March 2002

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 1, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
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THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Can you name the site that Kathleen Kenyon, a famous woman archaeologist, excavated?
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March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
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Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREL S. IN INDIANA
I consider myself a bit of an environmentalist, and I am wondering what kind of jobs are out their in this field?

A: FROM MENTOR AZURE DEE EMERLE, COASTAL ENGINEER, OCEAN AND COSTAL CONSULTANTS, INC. IN TRUMBULL, CT
When I was in high school, I considered myself a bit of an environmentalist as well. I was also interested in science, design, and math, so I went to college for environmental engineering. Environmental engineering covers a wide range of topics including: air and water resources, wastewater engineering, geology and soils, chemistry, and
Biology, among others. Most of the courses I have had included ways to protect the environment through technology such as design of recycling plants and waste management techniques, air and water pollution control devices, and the design of wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. I enjoyed my time studying these courses, but eventually I developed a love for the ocean and beaches and I went to graduate school for coastal engineering. Now I use technology to save our shorelines and beaches. At times, I thought environmental engineering was more about engineering and less about the environment. I went to Syracuse University which shares a corner of its campus with the State University of New York School of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF). I had some classes there as well and thought that they were a little more tuned to the "environmentalist". I invite you to check out their website http://www.esf.edu/>www.esf.edu http://www.esf.edu/>http://www.esf.edu/> and look at the courses and programs that might be of interest to you because the "environment" can be quite broad. Additionally, I found the websites http://www.eco.org/>http://www.eco.org/
and http://environmentalcareer.com/>http://environmentalcareer.com
http://environmentalcareer.com/>http://environmentalcareer.com/> that offer a lot of information on environmental careers. I should also add that, although I did not further my career in the environmental engineering field (even though coastal engineering draws on a lot of the principles I learned), there are many jobs out there for
this type of career.

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL AT BROWN UNIVERSITY
IN PROVIDENCE, RI
I happen to have information on the employment of recent graduates of Brown's master's program in Environmental Studies. The emphasis of the program is on policy rather than on science, but many of the students come here after a
bachelor's degree in science because they want to affect policy. Many had worked in environmental jobs before coming to graduate school, and now are ready for more responsibility. The list is too long, I know, but I'm proud of
them! Nearly all are working in environmental fields. I've pasted all 53 here without any editing.
1 Environmental Policy Analyst for the New York Public Interest Research Group
2 Office of Strategic Planning and Policy, RI Department of Environmental Management
3 Analyst, Harris Miller Miller & Hanson Inc. (Noise and vibration consultants)
4 Energy analysts with the CADMUS consulting group working on Energy Star Programs
5 Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute, working with education/training and policy; affiliated with the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
6 Computer consultants, Brown University
7 Director, Risk Management, Brown University, now Technical Director, of International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), where she directs the voluntary standards setting activities of thirteen product groups and an
Adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University
8 Worked for State of MA doing power plant siting reviews. Has recently moved to a private consulting firm, TRC Environmental Corporation, doing the same work from the applicants' side of the issue
9 Winrock International, working on providing photovolatics in Central America.
10 Fulbright to Morocco, then U.S. Peace Corps, Morocco, now Regional Educational Advising Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa,
11 Program Associate, Human Rights and Environment, Center for International Environmental Law
12 Program Coordinator at The Rockefeller Foundation, working with the Partnership for Strengthening African Universities
13 worked for Verizon through the fall of 2001, now on the job market
14 JD from the University of Pennsylvania
15 Assistant to the Director, Rhode Island DEM; last heard of working in public relations in Massachusetts
16 ICF consulting, then an independent consultant, now with NRDC, working as their climate change specialist.
17 Second year law student, Hastings Law School
18 Researcher for the Council on Economic Priorities; proprietor of a graphic design business.
19 Project Manager, Vermont Forum on Sprawl, Switzer Leadership Award (2001)
20 Project manager, North Carolina Division of Emergency Management; Environmental analyst, California Public Utilities Commission.
21 Manager, Emergency Management Services, Brown University
22 worked for Tellus in Boston for about two years doing both environmental and computing support work, after which he switched to a computer start
23 Project Manager, SWCA Inc. Environmental Consultants
24 Senior Representative Region 1, Environmental Health Scientist, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
25 Kindergarten teacher in Seattle; organizing a film festival.
26 Air program officer in Seattle, then in CT.
27 Policy Analyst, Industrial Economics, Inc., Cambridge, MA
28 Media analyst, Washington, DC
29 Analyst, Synapse Energy Economics, Inc.
30 Worked for a consulting firm in NJ, now applying to doctoral programs.
31 Development Staff, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM)
32 Public Health Epidemiology, Rhode Island Department of Health
33 Policy Director, Audubon Society of Rhode Island
34 Extraction Systems, Franklin, MA
35 Program Officer, Municipal Drinking Water Regulation, Massachusetts DEP
36 Recycling Program Assistant with the City of Palo Alto, City of Oakland as a Recycling Specialist, MIS Administrator, City of Oakland
37 Australian national climate change interests
38 Senior Research Assistant, Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University
39 Financial communications consultant, London and NYC.
40 South County Watershed Coordinator, Sustainable Watersheds Office of the RI Department of Environmental Management
41 JD degree from Vermont Law School in 2001; public defender in NYC
42 consultant in electricity for environmental groups and consumer advocates, now marketing for resistor/capacitor products
43 Teaching environmental journalism and environmental communication at Silliman University in the Philippines
44 Ph.D. in Education from the University of Rhode Island, High School Chemistry teacher in RI.
45 completed a post-graduate internship with Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratories in Washington DC, analyzing energy efficiency programs in Eastern European countries, and currently works for Battelle in Yerevan,
Armenia, on regional energy and environment issues
46 PhD candidate, Department of Communications, Cornell
47 Staff Analyst, Public Works and the Environment, U.S. Senate
48 post-graduate internship with Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratories in Washington DC; now works for the Socio Ecological Union, a Russian NGO, on climate change and related environmental issues
49 Analyst on climate change for Jaakko Poyry, consulting firm in Finland; designed and taught a course in international environmental policy at the University of Helsinki; manager, International Institute for Sustainable
Development Reporting Services, Geneva; editor of Linkages Journal.
50 Analyst, Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA
51 Wetlands biologist in Massachusetts.
52 Co-manager of NOAA's / NMFS's Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey; Editor, Maximus' Center for Health Literacy and Communication Technologies
53 Doctoral Candidate, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, at the
College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley
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NEW QUESTIONS:
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Q: FROM MENTEE ALISSA F. IN INDIANA
Where can I receive scholarships for astronomy related subjects?
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Q: FROM AMANDA T. IN MO
While watching the Olympics I noticed that the skaters always turned to where they were facing backwards before they performed a jump. I was wondering if they ever jump facing forward and why they do most of their jumping backwards.
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
I am very interested in math and science, and I love being around kids. I really don't think I want to be a teacher or a doctor, do you have any other ideas?
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Q: FROM MENTEE ERIN R. IN VA
I'm a girl scout, and every year we have a camp out for the girls in 3rd grade and up. As a senior, we plan several activities that the girls can choose to participate in, but in the past, these activities have been lacking in the area of science. This year we hope to have one called "the Manhattan Project," and have several SAFE explosions, but I haven't really found anything that we could use. We are limited by the fact that we are in the woods so we have to bring any materials we need, which is fine, but we won't be able to make a fire or have a way to heat anything. Do you know of any good experiments that kids from 3rd grade to 6th grade would have fun doing, and doesn't require a lot of obscure stuff? Thanks a lot!
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Q: FROM MENTEE KRISTEN K. IN NH
I enjoy working with and helping people. Do you have any suggestions for a field for me to go into? I would like to work with people directly, and I don't want to be a doctor.
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END
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 4, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
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THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Can you name the site that Kathleen
Kenyon, a famous woman archaeologist, excavated?
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March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at <http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
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MENTOR CHANDRA INGLIS, ARCHAEOLOGIST FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS
TALKS ABOUT WHY SHE WENT INTO THE ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD:
I first decided that I wanted to go into the field when I was 11-12 years old. I had an amazing passion during grade school about the Titanic. I wanted to be the person who rediscovered it's location on the depths of the icy ocean floor, and brought it's story back to the surface. I was crushed when I was beat to the chase, and had to settle for watching the TV special on the people who actually did do it. By High School I was still interested, so I took a sociology course, which was as close as I could get, or so I thought. I wasn't aware of all the opportunities that are out there for middle to high school age students to go to field schools, and summer classes in archaeology, and really get a hands on feel for what it is like. We didn't have the internet then, like we do now. Half of the people I entered college with in the field, changed their major within the first term or two. They were expecting Indiana Jones, or even the Discovery Channel, and the reality is not like that. 90% of what we do in the field is not very exciting, you don't always find something, unless you're digging in Greece. However that 10% is often really, really cool, and that is the 10% you often hear about. What I love most about my job is that it's ever changing, there is always something new to learn or see, and someone who can tell you about it. My job changes all the time, and so do I, as I get older
and learn more, my specialties expand and change as well. I started out being able to dig a nice hole and document what came out of it. Now I can write a fully fleshed out report about the excavation process, what we found, how it relates in time and culture, all about the historic buildings and the history of the area. I can also identify and delineate wetlands, and write legal documents. Soon I will be able to fully utilize the ArcGIS program, which is a mapping program allowing you to do query's, and spatial mapping to name a few of it's highlights. So I guess when it comes down to it, my reason's for choosing and staying in the field are ever changing too.
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MENTOR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF GRADUATE SCHOOL AT BROWN UNIVERSITY IN
PROVIDENCE RI, SUGGESTS INVESTIGATING SCIENCE MAGAZINE:
There have been questions about astronomy and women in astronomy. The February 8 issue of Science magazine, which is available at lots of university and public libraries, has a profile of astronomer Vera Rubin. That's Science vol. 295 pp 960-961. Rubin did ground-breaking work on galaxies and raised 4 kids, all of whom are scientists. She's also been an activist for women in science, so the article might be useful for that question on activism.
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Q: FROM AMANDA T. IN MO
While watching the Olympics I noticed that the skaters always turned to where they were facing backwards
before they performed a jump. I was wondering if they ever jump facing forward and why they do most of their
jumping backwards.

