Controversial Cases

Professor Michael Fitzgerald is one of the leading researchers who is attempting to posthumously diagnose famous thinkers, backed up by the idea that the genes responsible for originality and creativity are also attributed to autism and Asperger’s. Take a look at some of the more controversial cases here.

1. Charles Darwin: Evolution, natural selection and the Galapagos: those are all terms that we probably wouldn’t have heard of if it wasn’t for Charles Darwin’s controversial and revolutionary research. The scientist — born in England in 1809 — is also believed to have had Asperger’s. He was a loner as a child and was obsessed with cataloging and collecting even as a young person.
2. Albert Einstein: This story reports that Cambridge and Oxford scientists have found convincing evidence that Albert Einstein probably had Asperger’s syndrome even as young as seven, obsessively repeating sentences over and over, and presenting confusing lectures when he was older. Others say that Einstein’s famous sense of humor means he couldn’t have had Asperger’s.
3. Sir Isaac Newton: Newton was reportedly quiet and isolated, and had odd social skills, sometimes giving lectures even if no one showed up.
4. Thomas Jefferson: While it’s been speculated that Jefferson had Asperger’s, others wonder if he was just exceedingly eccentric.

Math, Science, and Business

Read about revolutionaries in math, economics, business, engineering and other science fields who are autistic or who are believed to be autistic.

5. Richard Borcherds: High profile mathematician and Berkeley professor Richard Borcherds is a controversial case, but the Fields Medal winner has been noted to have severe trouble interacting with people.
6. Vernon L. Smith: Professor and Nobel laureate Vernon L. Smith is a prominent economist and is a high achiever on the autism spectrum, attributing characteristics like extreme attention to detail and focus to the condition.
7. Nikola Tesla: Electrical and mechanical engineer and inventor Nikola Tela is one of the most important contributors to electromagnetism and electricity, and is also thought to have had autism.
8. Temple Grandin: CSU professor, prominent researcher in animal behavior, and animal welfare advocate Temple Grandin has high-functioning autism and credits supportive teachers with helping her channel her learning and behavioral disability in a productive way.
9. Paul Dirac: Nobel Prize-winning physicist Paul Dirac had "very repetitive behavior" but rarely spoke and was practically incapable of feeling empathy.
10. Keith Joseph: The "Father of Thatcherism" Keith Joseph may have created his political philosophy based on his autistic tendencies and behavior, which were sometimes regarded as harsh, lacking in empathy and eccentric.

Philosophers

From Immanuel Kant to Simone Weil, some of these philosophers might surprise you.

11. Socrates: The oldest speculation on this list is about Socrates, who often repeated phrases and ideas, wasn’t concerned with his family, constantly questioned others, had odd social behaviors, and whose philosophies are characterized by constant analyses and questioning.
12. Immanuel Kant: Kant famously said that empathy wasn’t necessary to morality, leading some to believe he had Asperger’s.
13. Simone Weil: Philosopher and activist Simone Weil picked up on ancient Greek and Sanskrit as a girl and is thought to be autistic by Professor Fitzgerald.
14. Ludwig Wittgenstein: Another connection made between the creativity and originality gene and autism has led Fitzgerald to speculate that philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein — who studied language, mathematics, the mind, and logic — may have had some form of the condition.

Writers, Musicians, and Artists

Andy Warhol, Emily Dickinson and Samuel Beckett may have been more than eccentric characters: they may have also had autism.

15. Christopher Knowles: Artist Christopher Knowles’ work is based on his extraordinary typed-up patterns, inspired by his autistic behavior.
16. Andy Warhol: Eccentric Andy Warhol was also shy and had strange social skills. His famous pop art also followed repeated patterns, and some friends have said that he lacked empathy.
17. Emily Dickinson: The poet Emily Dickinson was a recluse and puzzling writer, and Vernon Smith believes she may have been autistic, too.
18. Henriett Seth F.: Hungarian poet and artist Henriett Seth F. has autism, and has been repeating words and behaviors since she was a toddler. She has also won writing contests since the age of 10.
19. Jonathan Lerman: Gifted young artist Jonathan Lerman is just 23 years old, and has been diagnosed with autism most of his life, but his charcoal drawings have been on display in New York for years already.
20. Peter Howson: Scottish painter Peter Howson creates aggressive politically and socially minded works of art and was even the official war artist for the Bosnian Civil War. This year, however, Howson had to appoint a legal guardian to monitor his financial affairs since his autism has limited him in that capacity.
21. Samuel Beckett: Philosopher-writer Samuel Beckett wrote important works like Waiting for Godot, which have tipped some researchers off to his possible autism.
22. Tim Page: Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Page is a journalism and music professor at University of Southern California and also has high-functioning autism and Asperger’s.
23. W.B. Yeats: Irish poet and playwright W.B. Yeats is one of the most important writers of the 20th century, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. He’s also one of Fitzgerald’s studies in autism.
24. Daniel Tammet: Language whiz and mathematician Daniel Tammet is one of the most studied autistic savants right now, and has even written about his experiences with Asperger’s in two books.
25. Hans Christian Andersen: Danish children’s book writer Hans Christian Andersen wrote "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina" and "The Little Match Girl," among other favorites, but he was known for his consistent experiences with unrequited love.
26. Michelangelo: Michelangelo may have been autistic, as scientists point to his difficulty communicating with people, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, extreme attention to detail, and preference for isolation.
27. Jonathan Swift: Fitzgerald also believes the Modest Proposal writer was autistic, possibly because of his tendency to publish using aliases and great creativity and originality.
28. George Orwell: Animal Farm and 1984 writer George Orwell may have been autistic, but he is also known for his sharp wit and support of social injustice and persecution, which aren’t always characteristic of autism.
29. James Joyce: Joyce’s stream of consciousness style and troubled social life may have been products of high-functioning autism.
30. H.G. Wells: H.G. Wells was supposedly "socially insecure, controlling, lonely, cruel and emotionally immature," which has convinced some that he was autistic.

