Stories of self-doubt are common among engineering students. That was a key finding of a study conducted recently at Boise State University by a team of researchers. Students surveyed questioned their abilities. They were sure everyone else understood the material. They said they didn’t fit in. They wondered whether they should quit engineering and find […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Empowering engineering students through storytelling
Fewer college students indicate they are nonbinary amid backlash
The national backlash against trans and nonbinary young people may have led fewer nonbinary students to disclose their gender identity in their applications to college for this fall. That is according to my analysis of how students who applied to college through the Common App identified their gender. The Common App is a good barometer because more than 1 million students […] … learn more→
Doctors are also human: specialist medical education requires a humanistic approach
The death of a doctor named Aulia Risma , who was studying for the Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS), has reopened the dark veil of education that occurs in the medical community. Moreover, what happened to Aulia Risma is not the first time it has happened. In 2020 , a PPDS student also ended his life with strong […] … learn more→
A college course that’s a history of the future
Title of course: Science Fiction as Intellectual History What prompted the idea for the course? For most of its history, science fiction was a disreputable, throwaway genre. But sources of culture and thought aren’t just found in classic literature or in the writings of the great thinkers. They’re also in popular entertainment: movies, comics, pulp […] … learn more→
Arrested on Campus? Here are the legal consequences, what to do, and things to expect
College is a fun-filled place that every student looks forward to. It offers numerous opportunities capable of unlocking a fulfilling future. Unfortunately, the prospects of all these can end abruptly if you get arrested on campus. Students can be arrested for different reasons on campus, such as participating in protests, underage drinking, drunk driving, sexual […] … learn more→
Writing from the PhD part one
So you want to write from your PhD thesis. Where to start, you might ask? Your first job is to decide whether your PhD is a book – or not. Perhaps the thesis could be a book but won’t because of the job and career demands you’re facing. Either way, let’s start this conversation by […] … learn more→
The Australian government will cap new international students at 270,000 in 2025. But this number may not be reached
After months of speculation, the federal government has announced what the cap will be for international students in Australia. In 2025, the number of international students starting a course will be set at 270,000. This includes both higher education and vocational education courses. This still requires parliamentary approval. The Senate needs to pass legislation to allow the government […] … learn more→
In a new era of campus upheaval, the 1970 Kent State shootings show the danger of deploying troops to crush legal protests
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has expressed his intention, if elected to a second term, to use the U.S. armed forces to suppress domestic protests. The New York Times reports that Trump’s allies are marshaling legal arguments to justify using National Guard or active-duty military troops for crowd control. Moreover, as the Times notes, Trump has asserted […] … learn more→
Anthropology students present their research in poetry, plays and op-eds in this course
Title of course: Multimodal Anthropology What prompted the idea for the course? “Multimodal” simply means using more than academic written text to present research findings. My first multimodal science project was a third grade project on humpback whales, which was inspired by a vinyl LP recording of their “songs” that National Geographic mailed out to subscribers. In […] … learn more→
3 strategies to help college students pick the right major the first time around and avoid some big hassles
Not long after new college students have finished choosing the college that is right for them, they are asked to declare an academic major. For some students, this decision is easy, as their majors may have actually influenced their choice of college. Unfortunately, this decision is not always an easy one to make, and college students […] … learn more→