A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN, CIVIL ENGINEER AT PATRICK ENGINEERING IN REGION V
Amanda, all I can tell you is what I remember watching a couple Olympics ago, when the broadcasters went over all the jumps and explained what made a lutz different than a salchow (sp?)or an axel. I think this is back in '88,
because they used Brian Boitano as the example. I am not by any means a skater but have grown up watching skating on TV, and am just amazed by it. The axel is the only jump that skaters face forward in their take off. This
means that when a skater performs say a double axel, they are doing 2 1/2 revolutions, instead of just 2 revolutions of a backwards jump, because they always land backwards. In the axel, the takeoff is performed by swinging their free leg and pushing with the foot that is on the ice and using that momentum to lift themselves off the ice and rotate. In the backward jumps, skaters use the toe of their free leg and the skate that is on the ice to push off the ice to gain the height and rotation they need. Because of the differences in takeoff, the backward jumps can be much stronger (two feet pushing off is better than one!). I think this is also why women can perform some quad jumps (all backwards takeoffs) but generally can only do double axels. I don't think guys have moved into doing quadruple axels yet, I think all of their quads were backward jumps also. There are some very impressive physics involved with figure skating. I've found a few internet sites that describe the physics of the jumps and spins, some extremely technical, others easier to understand. Search for "physics in figure skating" and you should find some very interesting things!
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Q: FROM MENTEE ERIN R. IN VA
I'm a girl scout, and every year we have a camp out for the girls in 3rd grade and up. As a senior, we plan several activities that the girls can choose to participate in, but in the past, these activities have been lacking in the area of science. This year we hope to have one called "the Manhattan Project," and have several SAFE explosions, but I haven't really found anything that we could use. We are limited by the fact that we are in the woods so we have to bring any materials we need, which is fine, but we won't be able to make a fire or have a way to heat anything. Do you know of any good experiments that kids from 3rd grade to 6th grade would have fun doing, and doesn't require a lot of obscure stuff? Thanks a lot!

A: FROM MENTEE KRISTEN K. IN NH
The SWE has made some activities for kids that look pretty cool. Each lesson contains hands-on or interactive activities as well as explanations of the science and engineering. Some fields they target are: Civil, Chemical,
Mechanical, Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering. Good Luck! GO TO http://www.swe.org/iac/LP/index.html

A: FROM MENTOR SUZANNE FRANKS, PHD, DIRECTOR, WOMEN IN ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
PROGRAM, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY IN MANHATTAN, KS
Erin, how wonderful that you are involved in Girl Scouts and looking for ways to bring the excitement of science to young girls! There are a couple of good web sites to go to for information and resources on easy science experiments. www.tryscience.org has lots of experiments grouped by subject area; these are easy, fun, and require minimal materials. Also, look at the ZOOM Into Engineering web site, http://pbskids.org/zoom/too/engineering/
You can download activity sheets and order resource materials (you get a video and a booklet with activities and how to set them up and run them.)

A: FROM MENTOR MARTY WOELFEL, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, KENTUCKY STATE
UNIVERSITY IN FRANKFORT, KY
Hi Erin-- I have a return question for you: Are you only looking for explosive activities? If so, I can't help you much. If not, a science activity I have found useful with Girl Scouts of the grade levels you specify (i.e., mostly Junior Girl Scouts) is to work with batteries and flashlight bulbs to do a wide variety of exploratory activities on circuitry. You'd need to buy some flashlight bulbs, wire, tape, etc. Girls could use their own flashlight batteries if needed. Let "the list" if you are interested in pursuing this idea and I'll write some general descriptive information. Being a Girl Scout myself (yes, still. . . .I do outdoor trainings and am on our council's Board of Directors) and also a science teacher, I've used this one with older Brownies and younger Juniors some years ago.
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NEW QUESTIONS:
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Q: FROM MENTEE ALISSA F. IN INDIANA
Where can I receive scholarships for astronomy related subjects?
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Q: FROM MENTEE KRISTEN K. IN NH
I enjoy working with and helping people. Do you have any suggestions for a field for me to go into? I would like to work with people directly, and I don't want to be a doctor.
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Q: FROM MENTEE ISRRA A. IN PA
I was wondering how much money do drafting engineers get paid in a year? What benefits are given to them? How many years of college are needed?
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Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. IN KY
Would it be beneficial to take a foreign language in high school (say Spanish or Latin) for a career in the medical field?
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
I am very interested in math and science, and I love being around kids. I really don't think I want to be a teacher or a doctor, do you have any other ideas?
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END
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 5, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********
The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
**********
THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Can you name the site that Kathleen
Kenyon, a famous woman archaeologist, excavated?
************
March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at <http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
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Q: FROM AMANDA T. IN MO
While watching the Olympics I noticed that the skaters always turned to where they were facing backwards before they performed a jump. I was wondering if they ever jump facing forward and why they do most of their jumping backwards.

A: FROM MENTOR WANDA RITCHIE, SENIOR OPERATION MANAGER, EASTMAN GELATINE CORP. IN PEABODY, MA
Amanda, you are a keen observer. Many people who do not have experience with figure skating would not have made the observation you did. There is one jump that skaters take off from a forward position - the axel. This jump is unique in that the skater must rotate the body some number of complete turns PLUS one-half turn in order to land the jump while moving backwards. For example, to perform a triple axel, the skater must complete 3 1/2 revolutions in the air before landing. All jumps are landed with the skater moving backwards. I believe this is primarily due to the shape of the blade and the inertia/balance of the body. The skater will typically land with their weight toward the front (ball) of the foot and then settle their weight back on the blade as they contact the ice. I know (from personal experience) that coming out of a multi-revolution jump too soon and "landing forward" can be painful!!! (you usually end up falling forward........)
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Q: FROM MENTEE KRISTEN K. IN NH
I enjoy working with and helping people. Do you have any suggestions for a field for me to go into? I would like to work with people directly, and I don't want to be a doctor.

A: FROM MENOTR WANDA RITCHIE, SENIOR OPERATION MANAGER, EASTMAN GELATINE CORP.
IN PEABODY, MA
Kristen, most of the science and technology professions provide significant opportunity to work with and help people, depending on your definition. The projects that most engineers and scientists work on these days are very
complex and require significant amounts of teamwork and cooperation. One suggestion might be to think about what it is that you really enjoy about work with others and what "helping people" means to you. As a leader in virtually any profession, you will have opportunities to share ideas/challenges with your co-workers, as well as to help others see your vision, participate in success of projects and develop their own skills. Personally, as an engineer and manufacturing facility manager, nearly 100% of my time is spent leading teams of people dealing with business
improvement opportunities, coaching teams and individuals to build capability and communicating with others on how their contribution is vital to the success of the company. I find this work very rewarding for me as I see others improve their own interpersonal skills, problem solving skills and understanding of our customers' needs.