Film and Television

1. Peter Weller: Peter Weller’s best known for RoboCop (a totally underrated flick destroyed by sequels), as well as The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and other sci-fi movies. He’s also got a master’s degree in Roman and Renaissance Art from Syracuse University, which he earned in 2004. He’s not joking around, either: He appeared as an expert commentator on Rome: Engineering an Empire, a documentary on the History Channel.
2. David Duchovny: Before "Californication," "The X-Files," and "Twin Peaks," David Duchovny was a serious English nerd. He studied English lit at Princeton before earning his master’s in the same field from Yale.
3. Dolph Lundgren: Hard to believe, but totally true: Dolph Lundgren, Ivan Drago himself, has a master’s degree. He graduated from Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology before heading to Australia and picking up a master’s in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney. All this while also studying a growing number of martial arts. He was even awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT but left to start his acting career. I’m now kind of scared of his combination of brains and brawn.
4. Rowan Atkinson: Rowan Atkinson, star of British comedies like "Blackadder" and "Mr. Bean," is famous for playing idiots. But in real life, he’s anything but stupid. He attended Newcastle University and studied electrical engineering, then got a master’s degree in the subject at Oxford. It takes a smart guy to look that dumb.
5. Sigourney Weaver: Although she would later be immortalized in the Alien franchise as well as a host of other roles — not to mention the Gatekeeper — Sigourney Weaver started her professional life with a graduate degree. After studying English at Stanford, she earned a master of fine arts from Yale University’s School of Drama.
6. Mayim Bialik: She’ll forever be known as "Blossom," though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. She starred on the NBC sitcom for five years, after which she attended UCLA and majored in neuroscience, Hebrew, and Jewish studies. Even more, she eventually completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience. She still makes TV appearances, notably as a geeky shout-out on CBS’s "The Big Bang Theory," but make no mistake: She’s unbelievably gifted, and smarter than most Hollywood players.
7. Bill Cosby: The Coz has long understood the importance of education. Even as his acting career heated up with "I, Spy" and his stand-up comedy, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts before earning a doctorate in education, also from UMass. He wrote a dissertation about how schools could use "Fat Albert" as a teaching tool.
8. Robert Vaughn: Long before he was in the regrettable Superman III, Robert Vaughn was best known for starring on NBC’s spy show "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." from 1964-1968. In addition to his numerous film and TV credits, though, Vaughn is also highly educated, holding a Ph.D. from USC in communications. He also authored Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting.
9. Ken Jeong: Ken Jeong has been blowing up ever since 2007’s Knocked Up, having clocked hilarious performances in The Hangover, NBC’s "Community," and much more. But he’s also a full-on doctor, and in fact earned his degree before getting into showbiz. He earned his undergrad degree at Duke, then got his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It’s good that he’s got that to fall back on, but given his career trajectory, it looks like he’ll be acting for a while.
10. Ron Jeremy: The man known as "The Hedgehog" (for reasons you should never learn) has appeared in more than 2,000 porn movies and dozens of legit titles, but he’s also got a fallback: He’s got a master’s degree in special education from Queens College, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree in education and theater. So who knows, he might just trade in his bathrobe for a professor’s tweed.
11. Ron Silver: Ron Silver’s had a long and varied career on TV and in film, and he was also a prominent political spokesman before succumbing to esophogeal cancer in March 2009. (Interestingly, he played a Democratic political operative in his first run on "The West Wing," while in real life campaigned for Republicans.) He studied Spanish and Chinese at SUNY at Buffalo, then went on to get a master’s in Chinese history at St. John’s University.
12. Charlie Korsmo: Child actor Charlie Korsmo made a splash with Dick Tracy, What About Bob?, and Hook, and he even returned to the business for 1998’s Can’t Hardly Wait. However, he’s since moved on with his professional career, earning a J.D. from Yale Law School after getting his bachelor’s degree in physics from MIT. He’s now a visiting professor at Brooklyn Law School.
13. Rachel Maddow: Host of MSNBC’s "The Rachel Maddow Show," Maddow got her start in political studies with some impressive education. She studied public policy at Stanford, then earned a Ph.D. at Oxford after winning a Rhodes Scholarship. She’s been on the fast track to punditry stardom ever since.
14. Ilan Mitchell-Smith: Ilan Mitchell-Smith’s film and TV appearances in the 1980s peaked with Weird Science, the 1985 John Hughes comedy. A few years later, he transitioned out of acting to pursue education, racking up a master’s degree at Fordham University and a Ph.D. at Texas A&M. He taught for a while at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, before heading back to California to teach at Cal State-Long Beach.

Music

15. Dexter Holland: I am going to resist the strong urge to make "pretty fly for a white guy" puns and just go straight ahead: Dexter Holland, guitarist and lead singer of The Offspring, has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Southern California, which makes him a whole lot smarter than you ever thought he was. He was even a Ph.D. candidate in the field, but ditched it to pursue the band. (With multiple platinum albums to his name, it’s hard to fault his decision.)
16. Art Garfunkel: Art Garfunkel gets a bad rap. It’s gotta be tough playing second banana to Paul Simon, one of the best songwriters of his era, especially when his solo career takes off while yours is significantly less popular. The upside: He’s always got higher level degrees to fall back on. After earning a bachelor’s degree in art history, Garfunkel picked up a master’s degree in math.
17. Brian May: As a lead guitarist and songwriter for Queen, Brian May came up with some of the most enjoyable rock songs of the past 40 years, including "We Will Rock You," "Fat Bottomed Girls," and "I Want It All." He’s also — wait for it — an astrophysicist. He studied physics at Imperial College London, earning high marks, but took time off from his doctorate studies to see if that whole rock star thing would work out. He returned to school in October 2007 and completed his Ph.D. in astrophysics. He’s also the co-author of a book about the history of the universe.
18. Phil Alvin: The frontman of the rock group The Blasters enjoyed cult success through the 1970s, after which he opted to return to school and finish the education he’d left behind. He studied math and artificial intelligence at UCLA, where he eventually earned a Ph.D.
19. Greg Graffin: Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin is noted for singing with one of the biggest punk rock bands of all time, though he’s anything but a typical rocker. He double-majored at UCLA in geology and anthropology, then got a master’s in geology from UCLA and a Ph.D. from Cornell. His thesis dealt with evolutionary biology, and his academic career is one of the reasons the band’s lyrics are noted for their intelligence.
20. Barret Hansen: Born Barret Hansen, he’s better known as Dr. Demento, the comedic radio host with a penchant for novelty songs and obscure tracks. He’s also noted for helping popularize "Weird Al" Yankovic. He’s got a master’s degree from UCLA in folklore and ethnomusicology to back up his radio credits, too. His tunes might not be your taste, but there’s no denying he knows what he’s talking about.
21. Tom Scholz: Tom Scholz has the distinction of being a world-famous rocker with a remarkably normal private life. He founded the band Boston and achieved crazy levels of success, but before that he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. He even worked for Polaroid in their design engineering department before hitting it big with the band. Since then, he’s mainly focused on charity work.

Sports

22. Shaquille O’Neal: Shaq played ball at LSU, and though he left early to join the NBA, he returned in 2000 to complete a bachelor’s degree in general studies. But grad school is where he stepped it up, enrolling online in the University of Phoenix and earning his MBA in 2005. Most multi-millionaires get the degree before the wealth, but Shaq’s a rogue like that.
23. Lisa Leslie: Online degrees seem to be popular among basketball players: WNBA star Lisa Leslie, who’d earned her bachelor’s degree playing at the University of Southern California, eventually earned her MBA through the University of Phoenix.
24. Tony LaRussa: Baseball manager Tony LaRussa, currently with the St. Louis Cardinals, is one of the winningest managers of all time, one of only a handful to win pennants with teams in both the National and American Leagues. He also holds a J.D. from Florida State University’s College of Law and was even admitted to the bar, though he’s currently ineligible to practice. Still, a law degree is probably a good thing to have in major league baseball.
25. Dick Enberg: Oh my: Dick Enberg, the legendary sportscaster, got his career started by earning graduate degrees at Indiana University. While there, he earned a master’s and then doctorate in health sciences, which likely came in handy during his decades in the booth.

The financial aid office presents a great hurdle to get across for many students.  While most strive to allow you to gain the largest amount you can in order to fund your education, others almost inhibit your chances at remaining within the school.  It is a lengthy process that begins when you first enroll at the university your senior year in high school and must complete the FAFSA in order to determine whether your family qualifies for financial aid.  This qualifying step is very difficult to determine overall and does not take in to account any additional debts or finances the parents must pay for per year.

However, the FAFSA is only the first step in a list of complicated addendum.  Once you determine if you are eligible for financial aid, you must then also apply for scholarship after scholarship.  Many websites now aid in this process, such as Fastweb, but it becomes a continuing disappointment to apply to so many different scholarships and not be awarded one.  Adding to this continued frustration is the knowledge that should you persist in your hunt for scholarships, you feel the need to do so after every year.  If you don’t constantly look for scholarships, you almost feel as if you are throwing away tuition money every year which progressively adds up. 

Some financial aid offices are very helpful in getting the word out when new scholarships come in, while others make the students work to discover new scholarships within the school.  Most students are more compelled to research for scholarships during high school, when they have considerably more time to research items outside of school subjects as well as time to write essays for each scholarship.  However, you should always be on the lookout for scholarships that come your way, in order to ease the burden of loan payments on yourself or your parents later on in life.  Most scholarships simply require a short essay, and some do not even require that much.  When you are thinking about your future and the next decades of your life, this stress will be much alleviated by the prospect of smaller loan repayments due to scholarships. 

Loans are another area in which the financial aid office deals with.  Loans come in all shapes and sizes, and while federal loans and grants do have limitations, most private loans do not, although be wary of high interest rates which accompany private loans.  Your accrued debt could end up becoming twice as much as the amount you took out simply because of high interest rates.  On the other hand, having a parent cosign loans electronically helps to decrease the amount of interest owed, which becomes very helpful after you graduate.  Keeping on top of loan deadlines is also important, since most schools have a time period during which they accept payments.

The financial aid office is intended to aid students in ways to finance their education and should be there to offer advice and various ways in which to gain funds.  Whether you receive grants, scholarships, or loans, the purpose of this office is to keep you up to date with these funds, as well as assist you in any way they can to make this confusing process easier, which is why it is important to make frequent visits.

