COLLEGE STATION, Feb. 25, 2008 – You’re writing a research paper or you’re teaching a high school science class and you’re stumped – you need an answer, and pronto. What to do?
You ask Dr. Bob.
Dr. Bob, also known as Bob Stewart to his students and friends, is a professor of oceanography at Texas A&M University who has tried to communicate his love of science and the ocean to as many people as possible – students, teachers, fellow professors, anyone he can help.
To do so, he started his “Ask Dr. Bob” ocean science website seven years ago, and as they say in the science world, eureka! He found his calling, and like a creature in a science fiction movie, the site has taken on a very real life of its own.
From one or two questions a week, he now receives dozens of queries every month as the word as gotten out about his Oceanworld site and his helpful – and accurate – information that is available for free to anyone who needs an answer.
On the information highway, there is now a helpful Q and A science rest stop that is hard to beat.
The Fort Worth native has become a sort of Wizard of the Web who has a loyal following. About 1,000 other websites around the world now have links to his Oceanword site.
“We’ve been doing this for years now and it’s still fun,” Stewart explains from his campus office.
“But it’s rewarding to know that we are helping people, too, and many of them are thousands of miles from the Texas A&M campus. Every day is a new challenge and we always seem to get interesting questions that we are glad to help answer.”
Not only are students and teachers impressed, but so have been the folks at NASA. In previous years, they’ve awarded Stewart a $100,000 yearly contract to support his Internet operations – they like to see those questions coming in, as many as possible, because such sites get the general public interested in science, not an easy trick to do.
Others have noticed, too. A few months ago, Oceanworld received the 2007 Best Web Site Award from the Geoscience Information Society for its content, technical considerations, design, organization and overall effectiveness and Stewart accepted the award in Denver, Colo., during the group’s annual meeting. The “Ask Dr. Bob” site is a link from the main site.
The questions, meanwhile, keep Dr. Bob busy.
A third-grader needs some help regarding tides, while a middle school teacher wants some information about carbon dioxide sources. A professor at another university is asking about detailed tsunami research. They all contact Dr. Bob, who makes a determined effort to answer them as quickly as possible – knowledge has deadlines, too, he understands.
The million dollar question: Has he ever been totally stumped?
“Not yet,” Stewart replies.
“I’ve learned that if I don’t have answer right at hand, I can get it very quickly, often in less than five minutes.”
Oceanworld was developed with the help of several graduate assistants who write material for the website, but when it comes to answering the questions, it’s all about Bob – he answers each and every one himself.
He can often tell if a student is doing a homework assignment and he or she wants Stewart to answer a series of questions. If that’s the case, he will list some sites and try to point them in the right direction for the answer.
“And we’ll get a question once or a month or so that has to do with medicine or a cancer treatment. We have to say that we cannot give out medical advice and politely tell them that Dr. Bob is not a medical doctor,” Stewart adds.
Stewart, who has taught at Texas A&M for 18 years, served as a researcher at the renowned Scripps Institute of Oceanography for more than 25 years. He learned then that relating others to science is part of the big picture.
“I’ve said this before and I will say it again: I think it is very important that we in the academic community try to make knowledge more available,” Stewart believes.
“We should try to help everyone who is trying to learn, not just students. The Ask Dr. Bob site shows that Texas A&M cares about all people who want to learn, and it’s a way to pay back the people who pay our salary. If we can help people with an answer to their question, we should do it.”
He practices what he preaches.
Noting that many college textbooks cost $100 or more, Stewart has made available free copies of the three textbooks he has authored, and students can download off the Internet at no cost the full content of his books. Some of those books are now available in Portugese, Spanish, Italian, Russian and other languages.
Inquiring minds – the kind Dr. Bob likes most of all – can learn more at http://oceanworld.tamu.edu.
| ACT News You Can Use
March 2008
TIME TO MAKE YOUR COLLEGE CHOICE
Very soon seniors will have to make an important decision—which college to attend.
In April, many colleges and universities begin sending offer letters to
students who have been accepted for their incoming freshman class and
have applied for financial assistance. Offer letters list the cost of
tuition and fees plus the amount of financial aid available through the
school.
When you've been accepted and receive financial aid offers from more
than one school, you need to compare the offers, make a choice and
accept the offer that best fits your needs—and your budget.
How do you compare offers? Make a list of pros and cons of each school and the key reasons for your decisions.
Most families need to consider the annual net cost of attending each
school and the annual cash outlay required of the family. To figure
these out, you can make a chart listing each school and include the
following:
(A) Estimated Annual Expenses
- Tuition
- Fees
- Room
- Board/meal plan
- Travel
- Estimated price of books and supplies
- Personal expenses
(B) Total Gift Aid (aid that does not need to be repaid)
- Grants and scholarships
- Other gift aid
(C) Net Price = A – B
(D) Work Study / Job Offers
(E) Loans to Be Repaid
- Federal Stafford or Direct Loans
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Other student loans
(F) Cash Outflow = (C – [D + E])
Once you've completed the chart, consider the pros and cons of each
school along with the financial considerations. Consider the
nontangible factors (your feelings about the school and the
environment) as well as the tangible factors (cost, course offerings).
