Years ago, I was freaking out because a “B” in art class (ART CLASS!) was killing my perfect grade point average (GPA). I was in my freshman year. I had hopes of graduating at the top of my class. I wanted to get a great scholarship to a great college. But a simple art class was making my dream go down the drain, like so much unused watercolor paint.

It wasn’t the end of my college plan, however. With a lot of hard work, I took the college prep courses and made decent grades. I didn’t get a 4.0, but I did manage to graduate in the top 10% of my class and I still went to college.

The truth is that grades are not the only means by which students are measured, but they do matter in certain circumstances. If you want to play it smart ? and if you plan to go to college ? you need to know how, where, and why high school grades are important.

High School
The grades you make in high school, contrary to popular opinion, do not end up in your “permanent record.” Getting a C in trigonometry isn’t going to doom you to a life of minimum wage manual labor.

The real strength of a GPA is what it says about your ability to learn. A good GPA will usually translate to good test scores on the SAT or ACT. Like your GPA, these tests are valuable when trying to get into the college of your choice.

Applying to Colleges
Although it varies by institution, it’s safe to say that if your GPA is below a 2.0 you may have trouble getting into the college you want. Many colleges and universities post the GPA requirements for undergraduate admissions on their web sites. Keep in mind that most institutions are interested in more than statistics. If your GPA is only a 3.5, but you exhibit qualities of leadership, creativity and work ethic, you may look better than someone with a 3.8.

Getting Scholarships
Most merit-based scholarships look at your GPA. Some research of several scholarships in my home state supported this. Many scholarships required applicants to have a minimum GPA of 3.0. One stated that the average applicant has a GPA of 3.90. So, if you hope to earn scholarships to pay for college, get your grades up.

College
Once you make it to college, your struggle to keep up your GPA is not over. Aside from keeping any merit-based scholarships you have, there are other reasons to keep up your GPA.

Avoiding Academic Probation
We all know those stories about freshmen who flunked out after the first semester. It isn’t always at the party schools or the high-stress Ivy Leagues, either. A poor GPA can lead to academic suspension anywhere. Keep up your GPA, and you won’t have to worry.

Picking a Major
Many universities have different requirements for their majors. In other words, if you want to get into the business program at college, your undergraduate GPA may need to be higher than if you wanted to be a theatre major.

Applying to Graduate School
Many graduate schools are even more selective than undergraduate programs. If you plan to get a Master’s degree, a high GPA in college will help open doors. Your GPA needs to be stellar if you want to attend a dream school like Yale Law or Harvard Medical School.

The Real World
When the only experience on your resumé is your academic transcript, employers will look at your GPA to see a snapshot of who you are. A good GPA tells employers that you can set goals and accomplish tasks. Be sure to include your GPA on your resumé, because many employers will consider its absence to mean it is low.

Nevertheless, don’t be shy about including a low GPA on your resumé. Emphasize your academic strengths as much as possible. Another suggestion is to include the GPA in your major if it is significantly higher. Some employers are more interested in your work toward your chosen field than your overall academic picture.

Keep in mind that a GPA is merely a reflection of your studies. It’s a scorecard, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Don’t let your GPA drive you crazy, but have a healthy respect for how it will affect your college plans and beyond.

The general opinion about traditional colleges these days is, “If you want to get anywhere in life, you need to get a Bachelor’s Degree from a good college. And this is true, for the most part. But the last census revealed that 1 out of 3 college students drop out! Too many people are falling through the cracks.

Even if you?ve dropped out of college, a higher education is still one of the most valuable assets you can have. Fortunately, because such a large section of people are trying to get back into an education, there are other alternatives!

Alternative 1: The Associate Degree
The first place to look would be a local community college. Why an Associate degree? 2-year degree programs can prepare students for entry-level work. It’s also a great preparatory track for a Bachelor’s degree. Associate degrees and community colleges also have the advantage of often being far cheaper, which can be a great help if you’re one of the many students who need to continue working to pay for school.

Alternative 2: Career College
Career college, technical institute, skills training ? whatever you want to call it: it’s a great way to get moving quickly. In technical institutes, students receive a very targeted education, specific to their chosen job fields. Since you don’t spend any extra time learning about subjects outside of your specific profession, you can get finished much faster. If you want to get trained and get hired, a career college great option.

