The idea of a college major goes back more than one hundred years. With very few exceptions, the list of available options for students today mirrors the very choices available for their parents and grandparents.

The one significant exception has to be the field of technology where a number of new options exist. But while these fields offer great career options, many are so cutting edge that students may not even understand what the major entails.

Such is the case with one of today’s cutting edge options, computational science. As technology continues to evolve, many industries are now using computer simulations to help them plan for a future that is not yet known.

Computers Simulating the Physical World

While computational science is the name given to the field, students might have a better sense of the major if the term simulation developer were used instead. Simply stated, computational scientists do not study computers; they use the computer and appropriate software models as tools to advance the study of other fields.

The concept of simulation as a tool has been used for a long time in aviation. As part of their training, pilots use machinery that replicates the key elements of flying a plane. In addition to normal everyday flights, these simulators test advanced skills by presenting challenges to the pilot in the form of technical malfunctions or the effects of severe weather.

Today, high powered computers are used to simulate possible world events such as a terrorist attack. Military leaders use computational science to help develop battlefield plans and the appropriate contingencies that should be considered in specific situations.

Meteorologists use simulations to predict the path of a developing storm such as a hurricane as well as the impact of carbon emissions on a warming planet. Large corporations now train executives using simulations that offer specific business challenges that require executives to effectively use their management skills.

Properly constructed, simulation development models isolate individual factors to determine how any one factor alone or several taken collectively can affect an outcome. The results can be used to train specific professionals so that they are prepared to handle any specific problem when it arises.

Majoring in Computational Science

The key to the field’s importance is simple. Simulations create opportunities for training and allow for the testing of theories without ever putting a patient, an employee or a company at risk.

A career in computation sciences demands extensive knowledge of advanced mathematics, computer science, and simulation and modeling. Because a computational scientist creates an abstract model of the physical world then develops a computer program to mirror that world, these professionals must be able to translate abstract models to the language utilized by computers.

In addition, the particular system being modeled may require specific insight into other fields. For example, to create a weather model, simulators would need at least a rudimentary knowledge of physics and chemistry as well as an in depth understanding of the field of meteorology.

In the case of training business executives, computational scientists would likely need a background in psychology, economics, and business management principles. As for developing simulation training models for doctors, computational scientists must possess a strong background in biology, anatomy and physiology.

By the very nature of the field, students interested in simulation development also have the opportunity to be of great service to any number of important disciplines. For those interested in a technology/engineering career yet worried that their work might be of less value to society as a whole, the field of computational science represents a very rewarding career option to consider.

Over the weekend we were stunned by the conservative furor and the nasty diatribes being hurled at President Obama regarding his proposed speech to America’s school children on Tuesday. In “Beware the 8th of September–2 things to watch,” Columbia Conservative Examiner Anthony G. Martin sums up a great deal of the conservative sentiment:

“Tomorrow is being promoted as ‘keep your children home from school’ day. Various names have been used to describe the day from ‘National Truancy Day’ to ‘Hall Pass Tuesday.’ They all refer to the same thing.“

“Parents all across the United States are keeping their children out of school tomorrow to protest Barack Obama’s address to school children.

“Never before has a President given an educational address to students that is so overtly political. This highly partisan address seeks to uplift and magnify the name of Obama, encouraging kids to ‘think about ways they can serve the President.’“

Today the White House released the transcript of the president’s speech. Our read through failed to turn up the key aspects of the speech that constituted Obama’s overt efforts to turn America’s young people into socialist automatons.

We did see the message about taking responsibility for one’s education; that every one has something to offer; the suggestion that a student can aspire to any profession, whether it be a doctor, teacher, police officer, or God forbid, a senator; the clear indication that being successful is hard work: that to be someone of merit, you can’t let your failures define you; that if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country; so most importantly, don’t ever give up on yourself.

Below you will find the speech. And with it you can assess for yourself if the uproar is, as Shakespeare said so eloquently, “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song.

You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

It is important that students of all ages recognize the online learning model has been growing in stature with each passing year. Using a delivery style that allows students the utmost in flexibility, online learning has become the choice for most working adults, whether they are seeking their first degree or to upgrade their skills.

However, once upon a time, the general consensus was that online education might be convenient and worthy, but it would not be anyone’s first choice for a learning model. Ultimately, the belief was the flexibility you gained meant you had to give up the ideal learning environment, the traditional college setting where peers physically gathered in a room with the professor.

With the release of a new report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, those standard thoughts must be reconsidered. It seems the data now indicates that online learning may be the better educational option.

The basis for the conclusion was formed by doing quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance for identical courses. The Department of Education found that students doing some or all of the course online ranked in the 59th percentile in tested performance while the average classroom student scored in the 50th percentile.

While discussing the summary, the NY Times offered this telltale quote from the study’s lead author, Barbara Means:

“The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction.”

