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The 5 Best Graduation Speeches of 2013 (So Far)

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:18:31 +0000

It's tough to deliver a graduation speech that's witty, memorable and deeply inspiring, but these five speakers - a Broadway playwright, a Hollywood director, Twitter's CEO and more - delivered the goods.

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7 Funny College Mascots

Mon, 27 May 2013 18:08:41 +0000

Bears and bulldogs are a dime a dozen, but some universities - and their students - take a rather creative approach when they choose their school mascots. We're talking trees, anteaters and banana slugs. Sadly, the University of Hawaii's Vulcans are a nod to the island's volcanic heritage not pointy-eared Mr. Spock.

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Graduation Party Tablescapes

Sat, 25 May 2013 19:16:40 +0000

Looking for some fun ideas for decorating that graduation party table? Our family has been playing with DIY riffs on the old Eames' House of Cards theme, using giant slotted cards and campus photographs, little Eames-esque cards, campus building blocks and so much more. Plus some crafty takes on the paper cup theme too. You'll find all the how-tos there and OK, yes, it's all Cal-themed, but you can use Stanford colors, if you prefer. :-)

Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre help USC launch music business department

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:43:33 +0000

USC is already renowned for its Thornton School of Music. Now it's getting an undergrad program devoted exclusively to the business end of the music business, thanks to a $70 million gift from Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. (Iovine spoke at last weekend's commencement, by the way.)

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An Inspirational Graduation Speech

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:23:07 +0000

This is prime graduation speech time and I'm hopeful that this year's crop of celebrity university commencement speakers will be as articulate, funny and wise as last year's, which included Oprah Winfrey, author Neil Gaiman, Game of Thrones' Peter Dinklage, Glee's Jane Lynch and Mythbusters' Adam Savage.

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Last Minute College Apps? It's Not Too Late

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:03:23 +0000

One might think that May or June is much, much too late to be thinking about college apps for fall, but some 210 U.S. universities still have spaces available for incoming freshmen or transfer students, according to the latest survey by the National Association of College Admissions Counseling or NACAC, the same people who do the big college fairs.

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Most Popular Languages in College? Try ASL

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:18:42 +0000

Foreign languages are a requirement in college, as well as in high school. Turns out one of the most popular of those languages now is American Sign Language. ASL, which was offered at only a few universities in the 1990s, has moved up to fourth place, according to a recent Modern Language Association Survey, and No. 3 - German - better start looking over its shoulder because those numbers are continuing to surge. Interesting, no?

Graduating College Senior? Apparently That'll Cost You Too

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:12:20 +0000

Congrats are certainly in order when your college kid graduates, but before you get too excited about the lull between that last - final! finished! - tuition check and the onset of student loan payments, here's what your wallet can expect for graduation:

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Warning: Empty Nest Emotions Ahead

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:47:02 +0000

Graduation is looming and soon all those noisy, boisterous, messy, lovable high school seniors will be gone. If you're feeling any twinges over the impending separation, you're not alone. The empty nest blues come and go. Sometimes it's a plunge into deep blue, sometimes just a pale robin's egg hue. You will survive and thrive in that empty nest - really! But transitions can be hard and we are entering roller coaster emotion season. So I loved this comment by a reader on how to cope:

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Summer Storage: 3 Ways to Store Your Kid's Dorm Gear

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:48:16 +0000

How does it happen? Your college kid's possessions fit in your car when you moved him in. How is it possible for the gear to have tripled in volume? Or quadrupled? If you're in that boat - or rather, that overstuffed SUV - don't despair. Or head for the dumpster.

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