It’s become a familiar scene on campuses around the country: a crowd of college women loitering on the green, with hardly a man in sight. But these aren’t women’s colleges—they’re co-ed institutions, where women now so outnumber men that admissions officers are beginning to fret. Today, females make up about 57% of undergraduates, an enormous … Read more
Exam time is here. And according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, roughly six of every 100 collegian brains are illegally swimming in amphetamines. That is to say, in FDA-approved, but illegally procured amphetamines, the kind that are bummed or bought without benefit of a prescription. You may know the most common … Read more
Many of the 2010 Best Picture Oscar nominees had something in common: a focus on language. Much of The Hurt Locker (the winner) is spoken in Arabic; some of District 9, in Afrikaans. The plot of Inglourious Basterds hinges on characters’ ability (or inability) to understand multiple languages. Up gives dogs the ability to speak, and both District 9 and Avatar feature made-up languages. District 9’s is … Read more
As high school students hunt for ways to distinguish themselves for colleges, the number taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes—the rigorous courses that can earn students college credit—has spiraled upward. But more AP test-takers has meant a higher failure rate, sparking a debate over whether students benefit when exposed to challenging material—or are being set up … Read more
For many people, the written driving test is the last multiple-choice test of consequence they will ever take in their lives. Too bad that 1 in 4.98 licensed drivers fail it. Perhaps it should be no surprise that 20% of licensed drivers flunk. After all, not everyone is a good test taker. Any surprise probably lies … Read more
The plan seemed foolproof, as plans usually do when you’re 17. Several students would stand guard while others used stolen keys to break into the filing cabinets of teachers for algebra, calculus, chemistry, and advanced math honors classes. They would steal copies of exams and distribute them to dozens of students, and all of them would be … Read more