Indeed with the arrival of Web-based video, the use of instant messaging and other message boards as collaboration tools, online education has moved beyond the basic correspondence course of yesteryear. Ultimately, as the Times reinforces, the future of online is extremely bright because of its ability to provide “learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms.”

But what has made the online environment take off has been the ability to connect learners through social networking platforms. While learning is ultimately a personal activity, experts agree the most meaningful learning occurs within a community.

Given its convenience and flexibility, online learning is clearly here to stay. In fact, given the online model offers improved student outcomes, it is easy to think that online education could soon replace the traditional model in the not so distant future.

With the networking platforms now available, a learning community is now present in all high caliber online courses. Therefore, the model represents a very viable educational format, one that traditional students now must consider as they pursue their college choice.

Textbook innovator, Chegg.com, recently completed a new deal that will significantly enhance its ability to serve college students. In what appears to be a truly unique partnership, Chegg will work directly with McGraw-Hill Education to provide new print textbooks as part of its online textbook leasing service.

New Business Models

The partnership actually features two new business models simultaneously. First and foremost, Chegg had already initiated its new textbook model, one where students could lease a textbook instead of purchasing one directly.

Through the site, college students could rent hardcopy texts; by renting books instead of purchasing, students could save as much as 80% of the cost of a brand new text. Also, to make the leasing process as simple as possible, students could select the needed books online and have them delivered directly to their dorm room or apartment.

In addition to the leasing option, Chegg seeks to be a full service portal for students. Textbooks may also be purchased and students are informed immediately at the time of purchase what they can expect for a possible cash return should they decide they do not want to keep the text.

Leasing texts of course means greater reusablility and less waste over time. The green nature of the process is critical for Chegg as a business and to further reinforce its environmental message, one tree for every textbook rented.

The second aspect of the model that is unique relates to the new partnership with McGraw-Hill. Though Chegg currently offers over 2.4 million books to choose from, working directly with a major publisher means that many more titles could now be available to students.

As for McGraw-Hill, once upon a time it received payment only when a textbook was sold by a distributor or bookstore. Any reselling of that text benefited only the parties handling the second transaction.

So previously, Chegg would purchase a text and make a single one-time payment to a major textbook seller. Under the new partnership model, the revenue stream is channeled so as to provide McGraw-Hill a payment each time the book is leased.

Currently, textbooks can be rented five or more times before they are retired making the rental life longer than the traditional market for a published edition. Therefore, the new partnership could be of enormous benefit to the two companies.

Great News for Students

The semester textbook ritual is one of the most frustrating and financially challenging elements for students. With Chegg, instead of standing in long lines and subsequently maxing out your credit card, you can place an order online for shipment to your dorm room and do so at a fraction of the cost.

While the partnership with McGraw-Hill is only a pilot program (the first agreement features only 25 select titles), the announcement represents even more welcome news for students.

Every step taken to reduce the cost burden of earning a college diploma is a step in the right direction.

If your criteria for choosing a school or major is based on how much you will earn, a recent New York Times article will walk you through the best schools and the highest paying options by major.

In creating the summary, the Times used the data from PayScale, a site that collects data on salaries for different professions, for people whose highest degree was a bachelor’s. That said, the results feature pure earnings, not a comparison of earnings to college costs.

Ivy League Leads

While it is chic to knock the Ivy League schools and their academic peers like MIT and Stanford, the fact is these schools do deliver the goods. In addition to their strong academic programs, these schools produce graduates who go on to earn significant bucks.

However, while Harvard, Princeton and Yale are generally considered the Ivy elite, number one on the list for highest median salary at mid-career was Dartmouth College. MIT came in at number two, topping third ranked Harvard. Somewhat lesser known, but still on the elite list, Harvey Mudd held down the fourth slot while Princeton came in at number five. Demonstrating that the Ivy League is indeed a power, Yale ( number nine) and the University of Pennsylvania (number ten) gave the Ivies five of the top ten slots. Stanford, Colgate and Notre Dame round out the top ten holding down slots six through eight respectively.

However, when only highest median starting salaries are looked at (defined as salaries within five years of graduation), readers would likely be surprised to learn that Loma Linda University came in at number one. That position is a function of the career options at this lesser-known school (excellent programs in nursing, dental and allied health).

Highest and Lowest Paid Majors

When it comes to earning big bucks, there is also a clear indication that the choice of major matters. Engineering, science, mathematics and economics generally held the top slots in both highest starting median salaries and highest mid-career median salaries.

Aerospace, chemical, computer and electrical engineering took home the top four spots respectively. Economics came in at number five followed by Physics. Three additional engineering majors also ranked in the top ten, mechanical, industrial and environmental.

At the bottom we find careers in social work, education, theology, horticulture, hospitality and tourism, and the fine arts.

