All posts tagged: students

Best Dorm Registry Ideas for College Students in 2026

Best Dorm Registry Ideas for College Students in 2026

Published by Sam Flores

When I moved into my college dorm as a freshman, I remember wishing there was a simple way to send friends and family a list of everything I still needed — similar to the registries people create for weddings and baby showers. Between bedding, storage, laundry supplies, toiletries and all the little things I didn’t realize I’d need until move-in day, the shopping added up quickly. I wanted a way to make a cohesive list that everyone could shop while avoiding bad communication that resulted in duplicates and deficits. Since then, I’ve led the back-to-school shopping for my family. I handled my own college shopping and helped my brother, who’s now a senior in college, with his move in. Next up is my sister, who’s a senior in high school, and I’m already thinking about what she’ll need when it’s her turn to move into a dorm. This time, though, I’m making a registry. A dorm registry can serve two purposes: It keeps your college shopping organized in one place, and it gives friends and …

How cursive writing could rewire students’ brains for better learning

How cursive writing could rewire students’ brains for better learning

Published by Daniella Wilson

Learning to read and write cursive was once a rite of passage for practically every American schoolchild. Until the early 20th century, children in the U.S. were generally taught to write in cursive or script, rather than the print writing typically taught to young children today. Some people at the time thought a person’s character could be evaluated based on the quality of their cursive. In the first half of the 20th century, penmanship was often taught as a distinct subject in American elementary schools, where children could spend as much as 45 minutes a day on handwriting instruction and practice. Students during these years generally learned print in kindergarten, first and second grade. Cursive was typically introduced in third or a later grade, in part because some child development researchers at the time believed that writing in print was easier for young children to learn and aligned with the fonts they found when reading. Some people at the time thought a person’s character could be evaluated based on the quality of their cursive (Getty …

UCLA to close its two child-care centers in blow to Westside faculty, students

UCLA to close its two child-care centers in blow to Westside faculty, students

Published by Sam Flores

Parents said they are scrambling this week after UCLA announced that two university-run child-care centers serving roughly 220 children — nearly all children of UCLA staff, faculty or students — will close next year, eliminating care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers amid an acute county shortage of child care and in a region that has some of the nation’s most expensive child care. The move by UCLA, which has cited budget concerns, prompted a protest Monday in front of administrative offices at the Westwood campus, where parents and teachers held a sign reading “Little kids matter too,” written in gold and red glitter in a child’s handwriting, and sang, “If you’re happy with your teacher, clap your hands.” The closure — slated for June — is the latest in a years-long drawdown of on-campus child care at universities and other institutions that have traditionally offered it as an employee benefit. Professors, graduate students and staff who use the UCLA facilities say they are frustrated by the few options available in the Westside area and the …

Why university resits are harder for some students than others

Why university resits are harder for some students than others

Published by Miika Tikkanen

University resits are a second chance for students who have experienced academic difficulties. Typically resit exams are sat during the summer break. But while resits are available to all eligible students, the ability to engage with them is influenced by broader inequalities. When students fail assessments, the conversation typically shifts towards personal responsibility. The assumption is that students need to work harder or manage their time more effectively to bounce back. However, this way of thinking can oversimplify a much more unequal experience. Bouncing back from educational adversity, called academic resilience, is linked to wellbeing. Less resilient learners are more likely to suffer the negative cognitive effects of adversity. By focusing only on individual resilience, universities risk overlooking the inequalities that determine who can make the most of their second chance. Unequal circumstances Students with stable housing, family financial support and access to quiet study spaces are better positioned to focus on revision over the resit period. On the other hand, many students will have a different experience. Some students need to work more to …

Even College Students Have Stopped Hanging Out

Even College Students Have Stopped Hanging Out

Published by Daniella Wilson

If anyone were to be immune to America’s loneliness epidemic, it would be college students. For years, Americans have been going to fewer parties and spending more time alone. But college has historically been about socializing—or, let’s just say it, partying—as much as it has been about education. It’s where young people escape parental supervision, move in with roommates, and encounter thousands of potential new friends. But the antisocial century has arrived on campus. Today’s students spend much less time socializing than past generations did. In 1994, 32 percent of college seniors spent more than six hours a week partying. By 2026, that was 21 percent, according to an analysis of survey data by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute. The percentage who spend more than six hours a week socializing face-to-face with friends fell from 74 to 65 percent over the same period. Meanwhile, the share of first-year students who reported feeling frequently isolated from campus life has more than doubled in the past two decades. (These surveys are not nationally representative, but they line …