A: FROM MENTOR STACY WOOD, PROJECT DESIGNER, PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY
COUNTY IN PITTSBURGH, PA
Hi Kristen, There are a lot of careers that involve working with and helping people in the medical field. I know that you don't want to be a doctor, but would you consider another position? Nursing and Physical Therapy are two
careers that come to mind. A physical therapist works with people to rehabilitate physical conditions which may be caused by a stroke, an accident, or other injuries and illnesses. If you were to become a nurse you would be able to choose what area of nursing that you would most like to be. A pediatric nurse works with young children. A geriatric nurse works with older people. You could also choose to specialize in a particular area of treatment. Such as working with cancer patients, hearing impaired, blind, downs syndrome patients, and the list goes on. You could be a nurse at doctor's office, hospital, or even in a person's home. There are so many possibilities. Other careers that also come to mind are social worker, lawyer, and ministry. There are so many options for a person that wants to
work with and help people. There are endless possibilities for you. I hope that some of the suggestions are helpful to you. Wanting to work with and help people is a very admirable trait. I wish you luck in your pursuit.
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Q: FROM MENTEE ISRRA A. IN PA
I was wondering how much money do drafting engineers get paid in a year? What benefits are given to them? How many years of college are needed?

A: FROM MENTOR JACQUELYN JURGA, CABOT CORP. IN BOSTON, MA
Hi Isrra-
I can't answer for every company, but I am the manager of a design team and can show some light to your questions. Before I became a manager I was a mechanical 'design' engineer for a couple of companies. I hope I understand your question in as much as you are inquiring about an engineering career, not a drafting career? There is a difference. I do not know of a college that gives a degree in drafting engineering. Most would be more likely to offer a mechanical engineering degree (4 years), mechanical technologies degree (2 years)in which your career would require you to know and/or do drafting as part of your daily tasks. As you grow in a mechanical engineering field it is likely you would get a drafter assigned to work for you to give you a chance to do the engineering part of projects rather than the detailed drawings of it. It is my experience that young starting mechanical engineers make mid $40K
and grow from there. My senior people make approx. $70-80K, and more if they continue their education. On the other hand, drafters here do not have 4 year college degrees and make less. A starting drafter makes approx. $35-40K and grows to senior level at approx. $50-57K. Here the drafters are paid hourly and get paid time and a half for over-time. It adds up to a pretty good paycheck. Engineers generally come up with the developmental ideas, do the math and figure out the results required by using modeling theories. The idea then gets to a drafting department for the drawings to be made and details dimensioned for fabricating them into actual things. The engineers know
the products and what next generations will look like, cost and what kind of time is needed to get something from an idea to the market. Much thinking, going to meetings, a lot of figuring and quoting to do. Drafters take direction from engineers and put those ideas into drawing form, without all the added responsibilities. Benefits are different from company to company - but engineers generally get good medical, saving, and company stock benefits as well as the usual vacation, sick time, personal time compensations etc. I hope this helps. Whether you chose a career in mechanical engineering or as a drafter they are both good livings, challenging work and with the knowledge that you provide a vital and critical skill to the company you work for. Good Luck!
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Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. IN KY
Would it be beneficial to take a foreign language in high school (say Spanish or Latin) for a career in the medical field?

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL, BROWN UNIVERSITY IN
PROVIDENCE, RI
I think it's beneficial for everyone to take a foreign language, period. We're so deprived of language learning in the US, English is so dominant! It's true that a lot of medical terms are based in Latin, but there are medical dictionaries to help explain them and the range of vocabulary is rather limited - actually knowing enough Latin to read the language isn't _necessary_. Spanish is common enough here (do I contradict myself? yes. Ok) that a doctor in many
locations will have Spanish-speaking patients and surely could communicate with them better - understand them as well as give them directions - if she knew Spanish. Let me contradict myself again: I've heard that in the Providence,
RI, public schools the children speak some 90 different languages at home! No doctor is going to learn 90languages, but a second language like Spanish could well be useful. Even if you don't end up using a foreign language, learning it even to a slight degree gives you a look at how very differently language can be structured, how very different basic assumptions about the world and relationships can be between people who use different languages. Never experiencing that would be a loss. there's a heartbreaking book about the failure of US medicine to treat a
Vietnamese/Hmong immigrant child : The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Ann Fadiman, 341 pp, $14 (paperback) - reviewed on a pediatric web site, http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v154n12/ffull/pbk1200-1.html Language was only the most superficial of all the cultural barriers to communication between the child's parents and doctors. It's not a technical book at all; I read it just for enjoyment, as a heartbreaking book can be enjoyed. It's being used in medical schools to educate doctors about cultural differences, and I recommend it to anyone thinking of being a doctor.

A: FROM MENTOR SHARON ROSH, DVM, DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, EDGEBROOK
ANIMAL HOSPITAL, EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ
What a great question!!! I can tell you my own personal experience and hope that it will give you some insight. When I was in high school all my friends took Spanish, French, and German, but I took Latin. Granted I did not have modern language and conversation skills, but it helped me beyond my wildest imagination when it came to science, art, literature, and life. The ancient language of Latin and Greek are very important in all the sciences and literature. The modern Romance languages of French, Spanish, Italian, etc are all based on Latin. So, to answer your question, taking a foreign language is a really good idea in high school and in college and I think if you have the opportunity to take Latin then you will have a great advantage in all aspects of academia. Good luck.

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, SOFTWARE ENGINEER AT LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES IN IL
Hi Lauren, Yes, taking a foreign language is VERY helpful in the medical field. I have a friend who is a genetic counselor and is fluent in Spanish. She speaks with Spanish-speaking women almost every day. Not only does it make them feel more at ease, they also will fully understand what you are trying to tell them.
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
I am very interested in math and science, and I love being around kids. I really don't think I want to be a teacher or a doctor, do you have any other ideas?

A: FROM MENTOR DEB MACKAY, PRODUCT MANAGER AT LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL IN
LEXINGTON, KY
Kara, It sounds like we have similar interests. I spend my days as an engineer and my evenings and weekends working with kids as a soccer coach, Sunday School teacher, and as a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Our section of SWE has several members who enjoy working with young people so we arrange events with local Girl Scout troops helping the scouts complete technology-based badges. We have had sessions on the Science in Action and the CyberGirlScout badges. My point is this: you can get involved in your community in a variety of ways to help kids, even if it is not your fulltime job. Another idea would be to be a design engineer at a company that designs toys or computer games. You would probably need to spend some time with children to find out how they react to your new toys and games.
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NEW QUESTIONS:
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Q: FROM MENTEE JEZRA B. IN NH
I love earth sciences, such as biology and chemistry, and also love art. What are some careers and colleges that are good for these interests? preferably located in cities like Boston or Chicago.
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Q: FROM MENTEE SANA A. IN CT
Hi, My high school requires two years of U.S History. I am the first year as a sophomore. I think that next year I want to double up my sciences and take the second year of required history as a senior. The two science courses that I
want to take are Physics and environmental science. Both of these are Honors courses and I really don't think that I will be able to handle history Honors in the same year. Is it a smart idea to save my second year of history till my senior year?
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Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. IN KY
Is there any independent studying I can do/research at the high school and college level, to be a pediatrician?

A: SEE RESPONSE FROM JOAN LUSK ABOVE CONCERNING A BOOK RECOMMENDATION FOR
PHYSICIANS. THE BOOK IS CALLED The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Ann Fadiman.
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Q: FROM MENTEE ALISSA F. IN INDIANA
Where can I receive scholarships for astronomy related subjects?
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END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 6, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********
The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
**********
THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Can you name the site that Kathleen Kenyon, a famous woman archaeologist, excavated?
************
March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at <http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
I am very interested in math and science, and I love being around kids. I really don't think I want to be a teacher or a doctor, do you have any other ideas?

Q: FROM MENTEE KRISTEN K. IN NH
I enjoy working with and helping people. Do you have any suggestions for a field for me to go into? I would like to work with people directly, and I don't want to be a doctor.

