies look to cut corners and realize cost savings. (And because business and accounting majors will always be in hot demand since capitalism isn’t going anywhere).

Now is the time for all college grads and underclassmen to try something out of their comfort zone, or go for their dream job/internship if it is a possibility. Pad that resume with some real life experience, give 150 percent to the job, and network the hell out of the experience while you are there. I can’t promise you that you will be employed days after graduating, but your hard work and hands on experience will give you enough confidence and direction to shoot for the stars.

Here’s a shameless plug: Come join our TMCnet team this summer. We can promise you unparalleled experience, kind faces, and a supervisor who will know more than just your name .

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Just How Valuable is that College Diploma? - May 17, 2012

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Well, college campuses today have a contagious cheating epidemic that is quickly spreading, and is only exacerbated by the availability of smartphones and other technologies in class. In fact, according to a recent infographic produced by onlinecollegecourse.com, 75 percent of coeds admit to cheating at least once during their undergraduate career; 90 percent believe that cheaters won’t get caught; and 85 percent say cheating is necessary to getting ahead.

So how are students making all of this cheating possible? It’s all thanks to their good ol’ trusty iPhones and BlackBerrys, of course. Some of the main ways college students use these devices to cheat are: by texting someone in or outside the class for answers; looking up answers on the phones during bathroom breaks; using a cell phone to take a photo of the test for others; and whipping out their cell phone during the test to check notes saved on the device. Students are also saving notes and formulas on their graphing calculators and being so sneaky as to write notes on the inside brim of baseball caps, have other students take the exam in their place and scribbling down cheat sheets on the inside label of water or soda bottles. Seems like a lot of work when you could just opt to learn the calculus equations yourself, right?

And as students remain glued to their smartphones, teachers need to become a little bit savvier when it comes to catching cheaters, from creating different exams for each student to requesting photo IDs for test takers in large seminar classes, to using software that can detect plagiarism on written essays.  

As much as teachers want to crack down on cheaters – and as much as cheaters should be ashamed about their ways– ultimately, the only person a cheater is harming is him or herself.  For every time a student skimps on completing a reading assignment for his major or asks his buddy to write his thesis paper instead of choosing to articulate his thoughts himself, he is only limiting the scope of what he will learn before he enters the real world.

And newsflash to all your students out there; the real world doesn’t tolerate cheaters. The real world won’t stand for you BS-ing your way through your work assignments or giving 50 percent to your tasks. So better to abandon those cheating tendencies now. I guarantee your co-worker won’t be so willing to finish that sales report for you in exchange for something else.

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Earlier this month, Alex used an untraditional approach to stand up to her alleged tormentors; she handed them a libel lawsuit. So what led her down this path? Alex contends that when she moved to her Atlanta middle school, she immediately knew she was an outsider, as evidenced by the harsh glances and caustic comments. However, it wasn’t until she went to Facebook that she learned the bullying had left the school hallways and entered cyber space.

As put by Alex, a fake Facebook page had been set up under her name and personal information. On the page, her profile picture had been doctored to make her face appear fatter and the profile also implied that Alex smoked marijuana and made up a language called “Retardish.” The classmates also allegedly left comments on other schoolmates’ pages that were supposedly from Alex – comments that were lewd in nature and contained traces of racism.

“I was upset that my friends would turn on me like that,” Alex told The Associated Press. “I was crying. It was hard to go to school the next day.”

While states work to craft the appropriate verbiage for cyberbullying laws, the wake of many recent suicides that were caused by bullying as well as the rise of high profile cases like Phoebe Prince and Tyler Clementi have led parents to take action before the matter gets even more tragic. In the case of Alex that is exactly what her family did and experts predict that lawsuits like these will only become more ubiquitous as problems with bullying persist.

“A lot of prosecutors just don’t have the energy to prosecute 13-year-olds for being mean,” said Parry Aftab, an attorney and child advocate who runs stopcyberbullying.org. “Parents are all feeling very frustrated, and they just don’t know what to do.”

In Alex’s case, frustration was endless as the family learned of the phony Facebook page a year ago and contacted administrators at the school and filed a report with Cobb County Police. The police suggested that Alex contact Facebook to have the site taken down but Alex said despite requests to the social networking giant, it was not actually brought down until the lawsuit was filed.

