Today’s question:

Is the experience worth an unpaid internship?

Have a thought or an answer? Leave a reply below.

We’ve also asked our @Cappex Twitter followers to chime in! Here’s what people are saying on Twitter:

Stressful Senior Year = “I didn’t plan ahead and now I have too much college stuff to worry about!”

Fun Senior Year = “I planned ahead and my college application process was so simple!”

You have the power to make either of these happen. I recommend Fun Senior Year, but that’s just me.

Planning ahead and getting started on your college application process before school starts again in the fall is easier than you think. A little time this summer can go a long way. Spending time preparing yourself for the actual applications will make your life less painful come senior year.

• Information is POWER.

  Checking out different schools’ applications will give you a good idea of what to expect when you start filling out your own. You’ll find there are a lot of similar questions and essay topics across the board. You may even realize that you have answers to some of these essay questions already! If not, take a few minutes each week to brainstorm what you could write about. Hint: the best essays do not happen overnight; they develop over time.

• Multi-Task.

  Think about how much time you spend online or scrolling through Facebook. Now, think about exchanging 15 of those aimless browsing minutes for a virtual tour of a college campus. You’ll notice features that you like and dislike, perks to certain schools, and more that will help you narrow down your college search.

• Remember your teachers.

  Who did you love? Who did you get along with well? Who believes in you? Making a list of any teacher you’d like to write a letter of recommendation for you will motivate you to ask them earlier, rather than last minute when they have stacks of student requests waiting.

• Meet up with college friends.

  Think of anyone you know who will be coming back home for the summer from their first year of college. They are seriously awesome sources of information about college life. They’ll be able to relate to you better than a book or website, and they’ll probably be more candid about the perks and downfalls of campuses and schools.

Bottom line? No amount of preparation is too much. Even the tiniest amount will be beneficial.

The other bottom line? Making a profile on Cappex today is a great way to prepare yourself for the college application process and find the perfect school for you!

College Student Pleads Guilty to POTUS Threats

A 20-year-old student at Miami-Dade College pleaded guilty this week to posting threating messages about President Obama to Facebook. Joaquin Amador Serrapio Jr. might end up getting 5 years in prison for the threats. According to the AP:

“In the first post on Feb. 21, Serrapio said: “Who wants to help me assassinate Obummer while hes at UM this week?”

Then on Feb. 23, the day of Obama’s visit, the Secret Service said Serappio posted a second threat.

“If anyones going to UM to see Obama today, get ur phones out and record. Cause at any moment im gonna put a bullet through his head and u don’t wanna miss that! Youtube!” the message said.

Someone who saw the posts contacted the Coral Gables Police Department and the Secret Service dispatched two agents to Serrapio’s home, where Serrapio and his mother agreed to allow a search. There they found an iPad with one of the Facebook postings on it and a cell phone with a text message from one of Serrapio’s friends who had seen the messages.

“LOL you can get in trouble for sayin’ that,” the text said.

Serrapio replied that he was “challenging” the Secret Service and also issued threats against any agents who came looking for him.

“I wanna kill at least two of them when they get here,” Serrapio said in that text.

Investigators said the only weapons Serrapio possessed were two pellet guns. He was originally charged with threatening the agents as well, but prosecutor Seth Schlessinger said that charge will be dropped.

Serrapio said during the hearing he had just completed his second year of college. He declined through Ross to comment outside court.

Senator Franken Introduces Standard College-Aid Letters Bill

Senator (and former SNL star) Al Franken (D-MN) and eight co-sponsors are introducing a bill to simplify the financial aid process. Under this bill, Colleges would have to send all students their financial aid information in a standard letter so that families would be able to evaluate their options in a simple and understandable way. According to Bloomberg:

“Colleges send letters to students they’ve accepted outlining costs, scholarships as well as loan information. The letters are often confusing and fail to differentiate clearly between awards and the money a student might need to borrow to cover tuition and other expenses. There is no federal requirement to disclose interest rates or total loan payments as there are for other types of loans such as mortgages.

The bill would establish information that must be included such as the cost of attendance, the net amount a student is responsible for paying after subtracting grant aid, expected federal loan monthly repayment amounts and disclosures related to private loans, according to the statement.”