Learn more about your alternatives! Career colleges also have customizable financial aid support. Remember that many career schools have flexible schedules that help you work around your classes. No matter what option you go with - education is the best way to achieve future success.

Life expectancy gap linked to education
Education might not only increase your earning potential; it could increase your life expectancy. According to a Harvard study, people with more than 12 years of education ? or more than a high school education ? are living longer than those with less education.

Life expectancy in America is on the rise, but the increase is only occurring among better-educated groups. In 1990, a 25-year-old with 12 years of education or less had a life expectancy of nearly 75. A 25-year-old with some college education had a life expectancy of 80.

In 2000, life expectancy for those with college education increased to 82, but remained steady at 75 for those with less education.

The research for the study was conducted by David Cutler, dean for social sciences at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, and Ellen Meara, assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

?If you look at recent decades, you will find that life expectancy has been increasing, which is good, but when you split this out by better-educated groups, the life expectancy is really occurring much more so in the better educated groups,? Ellen Meara of Harvard Medical School said in an interview.

?The puzzle is why we have been successful in extending life span for some groups. Why haven?t we been successful in getting that for less advantaged groups?? Meara said.

Health risks facing the less educated
Despite the definite link between life span and education, getting a graduate degree doesn?t necessarily guarantee a longer life. The life-expectancy gap can be explained by other risk factors. Of these, smoking was held as one of the largest contributors to shorter life spans.

Deaths from diseases largely attributed to smoking ? lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder ? accounted for roughly 20% of the increasing life-expectancy gap. People with less education are less likely to quit smoking.

Meara hopes that health experts will work to extend anti-smoking strategies to better reach people with less education. Those who are less educated also tend to have lower incomes, and less access to healthcare.

?We like to think that as we as a country get healthier, everyone benefits,? David Cutler said in a statement released by the school. ?Here we’ve found that you can have a rising tide that only lifts half the boats ? and the ones lifted are the ones doing better to begin with.?

Sorting through a lot of information, whether it’s a list of names, addresses, or store inventory, can be difficult without the right organization. As businesses and the Internet generate more and more data, there is a growing need to organize this data effectively. Database administrators (DBA) work with database management systems to store, manage and extract data.

Creating and maintaining databases is a job that requires attention to detail. A database administrator needs to identify the necessary components, set up an efficient database structure and maintain the system. Administrators ensure performance of the system and design security measures for it. Because of the volume of sensitive data being utilized in the world, security has become an increasingly important aspect of a DBA career.

Employers seek database administrator candidates who have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. Those who have a Master’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in information systems, are increasingly desirable as more companies move their businesses to the Internet.

As technology becomes more sophisticated and complex, employers may demand a higher level of skill and expertise from their employees. Individuals with an advanced degree in computers or with an MBA should enjoy favorable employment prospects.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 104,000 people were employed as database administrators in 2004. DBA careers should grow much faster than average through the year 2014, as this is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the country.

The median annual earning for a database administrator was $60,650 in May 2004. The middle 50% earned between $44,490 and $81,140, the highest 10% earned more than $97,450. The median annual earnings of database administrators employed in computer systems design and related services were $70,530, and for those in management of companies and enterprises, earnings were $65,990.

When I first went to college, I procrastinated a lot. My bad habit led to a lot of late night term papers that were completed at 4:00 a.m. In the morning, my computer would print out the assignment while I grabbed a quick shower. Then I would head off to class with only a couple hours of sleep.

Do It Now!
My dad understood my problem and wanted to help. As a gift, he made a wood carving for my desk. Alongside the school mascot were the simple words, “Do It Now!” The sentiment may be an obvious one, but it still rings true. It’s the key to good time management, even if it’s hard advice to follow.