A: FROM MENTOR LISA SMITH, SOFTWARE ENGINEER AT COMPAQ COMPUTER IN NH
This answer applies to both Kristen K.'s and Kara T.'s questions. One interesting way to apply math, science, engineering, and working with people is in the robotics and mechanical engineering fields. One idea is
designing robots or objects to help the disabled. There is a lot of interesting work in the area of wheelchairs, artificial limbs/accessories to help people with disabilities live in ways never imagined 20 years ago - there has been so much progress in this field, but much more is still needed! To find out more about careers related to such
work, you might try going to a local hospital to ask some questions. I don't even know what "section" of the hospital this would be in, but I'm sure after a bit of research (or asking a doctor you know?) you could figure it out. Kara, you could do similar work in pediatrics to work with kids. Another idea educational robots. Professor Illah R. Nourbakhsh, a Professor of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University (my alma mater!), does some extremely interesting work in this area. One of his projects has the goal to produce cheap, reliable robots for the classroom, complete with curriculum for teaching a fusion of math, physics and computer science using the robot. Prof. Nourbakhsh is working with a company in California, Hyperbot (<http://www.hyperbot.com/>www.hyperbot.com), which has been in the educational market for years. Interestingly enough, when I went to the professor's web page
(<http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~illah/%20-%20he%20is%20doing%20lots%20of%20interesting%20work!
>http://www2.cs.cmu.edu/~illah/<HTTP:a~illa<www2.cs.cmu.eduh/%20%20he%20is%20doing%20lots%20of%20interesting%20work!> - he is doing lots of interesting work!), I also saw that he is teaching a high school course this summer in Robotic Autonomy! Students will build vision-based robots that use CMUcam and will take the robots home and keep them at the end of the summer. Sounds like a pretty neat way to see if robotics might be an interesting field for you (it is a bit pricey, but some scholarships are available)! Check out <http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~robocamp>http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~robocamp/ for more info. I'm sure there is an aspect to this field that works directly with how people use the robot that either of you might find right up your alley.

A: FROM MENTOR TERESA ESSER IN CAMBRIDGE, MA
Kristen, why don't you consider becoming a venture capitalist? Venture capitalists help people. Venture capitalists help entrepreneurs get the resources they need to turn their lifelong dreams into real, profitable businesses. Venture capitalists work with their partners at the VC firm, with representatives of pension plans and university endowments, with entrepreneurs who are looking for funding and with representatives of large corporations. Venture capitalists often spend their evenings going to entrepreneurial networking events and meeting new people. Venture capitalists work with healthy people! They don't have to cut up bodies or wipe away bodily fluids. Venture capitalists decide which entrepreneurs are going to get money. They have the freedom to invest in people they like. They can decide not to invest in a person if the person seems like a jerk. Venture capitalists exert a great deal of power by providing resources to worthy entrepreneurs. I believe that it would be good for our society if there were more female venture capitalists, since female VCs would probably invest in female-friendly high-tech companies. Some mentors on this list have indicated that some technology companies can be sexist. Why not go straight to the top and decide for yourself who you want to business with? If you're going to spend 8 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars educating yourself so that you can "help people," you may as well choose an enjoyable field. High-tech and biotech venture capitalists often have degrees in scientific areas like biology, computer science, and whatever else. They usually have to get a master's of business administration (MBA) from a top-tier business school before they can become a partner at their VC firm.
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Q: FROM MENTEE JEZRA B. IN NH
I love earth sciences, such as biology and chemistry, and also love art. What are some careers and colleges that are good for these interests? preferably located in cities like Boston or Chicago.

A: FROM DR. ESTHER PEARSON OF MASSACHUSETTS
Jezra, your love of the sciences and art appear to make you an excellent candidate for a "Medical Illustrator" career. This career will allow you to utilize your art skills and knowledge of biology and chemistry to make drawings of
scientific research specimens and/or illustrations for medical books and medical procedure guidelines. Lastly, you may be able to combine computer drawing knowledge to create digitized drawings for making diagrams available over the medium of the Internet. Information about "Medical Illustrator" preparation can be located
at the Internet address as follows. URL:
http://www.naahp.org/NAAHPlinks.html#medill>http://www.naahp.org/NAAHPlinks.html#medill
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Q: FROM MENTEE SANA A. IN CT
Hi, My high school requires two years of U.S History. I am the first year as a sophomore. I think that next year I want to double up my sciences and take the second year of required history as a senior. The two science courses that I want to take are Physics and environmental science. Both of these are Honors courses and I really don't think that I will be able to handle history Honors in the same year. Is it a smart idea to save my second year of history till my senior year?

A: FROM MENTOR DEIRDRE DANIELS, M.S., ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST, MIDWEST RESEARCH
INSTITUTE, KANSAS CITY, MO
Sana, I think you are very wise to split up your honors courses and not take them all at once. There are a few things to consider though. It sounds like you are not planning to take any science courses at all your senior year,
is this true or am I mistaken? If you are interested in pursuing science in college, I would recommend keeping science in your curriculum every year. Something else to consider is that your senior year, no matter how
committed a student you are, you will begin to experience what many call "senioritis". I was very much like you, taking honors courses and very committed to my school work, but no matter how much I didn't want to believe it would happen to me, it did. I came down with "senioritis". The reason I mention this is that I would recommend taking classes your senior year that you enjoy. History is my least favorite subject, something I would not have wanted to take my senior year. If you enjoy History, by all means do what you have already planned. But if you would rather be taking a science course, take one honors science course and honors History your junior year, and the other honors science course your senior year. Just something to ponder. Best of luck in making your decision.

A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN, DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF TECHNICAL STAFF AT LUCENT
TECHNOLOGIES, INC. IN IL
Sana, you might want to consider leaving one of the honors science classes for your senior year and take a slightly lighter load in your junior year. Junior year is usually the time you take the ACT/SAT start looking for a college, and write college applications. This can be very time consuming. It might be wise to leave yourself a little slack junior year and load up a little more in senior year. Best of luck.

A: FROM DANELL OLIVER-COLLINS RETAIL INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER HALLMARK CARDS, INC
KC, MO
I think it is always best to take advanced classes immediately following the primary course. It is easier to understand the advanced class if the information you learned from the primary course is still fresh in your mind. Also, taking 2 closely related courses may be difficult because the information you learn from them are so closely related that a person could become confused easily and you may become frustrated trying to keep the two courses information separate. But if you have other reasons for choosing the course layout you mentioned then I as long as you apply yourself there should be no problem. Keep the notes from your first history class available so you can refer to them
during your second and try to study your physical and environmental science in different settings to keep them separate.

A: FROM MENTOR TERESA ESSER IN CAMBRIDGE, MA
I suggest that you take any Advanced Placement tests that you are going to take shortly after you learn
the material. So, if you take your heavy science classes during your junior year, plan on taking your AP exams during your junior year as well, or shortly thereafter. Don't wait until the end of your senior year to get tested on material that you learned the year before. Other than that, I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't study what you want, when you want. You might consider doing some sort of part time job or internship related to a particular scientific area during your senior year, if you have time. If you've already taken the honors science early, maybe
you could convince someone that you are serious about this area and you want some real-world experience.
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Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. IN KY
Is there any independent studying I can do/research at the high school and college level, to be a pediatrician?

A: SEE RESPONSE FROM JOAN LUSK ABOVE CONCERNING A BOOK RECOMMENDATION FOR
PHYSICIANS. THE BOOK IS CALLED The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Ann Fadiman.
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Q: FROM MENTEE ALISSA F. IN INDIANA
Where can I receive scholarships for astronomy related subjects?

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL, BROWN UNIVERSITY IN
PROVIDENCE, RI
This question has been posted for a while, so although I don't have specific answers I feel compelled to say something. A Google search on "astronomy scholarships" turns up pages of possibilities, at universities in the US and abroad (Tasmania, anyone?) At the college level, getting girls into science is often a priority that the
admissions committee considers. When financial aid is need-based, the amount of aid that might be offered is independent of the field of study, but donors have often specified particular fields of study they want to support. Colleges may have scholarships available for women in science, and astronomy would count. Astronomy is often taught in physics departments and considered a branch of physics, so looking at opportunities for physicists makes sense. At the graduate school level, physics and astronomy departments are likely to offer full financial aid, fellowships or teaching assistantships or research assistantships, to incoming graduate students. NASA has a graduate fellowship program in which the graduate students spend a little time teaching in local public high schools.
The sky's the limit!