The end of college is always a scary and fulfilling time of your life; it is that moment where you have almost endless choices in front of you, yet at the same time are still cautious about making a significant life choice.  College is part of growing up and discovering/determining who you are, but at the same time, you are thrown out into the world upon graduation.  Most students opt for some type of graduate school in order to further their education, which lately, has been proven to be one of the better choices to take.

Further education of any type, whether it be law school, med school, or grad school, requires a great amount of planning and concentration.  All further degrees require an entrance exam upon enrollment in a specific program, which can be intimidating to think about while still in college because of the extensive amount of studying which is required in order to do well.  The entrance exams alone are one of the main reasons you should have a plan already forming in your mind about your next steps in life.  These exams (mostly the LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and MCAT) require at least a few months of preparation, in addition to different testing fees and later application fees.  Then there is also the decision as to whether you want to take a prep course for the exams, or if you wish to study on your own.  Studying on your own opens up a new deliberation as to which study book is the best to use.  Every study book claims it is the best, but more research needs to be delved into in order to make an informed decision.

You also need to make sure to schedule your test ahead of time in order to plan for application deadlines.  Some schools have their application deadlines set as early as November, and many have early decision deadlines in October.  Most schools encourage early applications as well in order to make sure the student gets all the materials turned is, an additionally increase their chances of getting in.  If you turn your applications in on the day of the deadline, the risk of getting waitlisted by the university increases greatly.  This is yet another reason to plan early on, in order to determine which schools you want to apply to, and therefore determine when you need to schedule your tests and set aside time to complete your applications.  Most med schools require interviews, while law schools base much of their decision on a candidate’s personal statement.

This preparation for the future is necessary if you decide that what you really want to do is further your education.  Lately, with the economy the way it is, higher specializations in specific fields are in high demand, which has increased the number of applicants to different schools, and thereby increasing the competitiveness. Getting a jump start on the process will allow you to gain that much of an advantage towards having your pick of schools.
 

Communities & Networking

Build up your network of contacts to help your chances of finding a job through someone you know.

1. Ryze: Using Ryze, you can find contacts, network, and more.
2. Tribe: Tribe will help you find contacts with similar interests that may be able to help you land a new job.
3. Layoffspace: If you’ve been laid off, connect with others in a similar situation on this site.
4. Meetup: Meetup makes it easy for you to get connected and network with people at events.
5. Fast Pitch Networking: Fast Pitch Networking offers a professional social network.
6. MyWorkster: MyWorkster will help you get networked with others in your community.
7. Twitter: Connect locally and around the world by using Twitter.
8. ZoomInfo: Make use of ZoomInfo to build your online reputation.
9. Peekface: Get the dirt on potential employers by reading what their current and former employees have to say about them.
10. Whototalkto: You can get the lowdown on important contacts and positions by using this community.
11. Netparty: Netparty offers get togethers that will help you connect with other young professionals.
12. LinkedIn: Make connections throughout your network by using LinkedIn.

Listings

Check out these websites, and you’ll find listings for thousands of jobs that just might be right for you.

13. America’s Job Bank: You can use this resource to find a job bank within your state.
14. Linkup: Linkup uncovers job listings hidden on websites and makes them easy to search for.
15. SimplyHired: Through SimplyHired, you can find search results from thousands of job sites, companies, and more.
16. JuJu: Get a comprehensive search of US and Canadian job boards with JuJu.
17. 411Jobs: In this career directory, you can check out jobs through classifieds, job banks, and other useful resources.
18. Craigslist: Find freelance work, full time gigs, and more on Craigslist.
19. Job Science: Job Science makes it easy for you to narrow down your job search.
20. Career USAToday: Look for jobs in participating newspapers with the help of Career USAToday.
21. USAJOBS: Find jobs working for the US government through this site.
22. Career Builder: This popular job listing site makes an excellent resource for job hunters.
23. Monster: This site is the go-to resource for many employers and job seekers, so be sure to check it out.
24. JobCentral: Find jobs and post your resume on this national labor exchange.
25. Climber: Use Climber.com to get a job that relates to what you’re interested in.
26. JustPosted: Scoop up jobs hot off the presses with this website that offers the latest listings.
27. The Employment Guide: This website and its accompanying publication can help you find employment.
28. NotchUp: On NotchUp, you can post your resume and get paid to interview.
29. Jobster: Jobster will help you find jobs posted in various places online.
30. Career.com: Career.com offers a wealth of job opportunities.
31. FlipDog: FlipDog offers half a million jobs to search from.
32. Yahoo! Hot Jobs: Yahoo! Hot Jobs makes another large and popular resource for job listings.
33. Hound: Hound finds jobs on employer web pages and serves them up just for you.
34. Ziki: Get connected with qualified employers by filling out a profile on Ziki.
35. NationJob: NationJob can help you find a job anywhere in the nation.
36. The Job Planet: The Job Planet will help you find employers, and offers job alerts as well.
37. Job.com: Put Job.com’s career tools and search to work for you.
38. Career Site: Career Site offers resources from lots of different job sites online.
39. SnagAJob: You can find hourly, part time, and full time jobs on SnagAJob.

Industry Job Sites

Check out these job sites to find listings in your specific industry.

40. Education Crossing: This website will help you find online education jobs.
41. American Library Association: Find open library positions from the American Library Association.
42. iHispano: iHispano is designed for Hispanic employers and job seekers.
43. FindLaw: Check out FindLaw to get access to a legal professional career center.
44. Idealist: Those who are interested in working for nonprofits can find employment on this site.
45. Law Crossing: On Law Crossing, you can find listings for legal positions.
46. 37signals: 37signals has listings for design, programming, and more.
47. TalentZoo: With TalentZoo, you’ll get access to job listings for marketing, publishing, advertising, and more.
48. MilitaryHire: If you’re a military veteran, check out MilitaryHire to find a job.
49. MonsterTRAK: Find job listings and resources for college students and young alumni on MonsterTRAK.
50. HireDiversity: On HireDiversity, you can find jobs that seek out minors.
51. iitjobs: Check out this site for international tech and IT jobs.
52. The Ladders: The Ladders offers listings for six figure jobs.
53. Guru: Guru offers a marketplace for your freelance skills.
54. CareerJournal: From The Wall Street Journal, this site offers jobs for managers, professionals, and executives.
55. Opportunity Knocks: You can find nonprofit employment through Opportunity Knocks.
56. All Health Jobs: If you’re looking for employment in the field of health care, be sure to check out this site.
57. CoolWorks: Check out CoolWorks to find summer and seasonal job listings at cool places.
58. Care.com: Find work as a caretaker on Care.com.
59. College Recruiter: College Recruiter offers job searching for college graduates.
60. LatPro: Those who speak Spanish can find a job on LatPro.
61. Alumwire: Young alumni and college students can find jobs on this site.
62. Law Firm Staff: If you’re looking for a law job, be sure to check out this site.
63. Dice: Use Dice to find technology jobs.
64. ExecuNet: ExecuNet offers jobs, networking, and more for executives.
65. CollegeGrad: This job site is designed just for recent college graduates.

Cover Letter & Resume

With these resources, you’ll be able to get help with your cover letter and resume.

66. Damn Good Resumes: On this site, you’ll find damn good templates and samples for your resume.
67. Emurse: Emurse will convert your resume into the online-ready hResume format.
68. How to Create a Job Winning Resume: This resource offers lots of great information for creating an effective resume.
69. Resume Readiness Quiz: Find out how ready your resume is for competing in today’s job market from this quiz.
70. Resolio: Use Resolio to build an online-ready resume.
71. Resume Calculator: Make use of this quiz to build an easy resume.
72. Online Resume Writing Workshop: Check out this workshop to learn how to create an effective resume.

Interviewing

Prepare yourself for every interview possibility with these resources.

73. InterviewBest: You get lots of great interview advice from InterviewBest.
74. Interview Image Quiz: This quiz will help you hone your image for your big interview.
75. Job Interview Questions Database for Job Seekers: In this database you’ll find 150 potential job interview questions to study as well as practice interviews.
76. AceTheInterview: AceTheInterview will help you polish your interviewing skills to perfection.
77. InterviewUp: Through this community, you can improve your interviewing skills.
78. Interview Preparation Quiz: Check out this quiz to find out if you’re prepared for your interview.

