Saturday, May 20, 2006

why go to an institution of higher learning when you can go to an institution of hotter learning instead?

iu is red hot

I received this in the mail the other day from the university from which I have two degrees. They are apparently very excited that Newsweek called them "hot" and have decided to build an entire media campaign around it. So, yes, next time someone asks me where I got my Ph.D., I will oblige and say, "America's Hottest Big State School!"

Indiana is a fine graduate program for sociology, by the way. US News and World Report rankings of graduate programs ranks it 11th (and 2nd in what I list as my primary specialty, social psychology). If the graduate program rankings were based on the average correspondence between the futures that graduate students want and what they actually get, Indiana Sociology would undoubtedly rank higher than 11th. I suspect that if graduate programs also had rankings based on average student satisfaction, Indiana Sociology would also rank higher than 11th, although the general question of comparative graduate student happiness is a broader enigma I mean to blog about someday.

BTW, I've been in the throes of some raging insomnia the last few nights. Before embarking on this blog post, I found myself reading the Wikipedia entries of various American Idol notables, which is all the more pathetic given that, as I don't have TV, I haven't seen more than fifteen minutes of American Idol, and know it mainly by my bemused and somewhat obsessive following of updates on Angela's blog. (The American Idol Wikipedia binge has followed recent weird obsessive listening to Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone", for which a certain Ms. Careyoke is to blame.)

9 comments:

Ang said...

Here's something really weird: for the last couple days, I too have had unreasonably bad insomnia, and have been reading the Wikipedia entries of various American Idol notables! No lie! (Okay, not as unexpected where I'm concerned. Alas, no less pathetic.

Anyway, I'm honored that you read them, given your lack of television situation.

Anonymous said...

I cannot claim a "hot" school, but undergrad was at UofTennessee and when I was there, Playboy mag came out with their ranking of party schools. We were so disappointed that UT was not even in the top ten, until we noticed the sidebar that explained that UT was not included since the rankings were for amateurs only, and the boys and girls in Knoxville were clearly professionals. We were SOOooo proud!

Like I would know... Being an upperclassman in Electrical Engineering, I was chained in the dungeon of Ferris Hall. Could not even spell party or keg or ...

Anonymous said...

OMG...have you heard the dance mix of "Since U Been Gone?" It's the best! You will be dancing around your apartment by yourself and feeling strangely empowered by the break up of your last craptastic relationship.

-JJ

jeremy said...

OMG-OMG! I just bought the dance mix from iTunes and it's awesomely awesomest!

Anonymous said...

So dance around the apartment tonight.

Insomnia: try the slack-jaw approach (lying down in bed, I mean).

jeremy said...

I understand the importance of being in bed for combatting insomnia. But, my TabletPC and wireless now makes bed a late-night-Wikipedia-and-blogging-paradise.

Anonymous said...

And you call THAT insomnia? Oh man. You sure like to jerk people around.

Careyoke said...

You meant to write "Awesomely awesome obsessive Kelly Clarkson listening," right? I'm sure.

jeremy said...

It was just awesome until I downloaded the dance mix, and now it's awesomely awesomest ever.