Hindu students ask schools to discern the swastika from the Nazi Hakenkreuz

Hindu students ask schools to discern the swastika from the Nazi Hakenkreuz

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Mira Trivedi, 15, grew up surrounded by the swastika. Her family hung it around their home for holidays. A priest drew it on her newborn cousin’s forehead. Her family members wore jewelry with the symbol. To Trivedi, who is Hindu, the swastika always signaled its auspicious Sanskrit meaning: well-being, good fortune and peace. So when her eighth grade social studies teacher said the swastika was a hate symbol representing Hitler’s genocidal antisemitism, Trivedi went up after class to explain that the Nazi symbol was not the swastika but the Hakenkreuz, a German word meaning “hooked cross.” The swastika, which is usually slightly different in appearance, is a devotional symbol in South Asian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, she said.  Trivedi hoped for a lightbulb moment after her spiel, but the teacher said only higher ups could implement changes about what’s taught about the symbol. “That’s what started my whole journey,” Trivedi said. She presented her case to the vice principal, principal and board of education at her central New Jersey school in …

What Students Learn From Blue-Book Exams

What Students Learn From Blue-Book Exams

Published by Sam Flores

Across the faded blue covers of the exam books in my attic, I can trace the arc of my academic career. I can still see the grades I received on tests in “The Meaning of Abstraction in Modern Art” (A) and in Neurobiology (B–). Just the sight of the booklets is enough for me to feel the pressure to perform, to sculpt the contents of a semester’s worth of knowledge into some fresh shape. But by the time I became a college professor myself, in 2013, the blue book had begun to disappear. Why struggle to discern student penmanship, or risk misplacing a final exam in the trunk of one’s Subaru (to cite a completely hypothetical example), when tests, like everything else, can be administered on a laptop? Explore the September 2026 Issue Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. View More The coronavirus made every aspect of education virtual, but even after it abated, in-person final exams remained out of favor for many classes. Part of the reason …

The 6 best laptops for college students in 2026, tested

The 6 best laptops for college students in 2026, tested

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Here at Mashable, we’re constantly testing the best laptops based on an exhaustive in-house methodology that combines real-world use with performance benchmarking. In the past two years alone, we’ve tried over 80 different models across a range of price points. To determine which of them fit the bill for college students, specifically, I researched the top 10 public universities‘ hardware recommendations for the upcoming fall 2026 semester. These include processor types, operating system support, RAM and storage minimums, and other spec requirements for different majors. I honed my guidance based on the common threads I noticed. I also gave special preference to laptops that are long-lasting and portable enough to be toted around campus, and those that are competitively priced for the current market. Laptops aren’t cheap right now, but a solid splurge can last you well past graduation. (Take advantage of student discounts whenever possible.) Based on this analysis, I eventually settled on six top picks that make the best laptops for college students. Whether you’re a humanities student, a STEM major, or still …

Contributor: AI, like a hovering parent, protects students from the failures they need

Contributor: AI, like a hovering parent, protects students from the failures they need

Published by Sam Flores

Not long ago, a student at my school forgot to submit a homework assignment. Before the school day even began, my colleague received an email from the parent — to ask if they could upload the assignment on the student’s behalf. The student was 17 years old. We are in the midst of a parenting and educational crisis. Students are increasingly shielded from discomfort, failure and responsibility. As a result, they’re entering adulthood anxious, incredibly risk-averse and ill-prepared to face life’s inevitable challenges. Now, with artificial intelligence offering instant shortcuts around thinking, writing and problem-solving, we risk raising a generation even more disconnected from creativity, resilience and independent thought. Many parenting and educational norms, though well-intentioned, have shifted toward overprotection and hyper-management. The typical childhood once was “free range,” full of unstructured play, conflict resolution and hard-earned independence. Now, it’s often a carefully curated experience dominated by adult intervention. Helicopter parenting has evolved into “snowplow parenting,” in which parents proactively remove any obstacle in their child’s path. A recent survey found that 75% of parents …

Students and recent graduates: tell us your best and worst experiences of uni societies

Students and recent graduates: tell us your best and worst experiences of uni societies

Published by Sam Flores

As a new academic year approaches, we would like to hear from students and recent graduates (five years ago or less) about their experiences of university clubs and societies that freshers might find instructive. What was your best experience of a university club or society? And what was your worst? Share your experience You can tell us your experiences using this form. Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide. If you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here. Source link