A: FROM MENTOR LISA S. AT COMPAQ COMPUTER IN NEW HAMSHIRE
Hi Alissa, many colleges offer physics/astronomy scholarships to their students. I did a search on "astronomy scholarships" in Yahoo, and it came up with a huge list, the first few I've listed below. If you don't know where you want to go to school, and money is a real concern, you might want to start looking more closely at the scholarships any of these schools offer to see how likely it is that you can get one (and how much money they'll give you, if they are renewable, etc). University of Nebraska-Lincoln
<http://www.unl.edu/physics/academic/undergraduate/UNLPhysScholarWeb.html
>http://www.unl.edu/physics/academic/undergraduate/UNLPhysScholarWeb.html
Appalachian State University - Boone, NC
<http://www.physics.appstate.edu/scholarships.html> http://www.physics.appstate.edu/scholarships.html
Sonoma State University - CA (near San Francisco)
<http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/advisor/Scholarships.html> http://www.physastro.sonoma.edu/advisor/Scholarships.html
<http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/> http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/ Mississippi State University
<http://www.msstate.edu/dept/physics/admissions/scholarship.html> http://www.msstate.edu/dept/physics/admissions/scholarship.html
Ball State University - Muncie, IN
<http://www.bsu.edu/csh/physics/ad.htm>http://www.bsu.edu/csh/physics/ad.htm
I am a recent graduate, and I needed scholarships in order to go to school 6 years ago. I searched high and low for scholarships, both local, national, hobby-specific -- ANYTHING, and ended up applying for 30 scholarships! It was a pain to fill out all those forms, but it was definitely worth it. I ended up with $10,000 in outside scholarships (not
from my college), which ended up as lots of small-amount scholarships. One piece of info I can share is that applying for local scholarships (Rotary Club, Lion's Club, Knights of Columbus, etc) is how you have the best chance of getting money for college. National ones are usually for large sums of money, and have so many applicants, your chances are very low. If you can suffer thru a bit more paperwork, your chances are much greater if you apply for smaller-award scholarships (most people don't think it's worth the effort), and many of them. Beware of scholarships where you have to pay to get money -- I did a few of those, and didn't win any, and all the ones I did receive I didn't pay a dime (other than stamps!). Be forewarned that many outside scholarships are for HS seniors only, and are not renewable for the next 3-4 years while in college. Of the many I received, only 1 was renewable. But don't let that deter you - something is better than nothing! I also used FastWeb to search of scholarships, and it's gotten even better since I used it. You can search for particular hobbies you have, or scholarships for particular majors. This site is great for anyone looking for college money. <http://www.fastweb.com/>http://www.fastweb.com/ I found this site, too, but I'm not familiar with it:
<http://www.finaid.org/scholarships>http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/ Good luck!

A: FROM DANELL OLIVER-COLLINS RETAIL INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER HALLMARK CARDS,
INC KC, MO
I've looked all over, and your best bet is to look for scholarships outside the astronomy field and more into the women or academia fields. There are many scholarships out there available to women no matter what degree you
pursue. And there are also scholarships available who look at your academic record. Try searching the internet for scholarships in general and you would be surprised how many sites will catalog scholarships for you. Good Luck!
**********
NEW QUESTIONS:
**********
Q: FROM MODERATOR SARAH SHIRK, UIC IN CHICAGO, IL
If you could be present on any archaeological dig, past or present, where would it be and why?
_________
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 7, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********
The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
**********
THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Can you name the site that Kathleen Kenyon, a famous woman archaeologist, excavated?
************
March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at <http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE KRISTEN K. IN NH
I enjoy working with and helping people. Do you have any suggestions for a field for me to go into? I would like to work with people directly, and I don't want to be a doctor.

A: FROM MENTOR DESIREE BUTTER, M.D. IN PA
Have you considered social work? From my perspective as a physician, social services workers provide invaluable services to the people that they help. Most of the people that they work with and are helping are at points in their lives that they truly need a lot of help. They are
professionals that I admire and respect very much.
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE SANA A. IN CT
Hi, My high school requires two years of U.S History. I am the first year as a sophomore. I think that next year I want to double up my sciences and take the second year of required history as a senior. The two science courses that I
want to take are Physics and environmental science. Both of these are Honors courses and I really don't
think that I will be able to handle history Honors in the same year. Is it a smart idea to save my second year of history till my senior year?

A: FROM MENTOR ANNE GERRIETTS, CIVIL ENGINEER, EAGLE POINT, DUBUQUE, IA
I had a similar decision when I was in high school. I had to decide whether to take Physics my sophomore year the same time I took Biology. There were a couple of things that I considered. First, I had to make sure that it was still feasible with my schedule. You don't want to hurt yourself by scheduling problems because there are some classes you will have to take. Then the second decision is if the workload will be too much. To this I say if you are excited enough about the extra science class then the workload will probably not seem that bad. That was the case with me. I ended up taking some of my math classes out of order because of this change which put me in some classes with students who were not normally in my classes. It was actually a nice change to meet new people! And I think you might find the same thing true about the History class. But the final decision is really going to be can you handle all of the work at once or will you do better in the classes if you spread them out. But I definitely would recommend taking the science classes if you are interested in them.
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. IN KY
Would it be beneficial to take a foreign language in high school (say Spanish or Latin) for a career in the medical field?

A: FROM MENTOR DESIREE BUTTER, M.D. IN PA
I feel that it would be very beneficial to take a foreign language, especially Spanish. There is an ever increasing Spanish speaking population in our country. Although translators are available, using them is cumbersome and time consuming. I feel that speaking a patient's native tongue significantly enhances the therapeutic relationship, no matter what level of health care provider you are. Latin is more helpful from an academic perspective. Most medical terminology was originally composed in Latin. The Latin names for disease processes, anatomy, etc. make intuitive
sense if you understand Latin definitions well.
**********
NEW QUESTIONS:
**********
Q: FROM MODERATOR SARAH SHIRK, UIC IN CHICAGO, IL
If you could be present on any archaeological dig, past or present, where would it be and why?
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE JULIANA W. IN REGION V
I have a very good friend who has had a migraine headache since the beginning of February. Do you have
any suggestions for getting rid of her head aches?
_________
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 8, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********
The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
**********
THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori (1896 - 1957)Nobel Prize winner for Physiology and Medicine and First American woman to receive the
Prize in science is famous for what scientific discovery?
************
March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at <http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE JULIANA W. IN REGION V
I have a very good friend who has had a migraine headache since the begging of February. Do you have
any suggestions for getting rid of her head aches?

A: FROM MENTOR SUZANNE FRANKS, PHD, DIRECTOR, WOMEN IN ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
PROGRAM AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY IN MANHATTAN, KS
Juliana, if your friend has had a migraine for that long, she needs to see a doctor immediately. If your friend
has been experiencing frequent bad headaches, she still needs to see a doctor immediately. If it is truly a migraine,
there are many new kinds of treatments that can be effective at stopping migraines and/or reducing pain and other symptoms. Persistent headaches can be signs of other problems, such as stress or some other kind of biological disorder that need treatment. In any case - urge your friend to see a doctor as soon as possible!
**********
NEW QUESTIONS:
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE ANNA M. IN MI
Next year for my Senior year I'm trying to decide if I should take Statistics or Calculus. I'm in Pre-Calc now, and don't enjoy it basically because I'm really confused, but I think I would be able to understand it if I had a
teacher who taught well. I was wondering if it would be more beneficial to take statistics next year because I have heard that it is something that is needed for any degree basically or to continue with the Calculus stuff. I have no
idea what kind of career I'm interested in.
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE MAGGIE O. IN MN
Where can I find information about the best science colleges in the U.S.?
**********
Q: FOR MENTEES FROM MODERATOR SARAH SHIRK, UIC IN CHICAGO, IL
If you could be present on any archaeological dig, past or present, where would it be and why?
_________
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 11, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********
The votes are in for career-of-the-month. ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. For mentors who have archaeology training, please tell our mentees why you chose this career. For mentees interested in archaeology, learn more at <http://www.saa.org/>http://www.saa.org and tune into the archaeology discussions in this month's daily digests.
**********
THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori, (1896 - 1957), Nobel Prize winner for Physiology and Medicine and first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in science, is famous for what scientific discovery?
************
March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at <http://www.greatwomen.org/>http://www.greatwomen.org
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE ANNA M. IN MI
Next year for my Senior year I'm trying to decide if I should take Statistics or Calculus. I'm in Pre-Calc now, and don't enjoy it basically because I'm really confused, but I think I would be able to understand it if I had a teacher who taught well. I was wondering if it would be more beneficial to take statistics next year because I have heard that it is something that is needed for any degree basically or to continue with the Calculus stuff. I have no idea what kind of career I'm interested in.

A: FROM MENTOR DANELL OLIVER-COLLINS RETAIL INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER HALLMARK CARDS
KC, MO
Take calculus while you are still in high school. You will need calculus for almost any degree you pursue, and it will be much harder to understand if you try to learn it in college than in high school. If you are having problems understanding calculus get a tutor or spend some time after school with a math teacher. You will definitely be better off tackling calculus in high school. From my own experience I had to take calculus twice before I could fully grasp it, and I excel at mathematics. Calculus is such a different type of math that it is difficult to change the basic 1 + 1 = 2 thinking to derivatives and unknowns. I wish I had gotten a tutor.