Salary

These resources will help you find out what your work is worth.

79. Salary.com: Salary.com has lots of tools and information to help you discover your earning potential.
80. Salary Negotiation Tutorial Quiz: Find out how well you know salary negotiation tactics by trying this quiz.
81. Payscale: Get a salary report on Payscale.com.
82. SalaryExpert: Check out SalaryExpert to assess your earning potential with comparison tools and other data.
83. Job Search Intelligence: Get a salary calculator that can offer statistically defensible compensation values from Job Search Intelligence.
84. Cost of Living Wizard: Salary.com’s tool will help you determine whether your cost of living will be affected by a relocation.
85. Abbott-Langer: Get an analysis survey for an employer and salary with Abbott-Langer.
86. SalaryScout: This resource will let you know just how much others get paid.

Tools

Make use of these tools to find data, get organized, and more.

87. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can explore careers, industries, and more.
88. CareerShift: With tools from CareerShift, you’ll be able to perform an organized job search.
89. RiseSmart: RiseSmart offers a concierge service to find a job.
90. Isabont: Make your job search more organized with Isabont’s tool.

Advice & Resources

Here, you’ll find lots of advice, as well as sites that offer links to even more job hunting resources.

91. Ask the Headhunter: Get answers to your job hunting questions from a recruiter on this site.
92. Job Hunter’s Bible: Make use of this site to find advice, job hunting links, and more.
93. The Riley Guide: Check out the Riley Guide to get great advice for online job searching, resources, and more.
94. Job-Hunt: On Susan Joyce’s site, you’ll find resources for using the Internet for your job search.
95. JobStar: JobStar can help you find job hunting information.
96. US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Get educated about discrimination through the EEOC’s website.
97. QuintCareers: Check out Quint Careers to find tips, tools, and more.
98. CareerLab: Use this site to find advice and answers about job hunting.
99. About.com Job Searching: About.com is full of excellent information, advice, and resources for job hunting.
100. America’s Career InfoNet: Make use of America’s Career InfoNet to learn about careers, salaries, and more.

If you’ve just graduated from a top online college and have dreams of traveling the world before settling down in your career, then you need to read the information below. Travel writing is a highly competitive profession, one that doesn’t pay especially well unless you make it to the top, and free travel is usually reserved for the very best writers. However, if you love to travel as much as you love to write and are sure you have something to offer to readers, then you will find the following information incredibly helpful as you pursue a career in travel writing. Below, you will find advice from professionals, tips, opportunities to get to know other travel writers, organizations for travel writers, places to find writing classes, and resources for traveling.

Advice for Travel Writers

These sites all offer great suggestions to help you learn what it takes to be a travel writer, how to improve your writing, and ways to increase your chance of success.

1. The Travel Writing Portal. Find plenty of helpful articles written by some of the top travel writing experts in the field offering great advice on how to break into or improve your travel writing as well as other handy links.
2. Travel Guidebook Writing. The advice on this website explores topics such as knowing your readership, creating a brand for yourself, and do’s and don’ts of contracts.
3. Travelwriter Marketletter. This monthly newsletter offers advice, tips, and news pertinent to travel writers and photographers.
4. Writer’s Digest. While this site is more general than just travel writing, it does offer great writing tips, advice and support from other writers, and plenty of information on improving your writing.
5. Adventure Travel Writer. Find lots of tips and advice on both traveling and travel writing at this site.
6. Travel Writing. Read through these writing do’s and don’ts written by a professional writer.
7. Travel Writing for Pleasure and Profit. This article offers a good overview of the travel writing profession.
8. Travel Writing Tips from Three Pros. Take the advice from these three travel writers who have plenty of experience under their belts.
9. Travel Writing. This site offers tons of links to articles with great advice to help your travel writing including interview tips, travel quotes, and tips for success while traveling abroad.
10. Guest Blog: Travel Writing Tips from Paul Kilduff. This successful Irish travel writer shares his tips on how to create great travel writing.

Writing Tips

Follow these suggestions to help create the best travel writing you can.

11. Use correct grammar. There is no bigger death knell for a writer than bad grammar. If you struggle in this area, take some classes, study style manuals, or find places online with grammar information.
12. Be succinct. Chose your words carefully so that you convey plenty of meaning in fewer words.
13. Incorporate your senses. If you stepped into a country and immediately smelled a distinctive odor that lingered wherever you went, incorporate that information. If the vivid colors affected how you approached your visit, explain how.
14. Let your personality shine through. Don’t hide behind stilted language, instead, write with your own personality and be sure to include personal anecdotes.
15. Keep it light. For the most part, the tone of travel writing should be light and fun. Include some of the funny experiences travel brought your way instead of focusing on any negative aspects of travel.
16. Keep the facts to a minimum. Anyone can find facts about a place from a quick search online. Instead, devote your writing to descriptions of your experience.
17. Include dialogue. A short bit of dialogue can provide more clarity to readers than a whole page of description. Include what others say for a powerful method of conveying a situation.
18. Keep a travel journal. Write down your impressions and feelings immediately instead of waiting until you return from your trip. Journal each day, then go back and pull it all together when you write your article.
19. Move beyond the destination. You’ll be hard pressed to find a destination that hasn’t already been written about, so focus instead on what will make your experience unique and worth reading.
20. Read other travel writers. The best way to get a feel for good travel writing is by reading the work of accomplished professionals.

Tips for Breaking into the Business

These tips offer a brief list of suggestions for how to get started in the business of travel writing.

21. Travel. As strange as it sounds, there are some folks who intend to write about traveling and have never done so. Give yourself the experience of travel before you decide to become a travel writer.
22. Start a blog. Write about your travel experiences in a blog. It is free, offers a great opportunity to practice the craft, and provides an opportunity for you to get your work in front of others.
23. Write for user-generated websites. Sites like Bukisa and Associated Content allow users to publish their articles, then depending on how popular they become, earn money from them.
24. Seek out small magazines. There are plenty of smaller, local magazines that will publish new travel writers. Search for these as a way to build your portfolio rather than starting with the big ones.
25. Follow submission instructions to the letter. If you are submitting an article to a publication, study their instructions very carefully and follow them exactly as printed. If you do not, there is a good chance your article will be thrown to the side without even being read.
26. Don’t quit your current job. Earning money through travel writing is not an easy task. Not only will you still need to pay the bills, but the travel about which you will be writing is usually at your own expense.
27. Enter contests. There are plenty of travel writing contests available and cost absolutely nothing to enter. See if you can win one and gain recognition for your writing.
28. Write for free. Many freelancers will tell you never to take a job for free when you can get paid to do the same thing, but sometimes working for free provides you an opportunity to get published when you don’t have much experience. Many travel websites actively seek contributors they publish with no payment in return for online recognition.
29. Network. Make friends, meet contacts, join organizations, keep a business card book, and generally do whatever you need to do to meet as many people as possible in the travel writing business. The old adage of "it’s not what you know, but who you know" is frequently the way to get your first break.
30. Don’t give up. Most successful travel writers don’t make it on their first or second attempt. Keep trying until you get what you want.

Travel Writing Blogs

Learn from others who show their travel writing stuff on these blogs.

31. Vagabonding. Rolf Potts writes about places, travel tips, travelers, and more.
32. Cheapest Destinations. Study Tim Leffel’s style in his blog where he writes about ways to travel on the cheap.
33. WrittenRoad. Find out all the inside news in the world of travel publishing by following this blog.
34. Write to Travel. This fledgling travel writer includes plenty of informative links on her blog about breaking into the world of travel writing.
35. 1001 Travel Writing Tips. Find plenty of tips from a veteran freelance travel writer on his blog.
36. Killing Batteries. This freelance travel writer shares his travel and writing experiences plus much more on this blog.
37. Best Travel Writing Blog. This blog touches on some information for travel writers and also runs many contests for aspiring writers.
38. Travel Writers. Written by a veteran travel writer, this blog offers news and information about the travel writing industry.
39. Jeremy Head’s travelblather. Travel and Internet meet in this blog that brings all the latest about the intersection of these two worlds.
40. Nick Dawg’s Writing Blog. Nick posts lots of information that might be of interest to those breaking into the travel writing business with such topics as contests, writing tips, and publishing information.