Any news going on your college campus? Share in the comment field below!

PICK A MAJOR.

If you haven’t chosen a major yet, sophomore year is the year to do it. The sooner you choose, the sooner you can register for the necessary classes and find internship opportunities. Keep in mind, you can always change your major. Don’t rush this decision, but choosing something will give you direction and clarify what it is that you want to do with your time in college. Visit Cappex for great tips on choosing a major!

MEET WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

Your advisor will ensure you are registering for the necessary prerequisites and help you find the right major for you. It’s good to just check in with them, too. It’s easy to forget about other class requirements when you’re already focused on your current class schedule. On that note…

GET PREREQUISITES OUT OF THE WAY.

Use your sophomore year to take prerequisite courses that you’ll need for graduation, no matter what major you choose. Many colleges require foreign language or math courses in order to graduate. Do these now! Then you won’t have to take them as a senior focusing on more specialized classes.

PREPARE FOR INTERNSHIPS.

Research internship options that interest you. Even if you don’t know your major yet, doing some preliminary sleuthing might clarify what you really want to do when you aren’t a student any more. It will also inform you of opportunities available and deadlines for future reference.

FOCUS.

Focus. Focus. Focus. It’s easy to get distracted or discouraged as a sophomore or junior in college. Schoolwork is probably tougher than you’re used to, or maybe there’s just more of it. Keep going! Don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal: proudly graduating with a degree you earned through hard work.

BE PASSIONATE.

Find something outside of schoolwork that excites you! Join a club or start a group – just make sure it is fun and you enjoy being a part of it. Homework and classes are overwhelming enough. Find a hobby that lets you explore something new, but keep it light and positive.

Are you a college sophomore? Do you have any insider tips on choosing a major or staying focused? Join the discussion at Cappex!

Sell Your Stuff:

Upon leaving for college, you may have looked around your bedroom fondly, thinking to yourself how much you would miss everything there, and how important it all was to you. Now that its been four years or more, you may not have quite the same tastes. Perhaps the video games you once loved are now overplayed and collecting dust. Maybe your bedroom set is looking a bit childish. Perhaps you have a bigger and better TV now and don’t need the little one sitting on your dresser. You might want to check out all the college textbooks you saved and determine whether they’re still relevant to your career. Go through your belongings and sell what you no longer use or want.

Take on Tutoring:

If you’ve got a few extra hours a week, and you’re trying to figure out what to do with that math degree, consider offering tutoring services to your local middle schools and high schools. To a college graduate like you, their homework and tests will be a cinch, and you can explain to them when they’ll “need this in real life.”

Freelance:

For those trying to find something in the photography, video, art, writing, graphic design, and other creative arts areas, you may want to consider freelancing. As a freelancer, you’ll work on and get paid for individual projects people or businesses need. You can be hired this way through friends and family, or through freelancing web sites such as Elance, Guru, iFreelance, and Freelancer. By freelancing, you can work around other jobs, and as often or as little as you like.

Part-Time It:

While you may feel like you earned your degree so you don’t have to work a check-out line, a part time job where you’re only required to work a few hours a week could give you that financial boost you really need. Working eight hours a week at minimum wage is an extra $200 a month! That could be your car payment! In addition, many college grads with professional office jobs find their second part-time job at the coffee shop or grocery store to be a nice break from the high stress and high standards environment of their full time job. Suddenly, wearing a uniform and chatting with your coworkers during the slow hours is kind of refreshing!

Want to search for scholarships or find your perfect college fit? Make your profile today on Cappex!

Think about salary.

If you are driven to make a lot of money post-graduation, research lucrative career paths and find out what majors correlate to these jobs. According to a recent NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) survey, the highest paid majors of the 2011 graduating class were engineering (petroleum, chemical, computer, mineral) and computer science.

Think about jobs realistically.

Just because you major in something that could make you a lot of money, do not bank on jobs being available for that industry. The job market is very competitive these days; if you narrow your focus on one field and neglect taking courses outside of your chosen major, you simultaneously narrow your job opportunities. Be sure to take a few courses in school that make you a well-rounded applicant. Minors are excellent tools to add depth to your resume and display your knowledge in multiple fields.

Think about internships.