Listen to your parents but realize that the decision is ultimately
yours.
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KNOW YOUR FINANCIAL AID OFFERS
When you receive offers from colleges, be aware of the terms of any
financial aid offers. In the case of federal, state and many
institutional aid programs, you are required to reapply each year.
Nearly every scholarship also carries with it an obligation to carry a
minimum course load and to maintain a minimum grade point average
(GPA). It's important to read all financial aid documents carefully
and understand their terms and conditions. The same goes for loans.
You need to consider the terms of any loan—both the interest rate and
when repayment is to begin. Make sure you understand everything before
you sign any documents. If you have questions, ask a financial aid
officer at the college for help.
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HOW TO HANDLE COLLEGE REJECTION
A rejection is never easy—whether it comes from a friend, a potential
employer, or even a stranger. Somehow though, you usually get over it.
But when your Number 1 college choice doesn't select you, it can be
hard to deal with and move on. This is your future and you feell ike a
door just slammed in your face.
Here are some ideas to help you work through and overcome the disappointment:
- Don't take it personally. You may have been rejected simply because the college had many similar applicants.
- Reaffirm your strengths. Remind yourself that you have many fine qualifications for college. An acceptance letter will come.
- Remember that you aren't alone. Almost everyone gets one—or more—rejection letter.
- Recognize that brand name doesn't equal success. There are many
paths to a successful career, and no college leads to a sure thing in
job placement.
- Don't spend a lot of time agonizing about the rejection. Instead, use
the time and energy finding another school that you will like as much
or more.
- Be positive about other institutions. You are sure to find several
colleges where you could be happy and receive a great education.
- Consider that maybe the rejection isn't such a bad thing. Sometimes
rejections end up being blessings in disguise, something you realize
down the road. Maybe the admissions officer saw something that signaled
the college would not be a good match for your skills, interests and
dislikes, and thereby saved you from a disappointing experience.
- If at first you don't succeed . . . If you are dead set on a given
school, start at another school and reapply later as a transfer student.
Adult life will deliver some bumps and bruises, like getting rejected
when applying for jobs or being passed over for a promotion. If you can
learn to handle rejection now, you'll be better prepared for adult
life. And remember, college rejections happen, and they don't have to
define the rest of your life.
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STRENGTHEN YOUR ACADEMIC SKILLS
If you think your skills aren't quite up to speed for college, don't
give up. Take time to prepare yourself. There are many ways to get a
college degree. You just have to take the path that's right for you.
ACT offers these tips:
- Use test score information to see where you need work. Score
information from the ACT®, for example, can tell you what subjects you
need help with and what you can do to raise your skills to the next
level. Remember, a low score doesn't necessarily mean you're bad in a
subject. It just means you haven't learned the subject yet.
- Work with a tutor to learn what you don't know yet.
- Take a summer or night school class.
- Check out study aids—books, videotapes, audiotapes and computer
programs—at your school library, a public library or a local bookstore.
- Ask your counselor or a teacher about ways you can build your academic skills.
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WORK AND LEARN THROUGH AN APPRENTICESHIP
If you like to work with your hands and your mind, you might want to
consider an apprenticeship after high school. More than 850 occupations
can be learned on the job through an apprenticeship.
An apprenticeship prepares you for a career through a structured
program of on-the-job learning with classroom instruction, while you
work and earn a salary. The programs can last from one to six years and
you can choose careers in areas such as telecommunications, health
care, computing, business support and the arts. The most common
apprenticeships are in construction and manufacturing.
Most apprenticeships are registered through the U.S. Department of
Labor, ensuring the program meets government standards for fairness,
safety and training. If you complete a registered program, you will
receive a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor that documents
your qualifications for the career. Also, classroom instruction often
can be used to earn a license, certification or degree.
Following are high growth industries the federal government has
identified for the future. Businesses, colleges and government agencies
are promoting job training and apprenticeship programs in these
industries:
- health care services
- information technology
- biotechnology
- geospatial technology
- automotive
- retail trade
- construction
- transportation
- hospitality
- financial services
- energy
For more information on apprenticeships, visit with your counselor. You
also can call America's Workforce Network toll-free at 877-US-2JOBS
(887-872-5627). Operators can help you find career counselors and
apprenticeship programs in your area. You also can find apprenticeship
information at the Department of Labor's Employment and Training
Administration website, http://www.doleta.gov/atels_bat.