Travel Blogs

These blogs share travel tips, offer a glimpse into their experiences, and also offer prospective travel writers a great opportunity to check out other travel writers’ techniques.

41. Gadling. Get travel and photography tips as well as a few posts about travel writing on this blog.
42. Wonderlust and Lipstick. Women who travel will love this blog that includes plenty of tips and information on making travel go smoothly.
43. The Travel Blog by TravelPod. Get information on destinations, world news that affects travel, and more on this travel blog.
44. The Cranky Flier. This airline aficionado blogs about news and events relating to the airlines.
45. Parisian Spring. This travel writer with a penchant for all things French offers great suggestions for making the most of your travel.
46. Collazo Projects. Written by a couple who share a passion for travel and culture, this blog shares their insight, especially with their experience among Latin American communities.
47. Go Green Travel Green. This blog features the best of green travel and tourism.
48. Indie Travel Podcast. If you love to see the world on your own travel terms (as most aspiring travel writers do), then these podcasts are a great resource.
49. What a Trip. Find out about budget travel opportunities, learn how to pack appropriately, get destination information, and more on this travel blog.
50. Nile Guide. The Nile Guide team goes out into the world and brings it all back for you. They offer stories, travel tips, and photos from around the world.

Meet Travel Writers

These travel writers offer samples of their work, glimpses of their lives, and more through interviews and on their personal websites.

51. Travel Writers: Interviews. Meet several travel writers through these interviews and get tips from those who have been there before you.
52. Bill Bryson. Find out about this award-winning writer through his website that offers plenty of downloads and the opportunity to sign up for his newsletter.
53. An Irreverent Curiosity. David Farley provides his travel stories, interviews, blog, and more on his website.
54. Jann Huizenga. This travel writer and ESL teacher shares her work, photos, and more.
55. Joe Cummings. Travel through this website to see travel photos, read interviews with Joe, and more.
56. Joshua Berman. Read Joshua’s articles, his blog, and find out about his travels on this website.
57. Jen Leo’s Rising Thong. Find out what this travel writer has to say about how travel changes a person and getting travel writing published.
58. Randall Wood. Read Randall’s travel writing or just find out more about him and his adventures here.
59. Peace Corp Worldwide. This site is devoted to Peace Corp travelers who share their travel experiences and life after volunteering.
60. Life of a Travel Writer: Lara Dunston. Find out what this travel writer has to say about her 17 years on the road with her husband, her aspirations as a child, and her advice for new travel writers.

Travel Websites

These travel websites can help you learn about destinations you may want to visit, help you plan your trip, and more.

61. WorldHum. Read what travel writers have to say, check out the blogs here, and stay on top of both travel and those who write about it.
62. Rick Steves Europe. Learn from one of the most recognizable names in travel writing at his website.
63. Perceptive Travel. This online travel magazine publishes some of the best travel articles by top writers.
64. Brave New Traveler. Get trip ideas, traveling tips, connect with a traveling community, and learn about great gear to take along at this site.
65. Jaunted. Pop culture meets travel guide at this site that keeps the ADD crowd updated with small bits of important and interesting information.
66. Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site. Find travel tips, photos, videos, and travel blogs at this site.
67. Lonely Planet. One of the most recognizable travel guides available, their website offers a wealth of information for travelers.
68. RennyBA’s Terella. If travel through Norway is on your agenda, then check out this blog.
69. Fodor’s. Explore travel options, discuss travel with others, find travel deals, and more on this popular travel guide’s website.
70. Frommer’s. Find plenty of tips, sign up for newsletters, book trips, or connect with others here.

Groups and Organizations

Networking and making connections with respected organizations are great ways to give your travel writing career a boost, so check these groups out to find some that may be helpful for you.

71. guidebookwriters.com. The members here can put their photos and work online to showcase their work.
72. Travelwriters.com. This professional online network of travel writers will help you get connected and become more visible.
73. Travelwriters UK. This organization can host your personal website, offers tips on landing jobs, and facilitates networking with other travel writers from the UK.
74. American Society of Journalists and Authors. Visitors to this site can get writing resources, newsletters, and conference information while members can receive professional support and networking opportunities to further their writing careers.
75. International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association. Members here can get job leads, invitations, networking opportunities, and media trip information.
76. North American Travel Journalists Association. Working travel journalists can join this group to find professional development and networking opportunities.
77. Society of American Travel Writers. Not only can you find professional development assistance with this group, they also provide plenty of tips such as ways to travel inexpensively and how to become an ambassador of peace through travel.
78. Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild. Outdoor writers can post information on the website, network, receive personal development, and much more here. While this group is out of the UK, membership is open to residents of any country.
79. National Association of Women Writers. Get education and network with other women writers online and in person with this organization.
80. Writers and Photographers Unlimited. This organization is an "online marketing service for English-language professional writers and photographers worldwide."

Finding Writing Gigs

Whether you want to beef up you writing portfolio or are ready to rely on travel writing for your entire income, these sites will help you find the job you need.

81. JournalismJobs. Search for jobs in the field of journalism. Categories include freelance, internships, and even contests.
82. NewsJobs.net. Get links to sites where you can search for news jobs or read others’ essays offering advice about how they found their reporting jobs.
83. Journalism.co.uk. If you are trying to find journalism work in the UK, this site is definitely the place to go.
84. Writer Gazette. Not only can you look for freelance jobs here, but you can also read articles, get tips, and more.
85. FreelanceWriting. Find jobs, enter contests, and learn how to improve your writing skills from other writers.
86. Writerfind. Find jobs, post jobs, and put your profile on this site that helps facilitate finding freelance and telecommuting jobs for writers.
87. Mediabistro. Freelancers looking for media-related jobs should definitely check out this popular site.
88. WritersWeekly. This site posts weekly job opportunities as well as freelance opportunities, articles for writers, and much more.
89. Media Kitty. Search for journalism jobs or get story ideas and media requests at this site.
90. Freelance Writing Jobs for Web and Print. Find freelance jobs as well as writing and job-hunting tips, networking, and more.

Travel Made Easy

Check out these tools and resources for making travel easier, cheaper, or let others follow along with you.

91. TripIt. This travel organizer will compile all your travel arrangements and create an itinerary for you.
92. ePassportPhoto.com. Take a photo at home with your digital camera, then use this free tool to convert it to a passport photo that meets the specifications for over 60 countries.
93. TravNotes. Create your personal travel microblog here and you can also plan trips, share photos and videos, and share ideas with other travelers.
94. The Universal Packing List. Enter the information about your trip and you will get a complete packing list customized to your needs.
95. Jumpclaimer! Send text messages while traveling to create pins on a Google map so that others can follow along as you explore the world.
96. Weather2Travel Climate Guide. Click on any place in the world to find current weather conditions. This is a great tool to use when packing for your trip.
97. YourGMap. Create a custom Google map that shows where you went on your travels or where you plan to go next.
98. Universal Currency Converter. International travelers can use this handy tool to get the exchange rate in many countries.
99. iSubwayMaps.com. Choose from cities worldwide and download subway maps to your iPhone, iPod, or iPod Nano.
100. Yapta. Plan your flight with this tool and it will alert you when prices drop so that you can purchase the ticket. If prices drop significantly enough after you purchase, it will alert you again so that you can get a refund from the airline.

General

These collections celebrate architecture in general.

1. Architecture-Building & Construction: This group is devoted to building and construction around the world.
2. Architecture Directory: Architecture Directory offers a meta-group for finding Architecture groups on Flickr.
3. Flickr Favorite Architecture Photographers: Find and highlight some of the best architecture photographers on Flickr here.
4. Architectural Paparazzi: Architectural Paparazzi is all about candid photographs of buildings.
5. Architecture Porn: Find sexy shots of sexy spaces in this collection.
6. Architectural Drawings: Check out this group to find drawings, sketches, plans, and more.
7. 1-2-3 Architecture: Through this group, you’ll find the best architecture photos from each member.
8. 100+ Viewed Best Architecture Photos: This collection offers excellent architecture images on Flickr.
9. Architecture Travellers: This group is all about people who travel and visit architecture all over the world.