What Really Matters

While the school and the career certainly do matter to some extent, the Times does a great job of analyzing the data, taking it a bit deeper. We will leave it to the reader to head on over to read the details as to why ultimately Harvey Mudd might just be the overall top performer.

At the same time, the Times quotes some experts who insist the most compelling aspect to consider for the majority of cases is the student. According to the Times:

Hard-working, ambitious students will do well wherever they go. The opposite applies to mediocre or lazy students.

The one exception was lower-income students. For them, the college mattered more.

For the raw data, head on over to the PayScale site directly.

The recent economic downturn has Americans thinking very differently about the process of borrowing. In what just might be the silver lining of the current crisis, the idea of creating extensive future debt obligations has both students and college trustees rethinking recently-accepted borrowing practices.

Borrowing for College

The first concern centers upon the amount of debt students have been taking on as they pursue a college degree. While most students have always needed some financial assistance to be able to attend college, the level of debt many students have recently been willing to rack up while in school has truly gotten out of hand.

Today, the median debt load for a student earning a bachelor’s degree is about $20,000 while the average now exceeds $21,000. Most alarmingly, roughly one-fourth of all undergrads borrow more than $25,000 and a tenth borrow more than $35,000.

If the choice is made to attend graduate school, then students generally add tens of thousands of dollars to the accrued debt. Depending on the graduate degree program students pursue, the current average debt for graduate degree students ranges from $42,000 to more than $125,000.

However, a student loan for school is often referred to as “good” debt because it is an investment in one’s future The reason is simple, upon earning a college degree, you will have the chance for a better job and far greater earnings than a person without a degree.

But many students are starting to realize that those greater earnings still may not be enough to pay off the debt incurred while securing that degree. All too often, students are finding their debt obligations from school eating up such a large portion of their pay check that purchasing a home or starting a family is beyond their financial means.

Colleges Borrowing

On the flip side of student’s borrowing, it seems that colleges themselves have also been incurring significant debt in recent years. Now, amidst the current economic downturn, some colleges face financial perils.

According to the folks at The Chronicle of Higher Education, “June 30 could be a day of reckoning” for many colleges. What makes the issue so compelling is this day of reckoning is one that most never saw coming.

Effectively, the competitive rush for top shelf facilities led many schools to borrow tens of billions of dollars over the past ten years. With their borrowing, many schools created extensive debt obligations against the potential for future earnings.

However, the financial downturn has made it tougher for students to attend school and thereby has greatly reduced projected future returns. At the same time, in the process of borrowing funds, colleges used the existing value of their facilities and endowments as asset collateral. Here again, the recent downturn has greatly reduced the value of these assets.

With large liabilities accompanied by shrinking assets, some schools are now finding themselves in violation of specific bond or loan requirements. At the same time, with banks and lenders under pressure, cash-strapped colleges are not as likely to be given forbearance should it be requested.

According to the Chronicle, the result could create a situation where bondholders subsequently “demand immediate repayment on part or all of an institution’s bonds.” In addition, in the cases of a school facing variable-rate debt obligations, those institutions holding a loan could legally hike the interest rate exacerbating the debt repayment challenge.

To repay these loans on the quick, schools must then turn to their endowments for cash, a factor that then further reduces their assets and thus increases their debt to asset ratio.

Beyond the debt obligations themselves, strapped schools could ultimately violate the eligibility standards set by the U.S. Department of Education for federal student aid. Any college so indebted as to lose eligibility to receive federal student aid would soon find its enrollment falling through the floor. That drop in enrollment would further exacerbate the debt repayment issue to the point that the school would have to cease its operations.

Carefully Consider Any Debt Contract

Any incurred debt carries with it an expectation of repayment, plus some additional cost (interest). Debt also generally requires some type of collateral in case the borrower defaults on the repayment expectations.

It is extremely important that students understand that debt is ultimately a claim against future labor and earnings. The borrower essentially gains something immediately but in turn makes a pledge to pay for that something down the road.

The recent economic downturn has hopefully taught many people a great lesson. First, as many have recently found, there is no guarantee that those future earnings will in fact be enough to meet the debt commitment. Second, if you default on that commitment, you will lose your collateral as well as your credit rating.

The number of home foreclosures and businesses filing for Chapter 11 combined with the current issues facing institutions of higher learning serve as a great reminder to us all: entering into debt is not to be taken lightly.

All new Stafford Loans taken out after July 1, 2006 will have a FIXED rate of 6.8%. The interest rates used to be variable, changing every year on July first. Experts remind us that the average student loan rate has been in the high 6 and low 7 percentile, and this current rate hike reflects the average over time.

Many have become used to the historically low rates that have been prevalent in the past couple of years. The interest is capped at 8.5%, and the closer the Stafford rates are to that figure, more private loans will become more attractive. However, private loans usually require a cosigner.

Students looking for additional funds should look into PLUS and Perkins Loans for more federal funding options.