For some, the thought of a 14-year-old suing her classmates for libel might seem a bit extreme. After all, 14-year-olds are still children at the end of the day that will make mistakes, stumble and exhibit signs of ignorance. But I would counter that unless you are the one who is the victim of cyberbullying, it is hard to imagine just how harrowing this situation can be. And who is to say that your reputation at such a precious age shouldn’t be sacrosanct.

The issue of whether you should be able to sue a minor for bullying is a tricky one. Most importantly, how does one determine at what age a bully’s actions could actually be chalked up to age and just not enough life experience or education to know better? Specifically, should a seven-year-old be punished for writing something defaming on the bathroom walls about a classmate?

On the other hand, our kids are growing up today in one of the most frightening times, in which a child’s reputation can be tarnished with the stroke of the mouse and the repercussions can be far worse than a child just crying to his/her parents. I will never know what Alex is experiencing and since I am not yet a mother I cannot imagine the fury I would feel towards a school and police department that appeared to not defend my child. So, I won’t pass judgment. Instead I will hope for better – hope that parents can continue to teach kids right from wrong and teach them just how ugly their words and actions can be.

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While I am certainly not here to give you advice on the first two (mostly because I know you will, without a doubt, make sure to play your last game of Flip Cup before summer), I will – as an older and wiser college graduate – shed some light on how to nail your finals.

The end of the school year is tough, no doubt. The weather is finally warming up, the prospect of seeing all your high school buddies is exhilarating and that feeling of “well I won’t see these people for three months” justifies all your actions those last few weeks. After all, college is one big slumber party and the parents never come home.

But you must be careful to not forget about those few tests that creep up at the end of the semester, along with your excessive hangovers – your finals. Although the thought of spending hours cooped up in the library, or worse your un-air-conditioned off campus house, might seem like a nightmare, these critical hours can really be life changing.

Let’s face it, if you are a senior who got a 3.7 first semester and has already secured a job after graduation, you might be thinking, “Who really cares if I bomb my finals?” Well, for starters, your future grad school might. I cannot tell you how many of my peers slacked off those last few days of college, tanked their finals, and paid for it a few years later when they tried to apply to grad school and their senior year GPA was much lower than their underclassmen GPAs.  And for all you underclassmen, don’t think that a place you hope to secure an internship with will look favorably on your less than stellar grades.

So, to my struggling, partying-addicted college friends, here are a few tips to get you through these next few days.

Just Say No to Facebook

Facebook is perhaps your biggest adversary these final days as you are probably much more excited about the party invite you just got for the Cinco de Mayo bash then you are about cramming for Chem. So, do yourself a favor. Limit your Facebook time.

Don’t have the self discipline? Then try Facebook Limiter, a site that helps you block Facebook for a period of time for free. You can block Facebook for specific time durations or control your access on a daily basis. It may sound extreme, but no one will judge you for doing it, especially since they are Facebook abusers just as much as you.

Refrain from Twitterville

Twitter is just as bad if not worse for you than Facebook during this critical juncture of time in your college career as it appears less offensive so you are more apt to frequent the site. You will certainly feel less guilty about quickly checking your Twitter feed every few minutes to see who has updated, because it is less interactive and time-consuming as Facebook.  

But what about your friends who Tweet that they are meeting at your local pub for burger night? Or what about current explosion on Twitter surrounding Jessica Simpson’s birth? – yes, she finally gave birth. Simply put, the Twitter world can wait. If anything is truly earth shattering, I assure you someone will contact you in person.

Hide Your Cell Phone

As strong as you might be to say no to Facebook and Twitter for a few days, none of that does you any good when you have the apps available right on your smartphone. From instant messaging apps to email notifications to games, your cell phone is one of the nosiest distracters of all –with its constant pings, chimes and bells.

Of course a college coed feels totally lost without his/her cell phone so I am by no means advising you to “lose” your phone or ask a friend to babysit it for the time being. Rather, I am asking you to devote a few hours of your day to your studies and put your phone in another room. The “freeness” you feel will truly be liberating.

So students; happy studying! You will thank me when you get those A’s and I guarantee that you can still find time for that rousing game of Flip Cup after your finals.

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While computers have long graded tests (think multiple-choice standardized tests), the technology is now making a run for teachers’ jobs as some schools are beginning to enlist the help of computers to grade essays; and some experts are contending that the computer can do just as good a job as humans, maybe even better. But don’t fear just yet my teacher friends!

A recent study performed at the University of Akron sent more than 16,000 essays from both middle school and high school tests through automated systems developed by nine companies. The essays, from six different states, had originally been graded by humans. The results? Computer scoring produced “virtually identical levels of accuracy with the software in some cases proving to be more reliable,” according to a University of Akron news release.