Historical & Derelict

Fans and students of old architecture will enjoy these collections.

10. Any Derelict Building: If you’re interested in grunge and abandoned buildings, check out this group.
11. Old Houses: See pictures of houses 90, 100 years and older in this collection.
12. ArchitectureThen & Now: History Through Photography: Explore history through the photographs in this collection.
13. Big Old Buildings/Interesting Architecture: Find all things old and big in architecture in this group.
14. Architecture of Days Gone By: See photos of old and historic buildings in this group.
15. This Old House (Century Homes): This collection offers a showcase of century homes.

Locations

View architecture by geographic location through these collections.

16. AIA 150: America’s Favorite Architecture: See photos of AIA’s 150 favorite architecture sites in this group.
17. Architecture in the Phillipines: In this group, you’ll find a showcase of architecture in the Phillipines.
18. Sugar House, Salt Lake City: Explore the Sugar House neighborhood in Salt Lake City through this collection of photographs.
19. Architecture in Europe: Find and share photography of European architecture in this Flickr group.
20. Hong Kong-The Noble House: Explore Hong Kong architecture through the images presented in this group.
21. Happy Houses New Orleans: Find a collection of brightly colored New Orleans homes here.
22. An Album of Murfreesboro, TN Houses: This collection of photographs will let you look into the homes of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
23. Building Developments UK: Check out the construction development of buildings in the UK in this group.
24. Building/Architecture in Asia: Be sure to check out this group to see a variety of Asian architecture.

Periods

These collections are useful for students who want to research architecture from specific time periods.

25. 1960s Interior Design and Residential Architecture: Check out homes with 1960s style in this collection.
26. Architecture from 1900 to 1999: Discover architecture from 1900 to 1999 by state, architecture, year, and more.
27. Tower Blocks and Architecture of the 1960s and 1970s (UK Only): This collection shows various architecture of the 60s and 70s in the UK.
28. 20th Century Prefab Homes: This group celebrates prefab homes of the 20th century.
29. Architecture, 1400-1900: Take a look at the architecture in between the medieval and modern eras, from 1400-1900.
30. 1970s Architecture and Design: In this collection, you’ll see homes, municipal spaces, and other buildings with 1970s design.
31. 19th Century Prefab Homes and Buildings: Check out prefabricated and mass produced homes from the 19th century here.
32. 1950s Interior Design and Residential Architecture: Explore the architecture and design of the ’50s through this collection.
33. 1903 Building Dates: See buildings built in 1903 in this group.
34. 1980s Interior Design and Residential Architecture: Lovers of 80s style will find lots of great photos in this collection.

Styles

See architecture styles, movements, and more in these collections.

35. Brutalist Architecture: Check out this group to find buildings made of concrete in the Brutalist style.
36. The OTHER Adobe-Hand Built Houses: This group is full of mud brick, owner built, recycled materials, stone, straw, thatching, and other hand built homes.
37. Art Deco: See art deco designs in this collection.
38. Byzantine Empire: Explore Byzantine heritage and architecture by checking out this collection.
39. Victorian Style Homes: See old, ornate Victorian homes in this collection of photographs.
40. Palladian Architecture: Here you’ll find architecture inspired by the designs of Andrea Palladio.
41. Castles-Castillos: Find nearly 24,000 photos of castles around the world in this collection.
42. Baroque: This collection highlights designs with Baroque elements.
43. Retro Modern Architecture and Design: You can find buildings, homes, and other pieces of architecture that incorporate modernist and mid-century styles.
44. Decorative Concrete Architecture: Find concrete architecture of all kinds in this group.
45. Atomic Ranch: This collection is full of American atomic ranches from the 40s-70s.
46. Ambiente Medieval: In this collection, you’ll see images of places that evoke the European Middle Ages.
47. Modernist Houses: See photographs of modernist homes in the UK here.
48. Flatirons-Wedged Buildings: Find a celebration of wedged buildings in this collection.
49. Eastlake, Stick Style, Italianate Architecture: This group celebrates simple, beautiful Victorian style.
50. Antebellum: In this group, you will see photographs of buildings in the Southern US that were built before the Civil War.

Ugly Buildings & Bad Design

Not all architecture is great-see some of the worst here.

51. Ugly Transformation of a Building: See photos of buildings that are ugly in their transformation in this collection.
52. Bad Architecture: Check out this collection for architecture that just doesn’t make sense.
53. Eyesore: Find incredibly ugly buildings in this Flickr group.

Construction

Watch architecture in progress through these collections.

54. Building Demolition and Rebirth: Check out this group to find photos of buildings being demolished and rebuilt.
55. All Construction: See construction on buildings and roads in this collection.
56. Seattle Under Construction: Check out this collection to view Seattle’s current construction sites.
57. Construction/Destruction of Ireland: View construction in Northern and southern Ireland in this collection.
58. DC Under Construction: See all of the ongoing construction and development in Washington, DC through this group.
59. Dubai Construction: This group celebrates all of the ambitious construction in Dubai.
60. Contract Journal-Construction Machinery: Take a look at construction machinery in this group, including excavators, cranes, and diggers.
61. UK Construction: Check out the construction projects going on in the UK in this collection.
62. Norway Constructions and Design: In this group, you’ll find photos highlighting constructions and design from all around Norway.

Landmarks

In these collections, you’ll see some famous landmarks.

63. Oslo Opera House: See the Oslo Opera House from a variety of different angles through this collection.
64. New York 3 Flatiron Chrysler Empire State Building: Find photos of three New York City landmarks in this group; the Flatiron Building, Chrysler Building, and Empire State Building.
65. George Eastman House: These photographs will give you the opportunity to explore the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.

Uses

The architectural gems in these collections are categorized by their use.

66. Barns & Silos: Lovers of countryside architecture will appreciate this collection of barns and silos.
67. Bodegas, Groceries & Corner Stores: Explore small urban grocery stores through this collection.
68. Factory: Check out new, old, amazing, and defunct factories.
69. Almshouses: See British and European almshouses in this collection.
70. City Hall: This collection is full of photos of city halls around the world.
71. Campus Architecture: Check out this group to see the architecture of college, university, and other educational campuses.
72. Designer Hotels: Explore boutique and designer hotels through this group.
73. Fortresses, Forts & Fortifications of the World: Here you’ll find beautiful and interesting photos of the forts in our world.
74. Barns: This group offers lots of photos of barns old and new.
75. Drive-Ins: In this collection, you’ll see photographs of drive-ins of all kinds.
76. Park It-A Study of Garages: See loads of garages in this collection of photographs.
77. Former Theaters: See photographs of buildings that used to be theaters in this group.
78. Fashion x Architecture : This group’s photos highlight the flagship stores of major fashion houses.
79. Adult Books & Videos: Explore the exteriors of adult book and video stores in this collection./li>
80. Cinema Architecture: Look at interesting photos of movie theaters around the world through this group.
81. Churches and Houses of Worship: See churches, temples, mosques, and more in this collection.

Home

Explore houses and homes through these collections.

82. Eccentric Houses: This collection is full of some of the most eccentric homes out there.
83. In the House: See what’s a part of other peoples’ homes in this collection.
84. Houses and Homes: This group highlights the exteriors of interesting homes from around the world.
85. Beautiful Houses and Villas: In this group, you’ll find beautiful homes around the world.
86. Architects House Themselves: See images from homes built by architects, for architects in this collection.
87. This Old House: Check out the photos in this collection to see old houses and historic homes.
88. Haunted Houses, Buildings & Other Creepy Places: You can get a good look at some of the creepiest places in the world through these photographs.

Elements

These collections celebrate different parts of architecture.