Internships are terrific testing tools. First, they allow you to test your major in a hands-on environment. No matter what your field of study, there is some form of internship out there for you. You can even look into internships outside your focus to boost your resume and gain great new experiences. If you are undecided, try an internship somewhere that just genuinely intrigues you. Perhaps it will sway you in a more specific direction.

Second, internships connect you to people who may be able to hire you in the future. Your co-workers and fellow interns will be contacts you can reference when you begin your job search. Many employers hire interns that perform well because they’ve built up a strong relationship and trust. Due to the competitive nature of the job market, skill alone may not earn you a position somewhere. It takes networking and time to make a strong impression. Start now!

Think about geography.

Are you willing to move for your job? Is there a specific city in which you dream of living? These factors may have a huge effect on what you study. Marine biology will certainly plant you along a coastline, while musical theater will plop you right in the middle of New York City. Consider where you may want to move after graduation when considering your major.

For more information on majors, minors, and all things college, make a profile on Cappex today!

Loss of Importance:

By the time you’re a junior and senior in college, you’re on top of the world! You’ve got friends all over campus, you’re excelling in your major, you’ve got a routine, you’re living an independent life, and you’re pretty set on who you are as a person. Going from on top of the world to your parents’ house, or even your own apartment, can feel like a bit of a shock. You might not have friends anymore back in your hometown. You might not have a job to show off your skills. The number of people you see on a daily basis is significantly less, and they don’t all know who you are. It’s normal to suddenly feel like a tiny speck.

How to Deal:

It’s important to understand this feeling is only temporary as you transition into the real world. Once you’ve reconnected with friends or made new ones, have a job you can do well in, and a routine, you’ll start to feel that importance again.

Lack of Job:

It can be incredibly frustrating to know how good you are at what you do, but be unable to get someone to hire you to do it. It can be annoying when the kid who sat behind you who always asked you for help and failed every other test, has a great job and makes great money. You’ll ask yourself, how does this make sense?!

How to Deal:

While finding a job can be difficult, it’s important that you don’t lose faith, and that you don’t compare yourself to how other people are doing. Maybe that annoying kid won’t last ten minutes in that job. Maybe it’s his father’s company. Regardless of how he landed himself there, you can do it too. Not having a job is only temporary.

Not Making What You Thought:

Sometimes college professors will encourage their students by telling them how much money they’ll be making when they graduate. Unfortunately, professors don’t always have the latest information on entry-level jobs, leaving college grads disappointed with the salaries they are offered at job interviews. This can be disappointing for a lot of students, and may even cause some to regret choosing their field of study.

How to Deal:

Remember that your entry-level position isn’t where you’ll be staying the rest of your life. Despite what you might have been told, most college grads in their early twenties don’t make very much, regardless of their field of study. As you become more experienced, you’ll earn a better income.

Want to search for scholarships or find your perfect college fit? Make your profile today on Cappex!

They also posed these questions:

What is college for?

Should everyone go to college?

How much do you think a college education is worth? How much would you be willing to pay?

Why have the costs of college risen so much in recent years?

How important is it to our society that college be affordable to all? How much student debt should be considered “unaffordable”?

How much of a priority should government financing for public universities be?

Do you plan to go to college? Ideally, what college, or type of college, would you like to attend? How much, roughly, will that cost?

What college costs should students and families take into account beyond the cost of tuition?

What options will you have for paying for college?

At what point does a college education paid for with loans stop being a good investment? How much debt is too much debt?

What are some ways that students and their families can lower the costs of college?

Whom do you know who is in college, or has recently graduated from college? Are they in debt? How has that debt affected their lives? (If you already have student debt, consider sharing your story with The Times.)

How financially literate do you consider yourself? Your family?

What messages about college have you gotten from your family, your community and your school?

What responsibility do colleges and admissions offices have to give students a realistic sense of what college will cost them? How might they do that?

After reading this series, what questions do you still have about paying for college? What steps should you take next to ensure you can afford college, if you choose to go to college?

Want to search for scholarships or find your perfect college fit? Make your profile today on Cappex!

Step 1: Find it!