5 Tips for Better Studying
It’s not impossible to improve your time management skills. Whether you are in high school or college, you can make better use of your time. And it won’t take more time to do it. From my research (and years of being a master procrastinator), here are a few simple tips:

1. Organize and prioritize.
   This is the best advice anyone can give you. Prioritize your assignments by keeping a calendar of due dates for papers, tests and projects. Also include dates for enrolling, submitting financial aid forms and paying tuition. Organize your assignments into folders and keep your graded work for an end-of-semester review.
2. Avoid distractions.
   One of my roommates in college claimed that he studied better in front of the television. The fact that I had to help him study for his final in biology proved otherwise. It’s easy to get distracted when friends, television, radio, phone calls and the Internet are all competing for your attention. If you need computer access, turn off e-mail, chat, and other programs that may interrupt your work. Shut out the distractions by finding a quiet place to study. Libraries are good, but so are some coffee shops and bookstores. Stake out your study place and don’t forget to turn off your cell phone.
3. Plan ahead.
   It’s tempting to look at a due date two weeks away and put the assignment on the bottom of your “things to do” list. A better idea is to break down the assignment into smaller steps and plan ahead. Give yourself easy deadlines for each step. Remember to give yourself an extra day for writing so you can re-read your work and correct it.
4. Study while you wait.
   No matter how hard we try to avoid it, sooner or later we’re stuck waiting. Whether it’s waiting at the doctor’s office or between classes, time is always being wasted. Don’t let an opportunity to study pass you by. Carry a book with you at all times. Keep a notebook for jotting down ideas about your upcoming term paper. Little 10 minute study sessions can really add up.
5. Do it now!
   Procrastination is the biggest pitfall that students encounter. Even if you are organized and study regularly, you can fall behind if you let yourself put off work that needs to be done. Make sure you take advantage of the time you have every day. Stay ahead of your assignments and you will have time to do the things you want to do.

It may be difficult at first, but good study habits are possible for everyone. Discover what doesn’t work for you and change your plan accordingly. If you can’t stand the quiet of the library, try somewhere with a little more traffic. If you study better in the morning, get up early and read over breakfast. Just don’t wait until the last minute!

Don’t Stress Out
You can’t control how much work your teachers give you. So exercise control over the situations outside of class. That means managing your extracurricular life. Whether it is a student organization needing volunteers or friends who want you to join in the fun, it’s tempting to do anything that takes you away from studying. Plan your time to include extracurricular activities, but don’t let it interfere with classwork.

On the flipside of the time management coin is the pitfall of studying too much. It’s possible to become a time management ogre and never give yourself time to relax. When you start to feel burnout, it’s time to re-evaluate your study strategy. Make sure that you don’t push yourself to the breaking point. If you feel stressed, here are some additional things to remember:

The “Do It Now!” wood carving still sits on my desk, reminding me to resist the urge to procrastinate. As poet Rudyard Kipling once wrote, life is a never ending struggle to “fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run.”

Christmas is a time of Zen, when you think about it. For every Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air RifleŽ you get, you’re also sure to receive the box with Aunt Clara’s custom-made, double-knit, pink felt bunny suit. So it goes that for every A Christmas Carol produced by a movie studio, there will undoubtedly be 8 more The Santa Clauses, starring TV’s Tim Allen. That’s enough to turn any holiday meal into heartburn.

So why endure so much shiny, happy celluloid torture while spending time with your family this year? Let’s make things interesting. Here are the top 7 recommendations for the most unsettling holiday films ever. Treat your family and rent them, download them or buy them. If you actually plan on buying some of these, they will probably be in the Super Bargain Bin underneath titles like “Pilates For Dummies” and “Top Romantic Movie Moments with Earnest Borgnine”. But each title has something special in store for your over-stuffed loved ones this holiday season. You’ll thank us later.

Santa Claus (1959)
Santa Claus, high above the North Pole in his cloud-borne castle equipped with more surveillance devices than the Homeland Security Department, prepares to deliver presents on Christmas night. But Pitch, a demon sent by Satan to prevent Santa from delivering presents to the children of Mexico has other plans.

Santa teams up with Lupita, the daughter of a poor family who wants nothing more than a doll (that’s it kid, dream big). He also brings a young boy whose parents are wealthy but never spend time with him. See? Even in Mexico rich people got it rough. Pitch begins to get the best of Santa and the good kids, so Santa does the only logical thing to help thwart his foe ? he recruits the help of the powerful wizard Merlin! Satan = pwned!