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL, BROWN UNIVERSITY IN
PROVIDENCE, RI
If you have any choice of teacher, why don't you take the course that has the better teacher? Either or both courses could be useful. Calculus is more important for college chem and physics, but statistics is good to have too - it's probably less important for the early college science years, though. Ask around among students in the year(s) just ahead of you, about the teachers. And do you study with other students? If pre-calculus is confusing, chances are that you are not the only student confused. Getting together, you can pool the parts that some of you understand until all of you understand; and if nobody understands, you have a firm basis to go together to ask the teacher questions.

A: FROM MENTOR MINI V. OF STEMCELL IN MARYLAND
Statistics is vital for everything. I am still sorry to this day that I did not take statistics. Take the statistics now and take calculus in college instead. Information from science to policy rely on statistics. A lot of people are fooled by this statement: as ice cream sales increase, the crime rate also increases. The statement is true, but there is no direct cause and effect between the two items. If someone fed you this line and you didn't know anything statistics, you might think ice cream fed violence.

A: FROM MENTOR DEB GRUBBE, CHEMICAL ENGINEER, AT DUPONT IN WILMINGTON, DE
Anna, you raise a good question. If you are going to major in science or engineering or architecture in college, I would take the calculus. Knowing that your background is a bit weak, and knowing that math courses have been
building on each other for the past 12 years, and they will continue to, I would do this: 1) Get another math teacher who has taught pre-calc to give you some private lessons to fill in the spots that you do not understand. You will have to pay for them; however, it will give you peace of mind that you understand the pre-calc fundamentals. If you are a good reader, you may want to study the course book over the summer, too. 2) Sign up for calculus for your senior year. Calculus builds on itself, and there are different types, too. However, that is now getting into more college stuff!
**********
Q: FOR MENTEES FROM MODERATOR SARAH SHIRK, UIC IN CHICAGO, IL
If you could be present on any archaeological dig, past or present, where would it be and why?

A: FROM MENOTR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL, BROWN UNIVERSITY IN
PROVIDENCE, RI
It's hard to choose. Being with Schliemann when he discovered Troy would have been wonderful -
<http://www.iit.edu/~agunsal/truva/schlie.html>http://www.iit.edu/~agunsal/truva/schlie.html. His second wife, a
Greek who knew classical Greek, helped him greatly with the excavation. For a future project, I'd like to discover the definitive evidence on
who came first to the Americas, how they came, how often, and when. Learning more about human response to the last ice age would be
exciting. I've heard it said that we had to become intelligent to cope with the climate change - but lots of animal species survived without becoming as intelligent. Those big species died - mammoths, saber-toothed tigers - and it would be great to have more evidence on what caused their extinction; to what extent did humans hunt them too much, or was climate definitive, or something else? The disappearance of the Anazasi people from the Southwest is also a tempting mystery. Finding something to reveal what happened to them would be a coup.
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
I am very interested in math and science, and I love being around kids. I really don't think I want to be a teacher or a doctor,
do you have any other ideas?

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, SOFTWARE ENGINEER AT LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES IN IL
Kara, I spoke to my friend who is a genetic counselor and asked for a description of what she does. I also asked her for some other ideas for
careers. Following is her answer: "As a genetic counselor, I talk to couples regarding any high risks to a pregnancy, what kinds of testing is available and the risks and limitations of the testing, help them decide whether to have testing or not, and if they have testing I give them their results and discuss their options and what the child is expected to be like after birth. There are also genetic counselors in pediatrics that are presented with a child who is learning delayed and/or funny looking and Mom and Dad want to know what the child has and what are the chances of it happening again and what the child is going to be like in the future. Other genetic counselors work in adult onset conditions and cancer. Helping people with family histories of something like cancer decide if they want testing to know if they are going to get cancer. They arrange for the testing and give results. "Other fields in the medical field would be a nurse, a physician's assistant, social worker, dietician.
"Genetic counselors still have to take all the pre-med classes and statistics and psychology classes in undergrad."
**********
NEW QUESTIONS
***********
Q: FROM MENTEE MAGGIE O. IN MN
Where can I find information about the best science colleges in the U.S.?
**********
Q: FROM MENTEE STEPHANIE H. IN REGION I
I am choosing classes for my junior year, and this year I took 2 honors classes, and am thinking of taking another honors course that my teacher recommended me for. However, I know that colleges pay close attention to grades in the junior year, and I was wondering if it is a good idea to take the extra honors class next year or to stick with a lower level and get a better grade?
_________
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 12, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********
ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. Mentees: If you have not yet voted for your favorite careers, it is not too late to vote. Go to <http://www.gem-set.org/>http://www.gem-set.org to place your vote today!
**********
THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori, (1896 - 1957), Nobel Prize winner for Physiology and Medicine and first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in science, is famous for what scientific discovery? Send your answer to gem-set@uic.edu.
************
March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at the National Women's History Project,
<http://www.nwhp.org/>http://www.nwhp.org
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Q: FROM MENTEE ANNA M. IN MI
Next year for my Senior year I'm trying to decide if I should take Statistics or Calculus. I'm in Pre-Calc now, and don't enjoy it basically because I'm really confused, but I think I would be able to understand it if I had a teacher who taught well. I was wondering if it would be more beneficial to take statistics next year because I have heard that it is something that is needed for any degree basically or to continue with the Calculus stuff. I have no idea what kind of career I'm interested in.

A: FROM MODERATOR DENISE HARBERT
Hi Anna! I think that question is really hard to answer without knowing more about you, your school curriculum, and your school's teachers. I majored in both math and statistics in college and, at different times, taught both statistics and calculus to college students. (So I know both subjects VERY well!) The first course in calculus is generally believed to be harder than the first course in statistics, so consider your course load and schedule when you decide to take one or the other. Also consider the reputations of the teachers. Either class can seem extremely hard or very easy depending on the teacher. My first calculus teacher was outstanding and my first statistics teacher was horrible, so I actually thought calculus was easier. (I might be the only one, though!) You should also think about your future needs. Both calculus and
statistics are HIGHLY valuable subjects to know, regardless of what career you end up with. Calculus is required for almost every SET college degree. Statistics is required for almost every college degree (SET or not) that would involve research. Statistics is also a valuable life skill. A basic understanding of statistics will allow you to interpret and critique the research you hear about on television, on the radio, in magazines, etc. It will make you less gullible and less likely to believe research that is based on poor assumptions. Finally, you should think about your college plans. At a large university, the first course in both calculus and statistics is usually taught in a large lecture hall with 200-500 students who watch a professor write on a chalkboard at the front of the room 3 hours a week. This is combined with a smaller "lab" of 25-35 students that meets 1-2 hours a week and is led by a graduate student who is teaching in order to pay for her/his Ph.D. in math or statistics.
Professors and grad students can have teaching skills that range from excellent to horrible, but in any case, you will have to aggressively pursue them when you don't understand something. They simply have too many students to ask all of them if they need help. If you have a hard time asking for help when you need it and you're going to a big university, you may want to try taking calculus in high school and leave statistics for college (because most people think calculus is harder). At a smaller college, you would more likely be in a classroom like your high school classes where you would get more individual attention and your teachers might pursue you if they see you're not doing well. One important thing to know about calculus is that many students take it in high school and retake it in college to give them a better edge against their college classmates. This makes college calculus even more difficult for students who didn't take it in high school because the "grading curve" is steeper. Don't let your confusion in Pre-Calc stop you from pursuing calculus. I did excellent in algebra, geometry, and algebra 2, then didn't understand a thing in Pre-Calc, then did outstanding in calculus. All because I had a really bad teacher for Pre-Calc and had really good ones for the other classes. (Incidentally, I'd suggest that you find another teacher or tutor or someone else to help you in Pre-Calc right now. Your grades need to be good enough so you can move on without having to retake it!) See the Q&A below about "What is calculus? What is statistics?"
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Q: FROM MODERATOR DENISE HARBERT
What is calculus? What is statistics?

