Who knew that someone named Jughead could help you learn English? Sure, he may not know the rudiments of grammar or the proper use of syntax, but what he does have going for him is likeability. And that can go a long way.

Archie Comics has dedicated a portion of their website to people who’d like some assistance with ESL – English as a Second Language. The writers compose a three-frame comic strip, then break down each segment with explanations about everything a native English speaker would take for granted: idioms, slang, definitions of words, etc.

In order for the ESL learner to get the joke, he or she has to follow the explanations. And while they’re reading, they’re learning English, subtly.

I strongly recommend the use of this website for anyone struggling to master the English language (and that can be a struggle, even for native speakers), or for those people prepping for the TOEFL or the TOEIC exams.

It can’t hurt, right? At the very least, you get a laugh. And who doesn’t need more of those?

Photo © Flickr user Nutmeg

The U.S. News and World Report just released their picks for the top graduate schools in the country for 2009 (obviously ranked in 2008).

Upon reviewing the list, which included subcategories for business, law, medical, engineering, fine arts and other grad schools, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

Every one of those top schools cost upwards of $35,000 per year. Waaaaaaaaaay more than the average 22-year-old has the capacity to pay. Or inkling about what that amount of money actually means. If a grad student does not come from parents with money or the extreme presence of mind to stock some cash away when the child is first conceived, then that kid is going to have trouble figuring out how to pay down a hefty loan with their entry-level pay check. (Yes, even six years in school does not guarantee you’ll start off making a six-figure income.)

It doesn’t seem fair.

Should the best universities in the country be reserved for those students with the most money? Should a student who wishes to better him/herself be relegated to pay off thousands of dollars in loans just to get the best education? Can’t there be a better way?

Are you as frustrated as I am? Leave me your thoughts below.

Photo © Flickr user freshwater2006

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to learn how to respect the little hands that twirl around on the face of the old clock, then this article is for you.

Standardized testing deadlines are approaching quickly, and you definitely don’t want to be late. Not this year, right? That procrastination stuff is all behind you – left in the detritus of 2008. Right next to the Sarah Palin jokes, economic meltdowns, and those ugly gigantic flowery dresses all the stylish women were wearing. Ugh.

This is your year, so grab some coffee, shake off the hangover, and pay attention to the following deadlines:

January SAT: Registration deadline = PAST/Late Registration = Ends Jan. 9

February LSAT: Registration deadline = Jan. 6/Late Registration = Ends Jan. 16

February ACT: Registration deadline = Jan. 6/Late Registration = Ends Jan. 16

January MCAT: Registration deadline =Jan. 16/Late Registration = Ends Jan. 23

It’s a new year, so make it a new you. Register on time for once and skip that late registration fee.

The moths chewing at the leather of your empty wallet could use the extra sustenance.

Photo © Flickr user Mosieur J

At a Saks Fifth Avenue Store, Winona Ryder examines four distinct blouses, five distinct dresses, and two distinct handbags. How many different combinations of items can she shoplift if she takes exactly one blouse, two dresses and a handbag?

This is a typical question you might read in The Laugh Out Loud Guide to the SAT subtitled "Ace the SAT Exam without Boring Yourself to Sleep!”. Charles Horn, a comedy writer who has worked on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Robot Chicken, wrote the book with the intentions of helping students prepare for standardized testing without falling asleep face-first in their test prep books.

But does it work?

I certainly understand that comedy can increase a kid’s attention span. When I use comedy in the classroom, (think irony/wit vs. shtick/slapstick) I can actually see my students’ eyeballs instead of the tops of their heads. And if they’re paying attention, there’s a good chance they’re learning. I can’t teach someone who’s asleep.

But is prepping for the SAT the same thing? I’m not so sure about that. The questions the kids are going to have thrust on them during the actual SAT aren’t going to be cute. They’re going to look more like this: If 6x - 5y = 25 and 3y - x = 12, then what is the value of 5x - 2y?

Not quite the same.

Horn’s book may give the kids a false sense of security if they’ve only prepared with humorous questions. The kids could be in for a gigantic shock when they realize the questions they’re getting tested on are as boring as dirt.

And that, ladies and gents, is nothing to laugh about.

Photo © Flickr user psmithy