89. Details of Modern Architecture: Check out all of the little details that go into modern architecture in this Flickr group.
90. Houses with Towers: See lots of homes with towers and turrets in this group.
91. Arches: See arches manmade and natural in this collection.
92. Architectural Details: This collection will show you lots of unique, interesting, and unusual architectural details.
93. Beautiful Ceilings: Embrace a love of ceilings in this collection.
94. Light in Architecture: Find out how light transforms ordinary into extraordinary through this group.
95. Drive-Thru: In this collection, you will see photographs of restaurants with drive-thru windows.
96. Domes in Architecture: This collection is full of architectural domes.
97. Historic Porches, Gingerbread, Woodwork, Millwork & Scrollwork: If you’re interested in trim work on historic homes, this collection is for you.
98. Building Dates: This group encourages viewers to find the date of construction on buildings.
99. Architectural Details and Decorative Elements: Take a look at all of the little elements of architecture through this collection.
100. Any Towers: Lovers of towers, spires, lighthouses, and more will find what they’re looking for in this collection.

MBA students can start their networking off right by plugging into these great blogs. Some of the offerings include official blogs for business schools, blogs from current students offering their experience, blogs from alumni offering advice in retrospect, blogs from innovative professors at online college or brick and mortar institutions, and even informative blogs that can help with admissions or life after graduation. Take a look at these blogs to find advice, learn about important leaders in the field, or just help ease the journey through business school.

Official School Voices

Among these blogs you will find collaborative student blogs from a variety of MBA schools as well as blogs directly from the schools offering anything from advice on education to news and information about the business world.

1. Berkeley MBA Student Blogs. Find out what the MBA students at Berkeley have to say about student life, studies, and their futures.
2. BU MBA Student Blog. The students at Boston University post about the challenges of school, campus events, and more.
3. Wharton Student Diaries. Read about such topics as Dedicated Interview Period, balancing life and academics, and specific classes at The Wharton School.
4. Voice of GBS. The students at Goizueta Business School at Emory University offer plenty of information and diverse perspectives as each share their experiences and share a bit about the school.
5. Ideas at Work. This blog from Columbia Business School provides information on business research and practice from the faculty.
6. Duke Research Advantage. Hosted by an MBA student in Fuqua’s Cross Continent MBA Program, this blog brings the latest research findings in the world of business to students to enhance what they are learning in the classroom.
7. Kellogg Insight. Read about the latest research of the professors at Kellogg School of Management and access several faculty blogs as well.
8. BizDeans Talk. This collaborative blog features deans from many of the top business schools writing about business school education.

Students on Their Own

These student blogs are not affiliated with any particular school and frequently offer a much more personal view from the perspective of just one student.

9. Andrew says…. Andrew is a student of the Marshall MBA program at USC and blogs about marketing and entrepreneurship as well as student life.
10. To MBA or Not to MBA. Read about student life, balancing motherhood and school, and much more on this blog.
11. Paragon2Pieces. This blogger is a student in both the McCombs School of Business and UT School of Law. Her blog covers the ambitious nature of her education venture.
12. JulyDream. From interview dilemmas to embracing well-deserved time off, this blogger provides a slice of life as a student in the Darden School of Business.
13. One Man Band. B school and music meet in this blog that covers life from the perspective of a student with a passion for music.
14. MBA for HairTwirler. From interviews to why intelligent women feel the need to unnecessarily apologize, this blog covers it all.
15. This Is Not About Me. Jackie shares her down-to-earth perspective of life, studies, and the community of students at Darden.
16. it’s not just about having good hair. This ex-professional cyclist and model has turned to an MBA program and blogs about such topics as sustainability, fashion, and farm life as well as the usual MBA topics.
17. shahidhussain.com. This student from the Kellogg MBA program blogs about marketing, student life, and more.
18. CS @ HBS. This blog offers entertainment and insight into being a student at Harvard Business School.
19. Wharton MBA for Executives. Learn about the intensity of this MBA program, the camaraderie that develops between students, and blowing off steam to find balance.
20. ONEness with the GSB MBA. Attending the part-time program at Chicago Booth, this blogger shares experiences at school as well as in India for an internship.
21. Rainierisms. These three MBA students bring their experience at school and in life to this blog.
22. Back to Business School. This blogger shares the challenges of balancing business school, work, and marriage.
23. sync. This MBA student at Harvard blogs about life as a student as well as posts touching on a past life as a television news producer.
24. Inside HBS. This student at Harvard Business School offers posts about recruiting, interviews, classes, and more.
25. Harvard Bound. This 2010 Harvard MBA candidate blogs about her experiences both in and out of the classroom.
26. off the record. This former journalist turned MBA student reports about life and education at Darden.
27. Comfortably Dumb!. Despite the title of this blog, this woman seems anything but dumb as she blogs about life inside and out of business school.
28. Gosh Darden. While this blogger doesn’t post frequently, her posts often explain why as she presents the struggles and successes of academia.

MBA Students Outside America

Many excellent business schools are located outside America, and these blogs represent voices from students studying around the world.

29. Ivey MBA Student Blogs. The Ivey MBA students in Ontario have plenty to say about life in the program, challenges of school, the perspective of being an international student, and much more.
30. Ruminations of a London MBA Student. Posts covering business school classes, world politics, and the best place to party in London are found side-by-side in this eclectic blog.
31. Ramblings of a free mind. This student just recently graduated, and his posts are frequently thoughtful examinations of world political and financial topics as well as his experience as an MBA student in Paris.
32. Ronjon in Oz. This ex-military man is earning his MBA in Australia and blogs about his experiences of school and life down under.
33. Inside the London MBA. Students at the London Business School post news and experiences surrounding their education.
34. (Out of a Limb) Back in the Saddle. This blog will keep you updated on plenty happening around London Business School as well as other business topics.
35. Queen’s MBA: Going the Distance. Find out about the classes and student life at Queen’s School of Business in Ontario.
36. MBA Diary. Current and former students at Copenhagen Business School contribute to this blog that covers everything from school to life after school.
37. The Life at Cass Blog. Students and alumni post about happenings at Cass Business School in London.
38. The AIM Blogger. Written by a former student of the Asian Institute of Management, this blog provides updates and happenings at the school.
39. Doing an MBA in Calgary. World finances and working on an Executive MBA are the focus of this blog.

A Word from the Alumni

Graduates share their business school experiences as well as advice for life after graduation.

40. Law Students Can’t Do Math. This alum graduated with both a JD and MBA and has just started this new chapter of her life in the working world.
41. Just Being Barun Moitra. From books to Wall Street to cricket, this MBA alum shares many thought-provoking posts.
42. Babson Tech Talk. Babson College MBA alumni blog here on entrepreneurship and business.
43. Marquis’ Weblog: My journey to a Stanford MBA and a career in business. Marquis offers his experience and also answers readers questions on MBA-related topics.
44. Roll Away the Dew. With a very eclectic background, this blogger offers his experience in MBA admissions, health policy, and even knitting.
45. HidLog. This Santa Clara graduate blogs about life in the working world.
46. The Whisperer: A young executive’s shared experience. Even though this blog isn’t currently being updated, it offers some excellent advice and experience on both the MBA experience and consulting.
47. Startup Economy. This recent graduate of the Sloan School of Management writes about entrepreneurial topics on this blog.
48. (re)Think. Get this Stanford Business School alumnus’ perspective on marketing and advertising in his blog.
49. MBA Internet Market Manager. Learn about Internet marketing, MBAs, e-commerce, and more here.
50. GeekMBA360. This MBA graduate works in marketing for a tech company and blogs growing your career, surviving the recession, and managing personal finance.
51. Back to B-School. This blog is written by a graduate of Kellogg Graduate School of Management and offers tons of insight into the world of business school.

Professors Perspectives

These blogs share the latest thoughts coming from business school professors and touch on topics ranging from management to technology to sustainability to leadership.