A: FROM MODERATOR DENISE HARBERT
Calculus is used as the foundation for all kinds of practical problems. Calculus is mainly used to compute areas, volumes, changes in variables,
maximum and minimum values, and slopes of lines drawn tangent to curves. It has direct applications to subjects like engineering and drafting. It is also the math used to prove why various formulas work in biology, physics, chemistry, statistics, etc. The math in calculus is more similar to high school algebra and algebra 2 than it is to high school geometry. (My geometry class required writing in complete English sentences in order to "prove" that, for example, two triangles had the same angles.) Calculus tends to focus more on manipulating formulas like y=5(x-squared) -10x +7 + (x-1)/(x-squared +7). The second class in calculus does involve a lot of trigonometry as well, so understanding sin(x), cos(x), tan(x), sec(x), etc. is very helpful. (Check out a movie about a group of poor "going nowhere fast" high school kids whose teacher believed in them enough to teach them calculus and change their lives -
TRUE STORY - "Stand and Deliver" made in the late '80s.)Statistics is essential to research because it is the field of math used to find and interpret patterns in data (numbers) and to determine which patterns exist by random chance and which ones exist because there is something causing them to be that way. Statistics are used when it is not possible to know the perfect, mathematical solution to a problem. For example, assume that you have a brother who is insecure about his height (5 foot 9) because he thinks most girls are taller than he is. You know he's wrong, so you decide to prove that he is taller than the average height of all high school girls in the state where he lives (say, Michigan). In order to find the exact, mathematical average, you would have to measure every high school girl in the state. This would be impossible because the "population" is constantly changing. By the time you finished measuring the girls in one school, your numbers would be wrong. Some girls would have moved out of Michigan, some in, some would have grown taller, and some might even have dropped out or graduated. All you can do is take a smaller "sample" of girls, measure them, and use that as your estimate of the average height of girls in the entire state. You'd then find that the average height is 6 foot 1. Oops! What happened? Oh, you only measured the girls on an all-star basketball team for Detroit public high schools. That's not a very representative sample of all girls in the state. These girls excel in a sport where being tall is an advantage and they're mostly African American Seniors who are 17 years old or older. In order to get a representative sample, you need to include girls of all ages, races, geographical areas, academic and sporting interests, etc, and include them in the sample in the same proportions that they appear in the state at large. You then find that the average height of girls in the sample is 5 foot 5. That sounds more reasonable, but are all girls really shorter, on average, than 5 foot 9 or did the sample simply contain all the short girls by random chance? Well, the math behind statistics can attach a probability (or likelihood) to this result called a p-value. If the real average height of all high school girls in Michigan is 5 foot 9 like your brother, then the chance that a randomly selected sample would contain girls that are 5 foot 5 or shorter is 1 in 2 million (p-value=1/2,000,000= 0.0000005). That's pretty unlikely, so you can then go to your brother and tell him that you have pretty convincing evidence to suggest that he's taller than the average high school girl in Michigan. That's how statistics works. Another statistics example is this: A research Psychologist noticed that it seemed like men interrupt women more often during conversation than the other way around. A research study was done in a laboratory, women and men were put into groups, and the number of times each person interrupted another was
recorded. Statistical methods were used to prove that men really do interrupt women more often than the other way around. For a while, researchers speculated about why this might be true. Perhaps men are more rude and women are more polite? This was a popular theory (probably because it followed a stereotype) until another research Psychologist with a background in Women's Studies came along and disagreed. Historically, women have had less power than men. Perhaps the difference in interrupting behavior is not a difference between men and women, but a difference between people who have more unspoken social power over others who have less. A research experiment was done in a laboratory, women and men were randomly assigned to lead a group of people in a task, and the number of times each person interrupted another was recorded. Statistical methods were used to prove that the person who was selected to be the leader was the one who interrupted the most, regardless of whether that person was a man or a woman. The visible difference in the interrupting behavior of men and women was proven to be caused by something other than the obvious difference in gender!!!This phenomenon of a "hidden" cause is common. Especially when it comes to differences in people of different genders, races, religions, etc. Because different groups are raised with different incomes, educations, role models, social expectations, experiences, and peer pressures, any differences between them could easily be caused by something other than the obvious. That's why many people get frustrated when they hear conflicting research results and say, "You can prove anything with statistics." That statement is actually false. Statistics usually show what is there - the problem is in how people interpret the statistics. It is very easy to find differences and assume that they are "caused" by a stereotype. It is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to truly prove the real cause. That's why understanding what statistics can and cannot do makes you less likely to believe poorly interpreted results. There are many times when I hear news reports that claim things that are impossible to prove because the only way to prove them would be unethical or illegal or against the laws of physics. I walk away mad at the researchers for pumping false information into the media and other people walk away believing that there is scientific evidence proving that a stereotype is true. In a quick comparison, calculus is a form of math that involves computing exact amounts like areas, volumes, maximums, minimums, and slopes. Statistics is a field of math that involves looking at a group of numbers and computing how likely it is that those numbers occurred by random chance. Statistics is not an exact science. It is the math of how to deal with imperfection. Anyone who continues to pursue college courses in statistics will eventually have to also learn calculus. Calculus is the foundation language that is required to prove why the formulas in statistics work the way they do. Hope this helps!!!
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Q: FROM MENTEE STEPHANIE H. IN REGION I
I am choosing classes for my junior year, and this year I took 2 honors classes, and am thinking of taking another honors course that my teacher recommended me for. However, I know that colleges pay close attention to grades in the junior year, and I was wondering if it is a good idea to take the extra honors class next year or to stick with a lower level and get a better grade?

A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN, CIVIL ENGINEER AT PATRICK ENGINEERING IN REGION V
I am a big fan of challenging yourself rather than taking the easier way out. If you think you can do well in the honors classes, go for it. I have
always been told that honors classes look great on transcripts. Getting a B in an Honor's class may be more interesting to the college than an A in a normal class because you took the extra step and worked harder than you "had" to. And it will be more valuable to you because you won't get bored or lose interest in a class that doesn't challenge you, and you will probably get more out of it.

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF GRADUATE SCHOOL, BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE, RI
College admission committees take into account the greater difficulty of honors classes. The fact that you are willing to take on
challenges is in itself a plus. And don't you find it more stimulating to be in an honors class than in a regular class? If you were just scraping by I doubt that your teacher would have recommended that you take another honors class. I say go for it!
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Q: FROM MENTEE MAGGIE O. IN MN
Where can I find information about the best science colleges in the U.S.?
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NEW QUESTIONS
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A & Q FROM MENTEE Wendy B. in MN
I first wanted to give some advice to Maggie O. in MN. I have been doing the college search thing myself (it can be overwhelming, but don't give up). One great site I have found is <http://www.usnews.com/>http://www.usnews.com once there you can click on education on the left side and then college. You can search for certain majors, different locations, and many other criteria. It is from 2000 though, so if anyone else knows of another place to check out, we'd all love to know about it I'm sure! Hope this helps a little! Now, for some of the mentors, I was wondering if anyone knew what to look for most in a nursing school, and how they picked what college to attend. Was it just one of those feelings people say they get while on campus or something different? Thanks for any input!
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Q: FROM MENTEE CHRISTINE B. IN REGION I
Where is the money in science these days? I've heard so many horror stories about doctors not being able to pay off student loans because of insurance companies. What fields can ensure that I'll be making a good income?
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Q: FROM MENTEE AMY N. IN MN
I love music and have been involved in it pretty much all my life. I am in band, choir, and have been participating in musical theater since 5th
grade. I also am very interested in chemistry. I was wondering if there are any careers that put these interests together. If not, if any mentor
wants to tell me about their careers in chemistry, please do!
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
Hi I would like to know more about what a genetic counselor does. How many years you have to go to school, how much you get paid, and how many openings are in this field? thank you.
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 13, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. Mentees: If you have not yet voted for your favorite careers, it is not too late to vote. Go to <http://www.gem-set.org/>http://www.gem-set.org to place your vote today!
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THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori, (1896 - 1957), Nobel Prize winner for Physiology and Medicine and first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in science, is famous for what scientific discovery? Send your answer to gem-set@uic.edu. PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO GEM-SET STUDENTS IN EACH REGION WHO ANSWER THE MOST QUIZ QUESTIONS CORRECTLY!
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March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at the National Women's History Project,
<http://www.nwhp.org/>http://www.nwhp.org
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Q: FROM MENTEE ANNA M. IN MI
Next year for my Senior year I'm trying to decide if I should take Statistics or Calculus. I'm in Pre-Calc now, and don't enjoy it basically because I'm really confused, but I think I would be able to understand it if I had a teacher who taught well. I was wondering if it would be more beneficial to take statistics next year because I have heard that it is something that is needed for any degree basically or to continue with the Calculus stuff. I have no idea what kind of career I'm interested in.
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Q: FROM MENTEE Wendy B. in MN
Now, for some of the mentors, I was wondering if anyone knew what to look for most in a nursing school, and how they picked what college to attend. Was it just one of those feelings people say they get while on campus or something different? Thanks for any input!

