Earth Week at Valpo

In this post I'm taking a break from my normal college search tips to share with you some exciting events happening at Valpo this upcoming week--

Next Monday, April 19th, kicks off Earth week here at Valpo! Academic departments and student organizations, as well as Valpo's Subcommittee on Campus Environmental Sustainability, have planned a variety of activities on campus to educate the community on ways to be more environmentally friendly.

The events start on Monday with a lecture by John Albrecht, senior sustainability director from the Chicago firm Nelson Architecture & Engineering Services, describing his work on various sustainable architecture and design projects around the nation.

The schedule for Tuesday includes a "Taste of Waste" presentation by student environmental advocacy organization, Earthtones. Earthtones members will sort through the remnants on students' cafeteria trays outside the Founders Table, and give information on how students can utilize the reusable options available in campus dining facilities to cut down on waste.

On Wednesday Dr. Young Choi will discuss the results of a recent survey he conducted of woodland and plant vegetation at our own local Taltree Arboretum and Gardens. Dr. Choi's talk will also focus on the value and importance of native plant species, and the challenges that exotic and invasive plant species present to our local ecosystem.

Earthtones members will present again on Thursday, this time giving information on recycling during their "Garbology" session. President of Earthtones, Sarah Tucker, said that, "The first Garbology [last year] was well received by the campus community. We had a representative from Able Disposal who clarified exactly what was and was not recyclable before it was thrown away. Many of the passing students were unaware of the sheer amount of material that is recyclable."

These activities are a great way for students and community members to get more involved in integrating environmental sustainability into their everyday lives. They also fit in nicely with the university's efforts in constructing LEED certified buildings on campus, including the Harre Union and Christopher Center Library (both LEED Silver-standard buildings), and the latest endeavor, the Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center, planned to earn LEED Gold-standard status.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and happy Earth Day on the 22nd, and that your local community has some exciting events planned as well! If you'd like to learn more about Valpo's environmental sustainability efforts, or have questions about the university in general, just let me know! As always, keep up the great work with your college search!

-Laura@Valpo

Post-Grad Plans?

Okay, okay, so I know that most of you are more concerned at the moment with what you're going to do after high school, that thinking about your plans over four years from now seems like quite a stretch. However, during your college search it's important to at least have this in mind, especially when you're checking out the resources that various schools offer their students with regard to post-graduation planning. Great questions to ask your Admission Counselor, Tour Guide, or another representative of the schools you're considering are:

• Does your school offer career counseling, including job fairs, mock interviews, and resume workshops?
• What is your graduate placement data, including the percentage of students who have received job offers or been accepted to graduate schools within six months after graduation?
• Are there opportunities for internships, or other forms of hands-on, experiential learning?
• What employers regularly visit campus to recruit?
• What sort of advising is available for students who plan to go on to graduate school?

Of course, many recent graduates have had to work extremely hard to secure jobs in our current economic climate. Here at Valpo, we are very proud to report our Graduate Report for the class of 2009 (click here to view the report), including an overall placement rate for our students of 90.4%.

So, the moral of the story is that it's never too early to start thinking about what you might like to do after college, or to merely explore schools that support and assist their students in this next phase of their lives. Keep working hard on your college search, especially to all of the seniors who are nearing the end of their high school careers and in the midst of making some very challenging decisions about where they'll be headed off to this fall. Just relax, weigh your options, and trust your gut! The school that feels "just right" when you step on campus is probably a great place for you to spend the next four years... Best of luck!

-Laura@Valpo