52. Whatever Happened to Thrift?. Professor Ronald T. Wilcox wrote a book by this same name and his blog covers the same issues–namely, why Americans don’t save and how that practice can be changed.
53. Financial Rounds. This professor blogs about corporate finance and investments as well as life outside academia.
54. Andrew McAfee’s Blog. This professor at Harvard Business School writes about technology as it pertains to business.
55. Open IT Strategies. Joel West writes about IT and business with a focus on creating business models.
56. Strategy Freek. Freek Vermeulen, from London Business School, writes on growth and strategic innovation.
57. Robert Salomon. This professor from Stern School of Business features posts on corporate strategy, the economy, and more.
58. Tom Davenport The Next Big Thing. A professor at Babson College, Tom Davenport blogs about management innovations.
59. Grasping Reality with Both Hands: The Semi-Daily Journal Economist Brad DeLong. This popular blog, written by an economy professor from U.C. Berkeley, features posts about the economy and it’s relationship to politics.
60. Carpe Diem. Mark J. Perry writes about real estate, bubbles, and more on this popular blog.
61. Division of Labour. This collaborative economics blog is written by several professors from a variety of schools.
62. John Quelch Marketing KnowHow. This professor from Harvard Business School discusses global marketing.
63. Marketing Profs Daily Fix. This collaborative blog discusses topics that range from social media to corporate image.
64. Rita McGrath Dynamic Strategies. This professor from Columbia Business School looks at innovation and entrepreneurship on her blog.
65. John Sviokla The Near Futurist. Marketing and management feature highly in this blog by Sviokla, both an adjunct professor from Kellogg School of Management and vice chairman of a consultancy group.
66. Stew Friedman Better Leader, Richer Life. Leadership and work/life topics are the focus of this Wharton professor’s blog.
67. Ed Batista. This leadership coach at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business writes about leadership and management in his blog.
68. sustainable business design. Written by N.E. Landrum, this blog shows how sustainable business decisions make good sense economically and socially.
69. Harga-Blog. Andrew Hargadon writes about technology innovation and management with an emphasis on sustainable technology.
70. The Business of America is Business. Starling David Hunter frames his posts in popular culture while covering a variety of topics as they relate to American business practices.
71. The Borjas Blog. Professor George Borjas specializes in labor economics and blogs about globalized immigration and labor issues.

Recruiting and Admissions

Getting into an MBA program can be tough, but these blogs help to ease the way.

72. MBA Blog: The Wharton School. Applicants to The Wharton School or prospective students anywhere looking for a taste of the admissions process can find the latest on interview openings, interview locations, and other information pertinent to applicants.
73. Ivey MBA Recruiting & Admissions Blog. Get the inside scoop on recruiting and admissions from this Canadian MBA program.
74. Stacy Blackman Blog. This consultant helps students application process for MBA programs, and her blog keeps applicants informed of the latest news and opportunities.
75. Accepted Admissions Blog. While this blog technically addresses admission to any graduate program, there is a large amount of information specific to MBA programs here.
76. Darden Admissions News Blog. Watch videos of students expressing their views, get deadline information, and more at this blog.
77. Ask an OwenBlogger. MBA students at Owen Graduate School of Management answer real questions about admissions and other related topics.
78. The Henley DL MBA Director’s Blog. Find out about the happenings at this well-respected MBA distance learning program in the UK from this blog.
79. Clear Admit Blog. Follow the posts here to find the inside scoop on admissions to many of the top business schools.
80. MBA Game Plan – Business School Admissions Advice. Business Week offers up news and information about admissions at many of the popular business schools.
81. Stanford MBA Admissions Blog. Not only can you find deadline-type information here, but Stanford also includes real-life examples from students that made it into the school.
82. Harvard Business School Admissions & Financial Aid. Find news, events, and other important topics that relate to admissions at HBS.
83. MBA Admissions Blog. AdmissionsConsultants provides a blog that features news and information about admissions at many of the top business schools.

Podcasts

From advice on student life to lectures from leaders in the industry, these podcasts are sure to enrich your MBA experience.

84. MBA Podcaster. Listen to podcasts with plenty of information about getting into an MBA program here.
85. The Lauder Podcast. Find out about student life, language immersion opportunities, and other international business topics on this podcast.
86. Podcast Series: The Darden Speaker Series. Listen to featured speakers who have visited Darden here.
87. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders. Get weekly lectures from Stanford University on entrepreneurial topics of interest.
88. MBA Admissions Podcast Page. Take a listen to learn how you can get admission help with Accepted.com here.
89. IMD Podcast. Access the free podcasts through iTunes if you are not a student at IMD.
90. Knowledge @ Wharton Podcast Archive. Listen to these podcasts from industry leaders as well as the students and professors of Wharton.
91. McKinsey & Company Podcast Interviews. Get research and insight from this leader in the management consulting industry from their podcasts.
92. MIT Sloan School of Management Podcast. These podcasts offer experience, opinion, and research from students and faculty.
93. Chicago Booth Podcast Series. Faculty members and guest speakers present lectures touching on research and innovative ideas in the field of business.

After Graduation

Once you’ve completed your MBA, you will probably need to enter the working world. These blogs offer advice on ways to make it work for you.

94. Management Consulted. Get information about resumes, recruiting, interviews, and more from this blog written by an ex-consultant with McKinsey.
95. Mergers & Inquisitions. Learn how to get into Investment Banking with the tips and suggestions at this blog.
96. The Crazy Lives of Consultants. The title says it all. This blog offers some of the best craziness that occurs when you pursue a profession in consultancy.
97. Killer Consultant. If you strive to become a great consultant, then you will definitely want to check out the advice on this blog.
98. IBankingFAQ. If you are interested in Investment Banking, then check out the questions submitted by readers and the answers written by this former investment banker.
99. Investment Banking Resumes. Find tips on cover letters, resumes, and interviews specifically for those seeking careers in Investment Banking.
100. Steve Shu on Management Leadership. Readers will find both tips for prospective Management Consultants as well as news and information about the business of Management Consulting.

The concept of ecotourism is not a new one.  For approximately two decades, the term ecotourism has been used to promote travel to countries whose primary attractions are its natural wonders.  Ecotourists are a socially and environmentally conscious group of people who wish to have authentic experiences in the lands they travel to, without making a negative impact on the environment or the communities that they visit.

More and more, opportunities to study abroad within nature are providing students of all ages with holistic experiences that bring together the natural elements and those of the classroom for a truly enriching educational endeavor.  Additionally, universities around the world are offering courses, certificates, and degrees in ecotourism to meet the rising demand.

Education is inherent in the ecotourism model.  The entire concept is based around learning from other cultures and environments while making a minimal impact on the ecosystem.  An appreciation of flora, fauna, and terrain is another reason many make visits to certain countries.  

Another focus of the ecotourism trade is to help the communities being visited to become prosperous while maintaining the integrity of the environment around them without catering to big businesses that try to greenwash their operations.  Learning how to live more sustainably while supporting these communities is another goal of this growing group of travelers. 

In the end ecotourism is an educational endeavor, whether one is studying abroad, learning to become a guide, or simply traveling with an eye on the environmental aspects of the places they visit.  People interested in ecotourism should seek out opportunities to learn from other lands and cultures while promoting a sustainable and holistic approach to traveling.    

With the state of the economy causing financial distress for a great deal of people, many are looking for new ways to earn money to either supplement their income or start a new career.  The allure of freelance writing drives many budding wordsmiths to hit the keys full force in order to make their dreams of working from home come true.  What follows is a brief article on how to pave the way for a successful freelance career.

Start Producing Content Now

Freelance writers live, breathe, and sleep writing.  They are constantly looking for topics to write about and the world is their source of inspiration.  As a potential freelancer it behooves you to start working on content immediately.  In order to get the big jobs, you are going to need to get some real experience and publications under your belt.

Your Blog Is Your Resume

With technology moving full-speed ahead, there is no reason that you shouldn’t have at least one blog that is regularly updated.  Your blog should be professional and should feature only the best content possible.  If you have plenty of time on your hands, niche-oriented blogs related to your other interests or areas of specialty are a great way to hone those writing skills.

Work is Work

While you may not like every single assignment you are able to get, you are still in a unique and highly coveted position—don’t forget that.  Many people would love to be able to start another career path from home; be sure not to take what you have for granted.

Set a Schedule

Working from home has many benefits, but they can ultimately lead to your downfall.  If what you are writing is specific and research-intensive, take the necessary actions and devote plenty of time to your endeavors.  Deadlines have a tendency of creeping up on you and you don’t want to earn a reputation as a flake.

Be Persistent

As in most endeavors, persistence pays off in the long run.  The more you keep at it, the more likely it is that you will be rewarded down the line.  Keep up with your work load and always keep your eyes on the prize; successful people get where they are because they refuse to be deterred and know what they want.