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TEST DATE REMINDER
The next available national ACT test date is April 12, 2008. The
regular registration deadline is March 7 and the late registration
deadline is March 21. The test is offered again on June 14 and will be
the last national test date offered until fall. Online registration and
test date information are available at http://www.actstudent.org. If
you choose to register online, register early to avoid heavy Web
traffic and delays.
ACT offers an optional Writing Test in addition to the multiple-choice
achievement test. Go to http://www.actstudent.org/writing to find out
about the Writing Test, including what the colleges you're interested
in have decided about requiring it.
While you're at the website, don't forget to take advantage of test
prep aids, including free sample test questions, at
http://www.actstudent.org/testprep.
ACT Online Prep™ at http://www.actstudent.org/onlineprep, the only test
prep program developed exclusively by ACT test development
professionals, is also available for $19.95 for a year's use. You also
can find test day tips, a list of items to bring to the test, and
details on what type of calculator you can use on the Math Test.
"Preparing for the ACT," a booklet with a complete practice test,
scoring key, writing prompt and sample essays, is available to download
on the Test Prep section of actstudent.org. Your ACT registration
packet, available from the counseling office, also includes the
booklet. Try taking the sample test and timing yourself to prepare for
test day.
For all your questions about the ACT test, visit http://www.actstudent.org.
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ACT developed this newsletter to help educate and inform parents and
students. You may use these articles in your publications and
communications without further permission. You may shorten and edit the
articles as long as our message and intent remain intact. Please
credit ACT as their source.
ACT is a not-for-profit organization that serves millions of people in schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses
and government agencies with programs and services that help people achieve their education and career goals.
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ACT News You Can Use
February 2008
ACT provides this monthly newsletter to inform students and their parents about college and career planning. ACT is a not-for-profit organization that serves millions of people in schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses and government agencies with programs and services that help people achieve their education and career goals. Visit www.actstudent.org for more information and services.
An associate’s degree may be your path to success
Before you follow all your friends to the four-year State U., make sure you check out your options. If going directly to a four-year college is right for you, great. But community college may be a better choice.
The four-year college is not the only path to success. A community college can help you start a career after just two years, with training for some of the fastest growing jobs in the U.S., or it can offer a start to your four-year degree, providing you with about half the credits you need to earn a bachelor's degree.
Benefits of attending a community college include:
• Courses that cover the basics, but also apply principles to the workplace.
• Classes that often are more hands-on than those at a four-year college.
• Saving money in tuition and other expenses, such as room and board. Tuition can be less than half of that at a four-year public college. And often students save money by living at home.
• Receiving more personal attention from the professors than at a large university.
• Easier decision making on a major once you've transferred to a four-year college. The focus on occupations and career discovery programs at a community college can help you with the decision.
• Another chance at four-year college scholarships. Many four-year colleges offer
numerous scholarships that are reserved for students who transfer from community college.
Plan ahead, if you plan to transfer
For many students, attending a community college and transferring to a four-year university makes a lot of sense. It can be a good move academically and financially if you develop a personal plan of action and take the steps to make it succeed.
If you plan to transfer, don't procrastinate. Counselors at both community colleges and four-year colleges say it's crucial that you start preparing early if you plan to continue education at a four-year college or university after community college.
Before you get too far into your community college coursework, you'll need to make some decisions about the path you're planning to take.
What is your probable major?
Deciding on a major early can help you determine the exact courses you will need to take and—as counselors often point out—make your transition smoother. It will also help you choose the four-year college you want to attend. Check the course offerings available in your intended major at the colleges you're interested in. If you don't know what you want to major in, the best bet would be to take a core curriculum that is easily transferred and save your major course requirements for the four-year institution.
Which four-year college are you planning to attend?
Choosing the four-year college you'll transfer to will help you make decisions about which courses to take, as well as allow you to prepare to meet that college's admissions requirements.
Will the courses you're taking in community college transfer to the four-year college you've chosen? You can begin your transition by talking with your advisor at the community college and the transfer advisor at the four-year college. The schools may have an "articulation agreement," which spells out the courses at the community college that will transfer and apply to majors at the four-year college.
What's an articulation agreement?
Articulation agreements are formal agreements between colleges or other educational institutions that spell out which college credits will transfer. They help students make an easy transition between institutions.
When you decide on a four-year institution, find out if it has an articulation agreement with your community college. If so, you can discuss how to make the best course choices with your community college counselor. Ideally, you should meet with the transfer advisor at the four-year school, as well. Many four-year colleges sponsor transfer weekends and counseling for community college students.
If the school does not have an agreement with your community college, you should discuss course choices with the counselor from the four-year school—the earlier the better. It's also wise to keep course descriptions, reading lists and outlines from every community college course you take. You may need them to help convince the four-year school to accept credits for a course.