"In terms of consistency, the automated readers might have done a little better even," The New York Times Education Columnist Michael Winerip said in a recent article.

So what kind of red pen does the computer use when grading essays? According to the survey, the computer combs through the essay to search for sentence structure, word usage, subject-verb agreement and syntax. Where the computer lacks, however, is in comprehension and determining whether a sentence is factually accurate or not. I mean does the computer really know that “Jane Eyre” wasn’t actually a book about a high school cheerleader who went to great lengths to date the captain of the football team? And when it comes to creative writing such as rhetoric or poetry, perhaps the computer needs to go back to the basics as the research showed that the computer slacked in these areas.

But what the computer lacks in comprehension and prose it makes up for in efficiency as automated readers can grade 16,000 essays in about 20 seconds, as compared to the average teacher who might spend an entire weekend grading 150 essays.

There are so many ways though that automated grading can go wrong, beyond the obvious limitations pointed out in the above. Most importantly, it hampers the students/teacher interaction which is most often fostered when a child writes an out-of-this-world essay or when a child is struggling and needs a little extra TLC. By reading each student’s easy, teachers learn about their students’ strengths and weaknesses and also get to sit by and watch the beauty of a student discovering his voice unfold.

If you deny teachers the ability to see their students grow, you will lose one of the very essences that make education so special. Some of my most favorite moments in high school and college were going over papers with my teachers and professors, arguing over themes, nuances and plot development.

There is certainly a place for automated graders, particularly when it comes to the multiple choice portions of standardized tests, but even multiple choice tests in the classroom should get the eye of a teacher. I would imagine there is no greater gift than a teacher seeing his student improve leaps and bounds and a student feeling as though his teacher really has a vested interest in him.

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For some of you (and for the lucky ones), summer will mean a time in which you can throw dodge balls, compete in Color War games and chaperone camp socials, as you are still young enough where it is not totally frowned upon to spend the glorious summer days outside, basking in the sun as a camp counselor. (I must put a plug in here, however, that it is never too early to start grabbing summer internships because then what type of seasoned college graduate would I be?)

And, for a good majority of you twenty-somethings, the start of summer will mean a cold hard introduction to a season filled with mindless tasks such as filing, coffee runs and administrative work –the glorified life of an unpaid college intern.

But for the few of you who can now legally drink, you are hopefully embarking on a season full of job searches, interviews or, if you are lucky, real work as you say goodbye to your familiar college quads and hello to the post grad life.  And while the post grad life has a lot to offer – your first real pay check, a sense of accomplishment and a cushy living situation at Mom and Dad’s – it should also serve as a wakeup call asking if you are ready to compete in this Real World.

I recently came across a great article from U.S. News that was targeted at recent college grads and included five critical steps they should take to make sure their online reputation is in order, particularly as they dive head first into the job application pool. It’s a post worthy of sharing and examining.

The five steps, according to the post, are to Google yourself (to see what comes up); claim your domain name and build a personal website (mostly so no other John Smith’s can steal your domain); set up profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (and not just to share your thoughts of the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” but to promote some of your best work); do some basic search engine optimization (link all your online content together); and sign up for alerts (so you know when others are talking about you).

“Job-seekers who take charge of their own online reputations will benefit in the long run,” Miriam Salpeter, a job search and social media consultant, career coach, author, speaker, resume writer, and owner of Keppie Careers, explains in the post.

College grads, I want to draw your attention to Salpeter’s second point of claim your domain name as this is perhaps one of the most crucial steps you can do. By buying a personal URL such as johnsmith.com, which can cost as low as $10 a year, not only are you ensuring that no one else can buy it and scam you, but you are also giving yourself the motivation to do something positive with your personal brand. Use that site to put up your most recent photography work. Use it to host a blog about your thoughts on the debt crisis if you want to ultimately get into economics. Or use it to display pictures from your latest architecture project. Your personal URL will become your new resume in this technologically advanced world and increase your chances of being scouted or recruited.

It’s a simple step, as are the others, but purchasing your own domain will ensure that when a prospective employer types your name into Google, your personal website displaying your latest and best work shows up. And after all that hard work, who wouldn’t want to hire you?

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Comments on this Entry:

(Removals Ireland on Apr 27, 2012 10:52 AM)

Yeah, I also think that it is important to have a personal URL. The personal domain guarantees for your serious intentions.

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