Comment on Additional Blog #3: Is this degree right for me? by andrea

I think we all experience a certain level of uncertainty at one point or another during the course of our professional careers and in our personal lives. Your post reminded me of Erik Erikson and his argument about the critical stage in the formation of one’s identity occurring during the same time you mention, college years, where most people are between late adolescence and early adulthood. Here is one of his quotes “The identity crisis… occurs in that period of the life cycle when each youth must forge for himself some central perspective and direction, some working unity, out of the effective remnants of his childhood and the hopes of his anticipated adulthood”. Glad you found your niche!

Comment on VT Football Team by Ashish

I think the entire country (US) has a weird obsession with varsity sports, football, basketball, and hockey in particular. Now I am not saying that sports are a bad thing but when it starts getting priority over other important matters such as lives of other people or research/teaching at the university, it rings an alarm in my mind. Also, I was talking to my colleagues about how it says so much about the society that the highest paid person at VT is (or should I say was now that Beamer has retired?) the football coach, and not the president or a department head or a dean or a senior researcher.

Comment on Additional Blog #1: Too many graduate students…is there any job available? by weining

I actually cover some international migration in the scholar essay. I also concern that if I could find a job upon graduation. Based on my research, if you are in science, technology, or engineer field, you can feel less worried about your job market. Currently, there is still high demand for PhD students in science, technology and engineering in the U.S. and globally. Additionally, not many local students have PhD degree in science and engineering. I am not sure about the higher education of civic engineering in your country of origin. What do you think why your friend did not end up in the field related to civic engineering?

Comment on VT Football Team by Corey Miles

I agree. It is a structural issue. How can we structure the Virginia Tech community to give social opportunities to students who do not subscribe to American conventions of what is fun. Also, with parking it does create an environment where the football participators get priority over the entire campus and everyone else just has to make due.

Comment on Hunger and homelessness in community college students by weining

Thanks for sharing the information. It struck me as well! This reminds me that the diversity of students on campus. Not all of students are coming from middle or upper class. And sometimes it may be difficult for students who struggle financially. Not only they were struggle with hunger, but their social life may be impacted. But do you know that VT has Campus kitchen right now? Campus kitchen serve food for students who struggle with hunger.