Financial aid questions to ask colleges
Understanding the financial aid process can be hard, and you may not know where to turn for answers. The financial aid officers at colleges and universities are there to help. Following are some questions the Associated Colleges of the Midwest suggests families ask:
1. What kind of financial assistance does the college offer: need-based, merit-based or both?
2. Can the college provide an early estimate of what our financial aid award might be?
3. What forms are needed in order to apply?
4. When are financial aid applications due?
5. What costs for a student are taken into account by the financial aid office? Tuition, room, board, transportation? What about additional expenses such as books, fees, computers and personal expenses?
6. What is included in the comprehensive fee? For example, do students have to pay extra for computer time or to attend campus events (concerts, plays, films, lectures, athletic events, etc.)?
7. When will we be notified about the amount of assistance we can expect?
8. Does the institution have an appeal process to review special circumstances?
9. Is there a commitment for financial assistance beyond the first year?
10. How and when do we apply for financial assistance after the first year?
11. What if we do not qualify for need-based aid? Are there alternative financing options available?
12. What grants, loans and work-study opportunities does the college offer? Are there any we might be eligible for?
13. What is the average student loan indebtedness of the college's graduates?
14. Is there a restriction to the length of time that financial assistance will continue?
15. How long does it typically take a student to graduate from this college? Four years? Longer?
16. What impact do scholarships from outside sources have on other financial aid?
17. Can we apply financial aid toward an off-campus study program, either in the U.S. or another country?
18. What happens if our family's financial situation changes substantially during the school year?
19. Are there payment options available, such as monthly or quarterly?
Three steps for planning your career
Planning a career, especially the first time around, can seem like a huge task. It's understandable that you don't want to make a mistake. But if you do some thinking up front, you can head in the right direction and make adjustments in your career when you need to. The way jobs are changing, you'll need to readjust, change jobs or careers and learn new skills along the way anyway.
Planning your career now and in the future really comes down to three steps. By following these steps you can make decisions that are right for you. You'll know your options and what it will take to reach your goals.
1. Take a realistic look at your strengths, weaknesses and interests.
• What can help you achieve your goals and what obstacles could get in your way?
• What types of work and school courses and activities appeal to you?
• What interests you?
• What do you do well now, and what skills have you gained through experience?
• What values do you have regarding work?
2. Explore your options. It's hard to know what to do for a career when you don't even know all the possibilities. Here are just a few ways to find career information:
• Explore your career options using ACT's World-of-Work Map.
• Use ACT's DISCOVER® program to explore possible careers.
• Spend time with people whose activities intrigue you.
• Volunteer or work in a job that interests you.
• Discuss your career and educational plans with your school counselor, parents, or other interested people.
3. Consider issues that can affect your plans and take actions to accomplish your goals.
• What do you need to study?
• What schools offer the training you need?
• How will you pay for school?
• Are you ready to search for a job?
• How will you balance your work and going to school?
• How will you manage family or relationship commitments?
Take a spin on ACT'S World-of-Work Map
One way to explore careers is to use ACT's World-of-Work Map at www.actstudent.org. The circular career map spins as you choose a career group to investigate within broad categories such as working with data, working with ideas and things, and working with people and ideas. And within each group are several specific career areas such as education, computer/information specialties, and manufacturing/processing. Within each career area are a number of specific occupations and detailed information on work tasks, salary, size of the field, expected growth and how to prepare for the occupation.
If you have taken EXPLORE®, PLAN® or the ACT®, you'll have results from your Interest Inventory, a questionnaire you completed regarding your interests. You can also get these results from using DISCOVER, ACT's career planning computer program. These results will point you to career groups on the ACT World-of-Work Map that are likely to be careers of interest for you.
You can explore ACT's World-of-Work Map to investigate career areas of interest. Register for a free student account at www.actstudent.org to use the World-of-Work Map.
Test date reminder
The next national ACT test date is April 12, 2008. The regular registration deadline is March 7 and the late registration deadline is March 21. The following test date is June 14. Online registration and test date information are available at www.actstudent.org. If you choose to register online, register early to avoid heavy Web traffic and delays.
ACT offers an optional Writing Test in addition to the multiple-choice achievement test. Go to www.actstudent.org/writing to find out about the Writing Test, including what the colleges you're interested in have decided about requiring it.
While you're at the website, don't forget to take advantage of test prep aids, including free sample test questions, at www.actstudent.org/testprep.
ACT Online Prep™ at www.actstudent.org/onlineprep, the only test prep program developed exclusively by ACT test development professionals, is also available for $19.95 for a year's use. You also can find test day tips, a list of items to bring to the test, and details on what type of calculator you can use on the Math Test.
Preparing for the ACT, a booklet with a complete practice test, scoring key, writing prompt and sample essays, is available to download on the Test Prep section of actstudent.org. Your ACT registration packet, available from the counseling office, also includes the booklet. Try taking the sample test and timing yourself to prepare for test day. For all your questions about the ACT test, visit www.actstudent.org.
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