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
How’s this for subtext? Martians, upset that their children have become obsessed with TV shows from Earth which glorify Santa Claus, decide there’s only one logical thing to do: INVADE EARTH. So they send 2 red-faced grumpy guys to do the dirty work. If that’s not enough, these extraterrestrial terrorists decide that they should just kidnap Father Christmas and hold him for ransom. But how do they find him? Don’t worry Voldar and Lomas! These two stupid kids will sell out St. Nick and take you to his North Pole hideout just for asking!

This movie presents the audience with two odd premises:
1. Santa is one bottle short of being a total wino.
2. Apparently any random child knows where Santa’s workshop is.

Babes in Toyland (1986)
During a Christmas Eve blizzard, Lisa travels to Toyland in Wizard of Oz-like fashion as young bridezilla Mary Contrary is about to marry mean, old Barnaby Barnacle despite the fact that she loves Jack Be Nimble. Lisa tries to stop this terrible wedding because Barnaby wants to stage a hostile takeover of Toyland. Lisa, Mary and Jack ask the Toymaster for help, but he can’t help them because Lisa doesn’t believe in living, talking toys. Yes, that’s right. By Lisa’s system of reasoning:
? Warping time and space via teleportation? Yes!
? Talking toys? Ridiculous!

Drew Barrymore has the starring role as Lisa Piper, Keanu Reeves emerges from The Matrix to inhabit the body of a horrible actor as Jack-be-Nimble and stork-style karate master Pat Morita scares every child within reach as The Toymaster. Un-fun for the whole family.

Black Christmas (1974)
Many consider this evil gem “The First Slasher Flick” in movie history. Jason Voorhees wouldn’t hack his way through Camp Crystal for at least another 5 years. Don’t find slasher flicks all that unsettling? How about adding a screaming and moaning pre-Superman Margot Kidder into the mix? Oh no! The killer is terrorizing her sorority house! “Come on girls! We can’t let this meanie overcome our spunk and spirit during this time of caring and sharing!”

Suffice to say, it doesn’t end well for most of them.

Surviving Christmas (2004)
This movie has a miraculous central scene. It’s hard to convey the yuletide joy one feels while watching Tony Soprano pound a shovel through Ben Affleck’s hairpiece on his front lawn as Christina Applegate cowers in the car. By most reports, half of this film was improvised on the spot because no one involved could make much sense out of the original script. Oh yeah, this is supposed to be a comedy.

Jack Frost (1996)
Not to be confused with Michael Keaton’s tickling tear-jerker, this movie may have it all for you if you harbor any sort of snowman fetish. Jack Frost shoots deadly icicles, decapitates kids with a sled, uses his carrot nose to get busy with American Pie’s Shannon Elizabeth and even kills a victim by turning her into a rotting Christmas tree. Worried about watching this around the little elves of the family? Worry not. Although there’s tons of blood and a nude scene, the cast makes quite an audible effort to refrain from using any obscenity. There’s lots of “hecks” and “darns” and “goshdangit’s!” Hollywood leads the way again for solid family values!

Top Pick
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
This one is a seriously rotten treat. You know, even the man that created the CGI monstrosity of Jar Jar Binks has a limit when it comes to pain. He’s made it his mission to prevent you from seeing it. That’s right, kids. If you want to treat your family to 97 minutes of schmaltzy, canned-applause 70s star power, you’re going to have to pirate this variety hour from your favorite underground video network. Fortunately, this one is so notorious that it probably won’t be hard to find.

How bad is it? Wrap your space noodle around these trivia tidbits:
? The script originally penned by Lucas, was secretly rewritten by random studio executives at least 4 times before shooting commenced. When Lucas saw it, he had no idea what was going on and was mortified.

? Princess Leia sings the special’s closing song, set to John William’s Star Wars theme music - badly.

? At that point in time, it was the most expensive TV variety hour ever produced. It cost over 1 million space bucks to make.

? It was actually named “The Worst 2 Hours of Television Ever Made” by a panel of professional critics. Think about that for a minute. Wow.

? In 2006, Conan O’Brien surprised his guest Harrison Ford with questions about the special and a short clip from the show. Before the end of the segment, Ford walked off the stage in disgust.

Still not convinced? Fine. Try Bea Arthur playing a bartender who sings “Good Night, But Not Goodbye” to the aliens in the cantina band as segue to a song by Jefferson Starship filmed in 3D. And that’s not even the weirdest thing that happens.