The Learning Curve

As summer approaches and the need for an internship looms overhead, don't dig your heels into the ground and procrastinate -- just knuckle down and jump right in.

Having difficulty getting started? Check out Experience.com.

Experience.com is a job board built specifically for current students and recent graduates. It's the Monster.com for entry-level workers looking for first-time, industry experience.

Founder Jennifer Floren explained her objective in an interview at an industry conference. She said Experience.com helps new grads "tap in to that excitement, that energy, that curiosity that young people who are coming out of school have." She said new grads, "want to go out there and make a difference and contribute, and they really just don't know how."

The sequester went into effect on March 1st, and the consequences are being felt all over the nation. The question on everyone’s mind is: How does this affect me?Student loan fees are going up for PLUS and Stafford loans. So far, education cuts are affecting a high percentage of students from low-income families. Title I, education spending for disadvantaged populations, is losing $725 million. In those communities that rely more on federal than state funding, head-start programs are being slashed, schools on Native American reservations are closing, and permanent teacher positions are going unfilled.

Is the financial burden of college getting you down? Do you stay up at night, worried about how you will afford tuition and wondering whether the cost of the degree will be worth it?

These days the cost of college is rising significantly faster than inflation. Student debt far exceeds credit card debt, nationally and per household. As such, most students and their families have the cost, up front and in the future, of higher education on their mind. Fortunately, there are money-saving ways to earn college credits before enrolling at your dream school.

Over the past month, we’ve talked to hundreds of current students, prospective students, and college graduates about their choice of major. One of the standout elements was a person’s need to feel fulfilled by his or her degree/career i.e. does this degree/profession align with my personal interests? Is it a good fit for my personality?

We had the great fortune of meeting with a college advisor from Lake Washington High School, and she recommended two of her favorite websites for career assessment: Myers Briggs and Keirsey.com .