A: FROM MENOTR JULIA HOCHBERG, MECHANICAL ENGINEER AT MOTOROLA IN IL
After picking a school twice (I toured, interviewed, and applied at both private schools for high school and colleges), I am not sure that there is a perfect way to pick a school! After figuring out the most important things to you (location, school/class size, quality of your program, resources, etc.), you will be able to narrow down a list of schools. You can also detect a "personality" of a school through a campus tour (which is a must!). Granted, your opinion of a school can be greatly affected by rainy weather, whether or not you woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, or overhearing a strange conversation between current students. Still, a campus tour is very beneficial and gives you the chance to "picture" yourself as a student there and whether you might enjoy it. It's important to look at the library and think, "is this someplace I will enjoy studying?" or looking at the dining facilities and ask, "will I mind eating the majority of my meals here?" or the dorm rooms and say, "could I live here?" and even the people and ask, "might these people be fun and interesting to befriend?" I'm not sure I had that "special feeling," but rather I felt comfortable at my chosen schools and my visits left me with a good feeling. In the end, its a tough choice, and I don't believe that there is just one school that is a perfect fit for every individual. Like many people have said, "it's what YOU make of it!"
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Q: FROM MENTEE CHRISTINE B. IN REGION I
Where is the money in science these days? I've heard so many horror stories about doctors not being able to pay off student loans because of insurance companies. What fields can ensure that I'll be making a good income?

A: FROM MENTOR VAUGHAN ADKINS, PE, STRUCTURAL DEPARTMENT AT MASON & HANGER
GROUP, INC. IN LEXINGTON, KY
>From the National Academy of Engineers website - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
<http://www.nae.edu/nae/cwe/cwemain.nsf>http://www.nae.edu/nae/cwe/cwemain.nsf
How much money do engineers make? Salaries for engineers depend on what type of engineer they are, what kind of company they work for, how many years of experience they have. In the spring of 2000, the starting salary for many engineers with bachelors degrees was over $40,000 a year. Some engineers just starting out earn more than $50,000 a year!
How long do you have to go to school? You can start working as an engineer with a 4-year college degree. Many engineers go on to earn masters degrees (usually in another 2 to 3 years), and some get a Ph.D. (4 to 6 years beyond the bachelors degree).
Christine, Please be cautious. Money is nice but it isn't everything. Be sure to pick a career that you can get up every morning for. Engineering is challenging and is usually never boring. You can make a good income and pay off your student loads in a reasonable amount of time. Check it out. Be sure explore your own interests. Do you like working with people one on one, or do you like working with things - figuring out how things work?
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Q: FROM MENTEE AMY N. IN MN
I love music and have been involved in it pretty much all my life. I am in band, choir, and have been participating in musical theater since 5th grade. I also am very interested in chemistry. I was wondering if there are any careers that put these interests together. If not, if any mentor wants to tell me about their careers in chemistry, please do!

A: FROM MENTOR JULIA HOCHBERG, MECHANICAL ENGINEER AT MOTOROLA IN IL
Another option is to enter a career in SET but also maintain your musical interests as a hobby. My co-worker had to choose whether or not to go to music school (trumpet) or engineering school his senior year (he was accepted into excellent programs in each). He choose engineering but he plays his trumpet almost everyday in a practice room at a music center, occasionally teaches trumpet lessons, and plays in several community bands. So, there is a way to do both!

A: FROM ANNALIESE BRATCHER, INFO TECH TRAINER, U. KENTUCKY
Amy, I was excited to read about your interest in science and music. Some of the world's best scientists have shared your enthusiasm for music. Albert Einstein played violin throughout his life. One area ripe for scientific exploration that combines music and chemistry is research on how music enhances wellness. Scientists are analyzing the brain and body chemistry of people who are making music or just enjoying music. Here are titles of a few recent studies in this area:
-Music Therapy Increases Serum Melatonin Levels In Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
-Scientific Findings Show That Music Making Increases Human Growth Hormone Among Active Older Americans
-Group Drumming Boosts Cancer-Killer Cells in Study
-History of Music-Brain and Wellness Research
You can find links to these articles and more at the following website: http://www.amc-music.com/well.html
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NEW QUESTIONS:
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
Hi I would like to know more about what a genetic counselor does. How many years you have to go to school, how much you get paid, and how many openings are in this field? thank you.
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Q: FROM MENTEE JESSICA M. IN VT
I was wondering why it is that when a person is awarded federal student aid that their parents have to take out a loan for some of the cost of college? When a person gets aid doesn't that mean that they didn't have the money to pay for all of the cost in the first place. When someone asks for aid doesn't that mean they didn't have the money to send their child to college in the first place?
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Q: FROM MENTEE AMANDA T. IN MO
How long does it take a drop of rain water that fell in the Rocky Mountains to travel the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico?
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for March 14, 2002
Send all questions AND answers for mentors OR mentees to GEM-SET@uic.edu. We will try our best to answer your questions within 2-3 days.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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ARCHAEOLOGY will be the GEM-SET career-of-the-month during March. Mentees: If you have not yet voted for your favorite careers, it is not too late to vote. Go to <http://www.gem-set.org/>http://www.gem-set.org to place your vote today!
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THE QUIZ QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK IS: Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori, (1896 - 1957), Nobel Prize winner for Physiology and Medicine and first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in science, is famous for what scientific discovery? Send your answer to gem-set@uic.edu. PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO GEM-SET STUDENTS IN EACH REGION WHO ANSWER THE MOST QUIZ QUESTIONS CORRECTLY!
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March is also WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH. Learn more about women's place in history at the National Women's History Project,
<http://www.nwhp.org/>http://www.nwhp.org
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Q: FROM MENTEE JESSICA M. IN VT
I was wondering why it is that when a person is awarded federal student aid that their parents have to take out a loan for some of the cost of college? When a person gets aid doesn't that mean that they didn't have the money to pay for all of the cost in the first place. When someone asks for aid doesn't that mean they didn't have the money to send their child to college in the first place?

A: FROM MENTOR TERESA ESSER, WRITER IN MA
I was intrigued by your question. Where do you suppose a government gets the money it uses to pay for a student's financial aid? Right, through taxes. Some governments tax heavily, while other governments tax very little. The governments that provide free college tuition,
free health care, free dental care and an extremely generous "dole" for people who can't find work pay for these services by taxing their citizens extremely heavily. Here in the United States we have a different system. We are not taxed in the way that people are taxed in socialist or
communist nations. Here in the U.S., if you want the government to help you out with college, you can go to a state school in your home state.
You won't get free tuition, but you will get a break. If you want free tuition for your own future children, you could consider relocating to a socialist or communist nation. Of course, these systems have their own problems. When governments pay for college, they make decisions about who gets to attend these colleges. In some countries you get put into a tracking system at an early age depending on how you do on certain standardized tests. If you get funneled into the non-University track, you'll have a hard time getting into college. If you are allowed to take college prep classes in high school, but you don't make the government's college cutoff -- say, the top 25 percent -- you're not going to college either, unless you pay to attend school somewhere else. Some socialist nations give all the 18 year olds a test and run the results in the newspapers. That way, all of the neighbors can see which of the neighborhood kids is going to have the chance to obtain a university degree with the community's shared tax dollars. Fail the test? Sorry, no Uni for you. It's quite interesting to read Australian newspapers around this time of year. Some governments admit students into university based on their race. Yes, their race. Their ethnic identity. The nationality of their ancestors. If you happen to be a foreigner, or a racial minority, good luck getting into college in Malaysia. Are your parents really going to take out a loan to cover the costs of your college education? Mine didn't. My financial aid package included a collection of loans that I took out myself, and that I paid for myself. There was a time when I was paying more toward student loans than I was paying in rent. Luckily, this time is behind me. My experience was that if you needed to take out more loans, you could usually get more loans, but you'd still have to find some way to pay them off when college was over.

A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN, CIVIL ENGINEER AT PATRICK ENGINEERING IN REGION V
Jessica- I got through school with a ton of help from my school and government aid. The federal government program that provides loans and grants to college students has its own formulas for determining what a students family can contribute. I knew one girl in high school who didn't qualify for as much government aid because her parents had set aside money in HER name which the government took into consideration differently than if it was just her parents savings account and dropped her down a notch in aid qualification. I'm not sure exactly how they determine your aid based on what they figure you can contribute. ITs probably something like they take the average cost of college, subtract what they think your parents can contribute and offer you the rest in loans and grants - usually loans. There are also maximum amounts for their loans. I maxed out my loans all 4 years (2 different federal loans), and still needed an additional $7500 to go to school each
year. Luckily, my school gave me that in scholarship.
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Q: FROM MENTEE KARA T. IN MN
Hi I would like to know more about w