Ask yourself what your goals are. This might help you narrow down groups or clubs you want to join. If you want to work in international business, join a foreign language club to practice speaking another language! Or, take the opposite route. Use your extracurricular as a tool to escape your studies – join a yoga or art club that meets regularly instead of a business group.

Authentic passion and excitement go a long way. Finding something you care about – even if it isn’t directly linked to your major or field of study – is more interesting than forcing a task on yourself because it looks good on paper. Try out a couple different things if you’re not sure what’s right for you.

Less is more. Don’t spread yourself too thinly over a bunch of activities you kind of care about. Instead, really dig into one or two that generate real enthusiasm and pleasure!

Make it up. If what you want to do doesn’t exist yet on your campus or in your town, start it! It only takes a couple people – or one person! – to get something new going. You can also turn individual activities into group activities. If you’re passionate about blogging, start a blog group to talk about ways to improve or join up with some friends and work on one blog together. The sky’s the limit!

Step 2: Work it!

Your extracurricular activities give employers and interviewers insight into who you are outside of academia. That is why passion and excitement are important – hiring someone who spends their free time doing something they love usually means a more interesting and charming employee.

 Invest your time. Continue to devote your attention to activities over time – don’t sign up for an afternoon of volunteering once and then never again. Your extracurriculars should have a meaningful impact on you; devotion and commitment to a cause are incredibly admirable qualities.

Find out more ways to invest in extracurricular activities on Cappex! Make your profile today!

Here are, according to the Princeton Review’s 2012 college rankings, the 15 most beautiful college campuses:

1. Florida Southern College
Quick fact: Florida Southern is located in Lakeland, Fla. and the campus is the home of the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.

2. Lewis & Clark College
Quick fact: Located in Portland, Oregon, Lewis & Clark’s forested campus shares a border with the Tryon Creek State Natural Area.

3. University of California – Santa Cruz
Quick fact: Located 80 miles south of San Francisco at the edge of the coastal community of Santa Cruz, the college whose mascot is the banana slug, lies on the rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay.

4. Mount Holyoke College
Quick fact:  Mount Holyoke, an all-women’s college part of the Seven Sisters,  has a Donald Ross-designed 18-hole golf course, The Orchards, which served as host to the U.S. Women’s Open in 2004.

5. Princeton University
Quick fact: Andrew Carnegie literally built a lake near Princeton so the rowing team could have open water to practice. 

6. Sweet Briar College
Quick fact: Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the all-women’s college’s architecture is dominated by the Collegiate Gothic work of Ralph Adams Cram.

7. Vassar College
Quick fact: With more than 100 buildings, Vassar’s campus includes four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International, designed over the course of the college’s history by a range of prominent architects, includingJames Renwick Jr., Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer, and Cesar Pelli.

8. Colgate University
Quick fact: Colgate’s first building, West Hall, was built by students and faculty from stones from Colgate’s own rock quarry. Nearly all the buildings on campus are built of stone, and newer buildings are built with materials that fit the style.

9. Sewanee – The University of the South
Quick fact: The Sewanee campus includes many buildings constructed of various materials faced with local stone, most done in the Gothic style.

10. University of San Diego
Quick fact: The philosophy of USD’s founder was that studying in beautiful surroundings could improve the educational experience of students. So, the university’s buildings were designed in a 16th-century Spanish Renaissance architectural style, paying homage to both San Diego’s Catholic heritage and the Universidad de Alcalá in Spain.

11. Ohio University – Athens
Quick fact: Ohio University is designed around College Green, the central campus quadrangle lawn which saw the first college buildings built in the former Northwest Territory.

12. College of the Holy Cross
Quick fact: Holy Cross’ campus, a registered arboretum, has won national awards for its landscaping.

13. University of Mississippi
Quick fact: Unrelated to campus beauty, but an interesting fact, with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, classes were interrupted when the entire student body and many faculty from Ole Miss enlisted in the Confederate army.

14. University of Richmond
Quick fact: The university has, with few exceptions, remained true to the original architectural plans for the campus — red brick buildings in a collegiate gothic style set around shared open lawns.

15. Rhodes College
Quick fact: Rhodes College campus’s design is notable for its stone Gothic architecture buildings, thirteen of which are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Have you visited any campuses that you thought were noteworthy in architecture or natural beauty?