There are certain texts that are synonymous with the classroom—To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Romeo & Juliet—are just a few on the list. While these classics deserve to be enjoyed by future generations, sometimes you need to mix it up! So we asked if you were a teacher, what non-traditional text would you have your students read? Mark’s answer caught our eye for utilizing a seemingly superficial publication into a great discussion topic.

Here’s his winning essay:
If I was a teacher, I would have my students read from the National Inquirer. I would use this as a way to teach them about 1). Satire & how it affects society and 2). one cannot believe everything that he or she reads, [because] as we’ve seen, Twitter has killed many living people.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I am 19 years old and graduated in the top 20 of my class of 450. I took a total of 5 AP courses in High School, passing four of the exams, and receiving a 5 on three of them. My plans for college include majoring in Biology at UNR and then going through the Nevada school of medicine to become a Pediatrician. I chose this career path because I have a love of children and feel that helping them is the best way to better our society.

Here’s a few of our favorite runners up:

Kim A. – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance delves into the mind’s process and engineers a way to look at life in a new angle. The medley of perspectives in viewing a dichotomous world, for its scientific and naturalistic sides are both potent and enriching in caliber, and useful.

Jonathan W. – I would have my students read the X-Men graphic novel called God Loves, Man Kills. Not only does it emphasize the relevant societal matter of racism but also shows an example of how religious affiliations’ discriminatory ways towards those who aren’t like them can cause unrest.

Tasha S. – As a history teacher, it would be a great change of pace to have students read current blogs on historical issues written by their peers. The perspectives their peers have may be enlightening and give a modern and relevant use for past events.

We hook it up with college funds like no other…just ask Mark! If you’re looking for your shot at a grand for tuition, make sure to apply for our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship. Write your submission, fill out the application, and send it off—why aren’t all scholarships this easy?

How do you see winning this laptop helping you on your educational journey?

This laptop will be more than just a computer to me. This laptop will be my notes, my books, my hard drive, my portfolio, my communication with my teachers, my writing lab, my test-prep station. This laptop will help simplify my life so much. Being able to carry my computer (and all of my information) around will make it easier for me to do my school work and edit my films on the go. Between school, work, family, and friends, I’m constantly moving. Having everything I need in one compact machine will help eliminate the chaos, bring a little bit of organization to my life, and allow me to get the grades that I know I can achieve.

What is an interest of yours that people wouldn’t suspect at first glance?

Something most people, including my close friends, don’t know about me is that I love to cook. If I had more time and money to spend, I would constantly be in the kitchen trying new recipes.

(Finish this sentence) If you could film a movie anywhere in the world, it’d be _____.

In my hometown, Beech Grove, Indiana. I grew up in a small town with a very close group of friends. We had more adventures than I would ever have time to talk about. I would love to tell our story and film everything where it actually happened.

How are you more than a test score?

A test score is given based on how well you perform in a certain area on a certain day. If someone took a look at my test score in freshman Algebra he or she might think I was a math wiz. If someone took a look at my scores for the English portion of my SAT’s he or she would think I was a regular Kurt Vonnegut. Truth be told, I can’t do a math problem to save my life. Some days my papers come out reading more like a third grader had written them than a college student. What a test score can’t tell you is that I have my good days and I have my bad days. I have a personality and a drive to succeed. Doing poorly on a math test can’t tell you that I may have what it takes to be the next CEO of a fortune 500 company. Bombing an English test doesn’t show that I may have a writing style different from the curriculum that could one day speak to millions. Test scores don’t show the light that shines from the person putting the answers down. I am a person with talents and flaws and drive and sometimes even a bit of laziness. Test scores would never be able to show the person that I truly am.

Kevin was named our winner this time around, but HP has plenty more to offer all you students out there. Make sure to visit the official HP Academy site for the latest news, updates, and discounts on HP gear.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with She’s the First, an organization focused on supporting girls’ education in developing countries, to present the Voice the Verse Poetry Scholarship, a new opportunity for you to score some tuition funds—and support a student overseas—just by sharing your perspective.

Here’s the 411: submit an original poem answering the question, “If the world was your classroom, what would you teach a girl?” The lucky student with the winning entry will receive a $500 scholarship and have their poem published in an upcoming poetry anthology from She’s the First; two runner’s up will also have their poem published in the anthology.

And to show their support, our friends at Chegg for Good have also stepped up to match the award by sending a $500 scholarship to Jancy Paul Vincent, a graduating senior at Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project in India.

Don’t wait to get started, because the deadline for entry is February 29th, 2012, and we’ll be announcing the winner right here on our blog!

Apply today to change the course of your—
and Jancy’s—higher ed journey>>

You heard right, if you find, apply, and win a scholarship through Zinch, Chegg will Double Your Money and write you a check for the same amount. Think of it as our little “thank you” for sticking with Zinch, and a bit of motivation to get you on your scholarship hunt. We have over $2 billion in financial aid listed in our scholarship database, so there’s no shortage of awards looking for a deserving student!

Get started now and learn how Chegg For Good will double your scholarship money DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR>>>

In the animal kingdom chameleons are famous for their ability to change their colors to adapt to their surroundings. With that in mind, we wanted to know how you are a “social chameleon” in your own life. Peyton’s answer stood out to us for his ability to recognize his strengths and weaknesses, while still finding a way to adapt to his classroom environment.

Here’s his winning essay:
I am a “social chameleon” because as a student I’m able to learn new areas of study that I otherwise would not be used to. I am a very straight-forward thinker, but I had to take a Philosophy course my first year at Hofstra. I was able to think outside of the box to get a B-.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I am an outgoing, but straight forward person. I like sports, mainly football and doing anything interesting or new. I go to school at Hofstra University and major in Finance. I am looking to double major with Management as well.

Here’s a few of our favorite runner’s up:

Kendrick W. – I moved around when I was a kid and was forced to adapt to not only new people but new surroundings. There is potential to make friends wherever we go, no matter what we are humans who don’t want to be alone and truly want a lot of friends. I hope to grow and learn from people.

Wyatt F. – You might find me decked out in the most ridiculous green and gold spirit gear (caution tape and cape are optional) cheering on my peers at a game, or dressed up in dashing formal attire at a Key Club event. Though I adapt like a social chameleon, I don’t hide behind camouflage.

Vivian N. – I have a tendency to associate certain settings with certain times. Around my family, I am simple and sweet; in other words, a reflection of the daughter my parents have and will always know. At school, however, I turn to face and build my future by getting alert and ambitious.

Did this last prompt fly just under your radar? Don’t worry, cause with our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship there’s a new opportunity to win $1,000 every Monday! Just click the link, fill out the form, and hit apply––it’s that easy!