Highly effective people may sharpen the saw to renew their energy and stay on top of their game, but the happy owl recommends a twist on Stephen Covey’s seventh habit: sharpen your claw by deliberately building your vocabulary each day!…

Finding information these days is a snap: just do a Google search, read a book, or ask an expert, right? Not so fast. Mapquest sends you down the wrong road; vandals sabotage Wikipedia; newspapers publish “corrections” every day. Given the…

After weeks of work, the end of the tunnel finally lightens. You’ve supported your thesis and documented your sources – you’ve even revised your draft a time or two.  You’re ready to submit your magnum opus for a final grade….

Human beings have organized themselves into groups since the beginning of time – or at least since two or three sat around the fire and realized they shared a common interest. Today, organizations like the American Medical Association, the Society…

Imagine a place where students – who have attained at least an associate-level college degree – can reliably present “substantially error-free prose in both argumentative and narrative forms to general and specialized audiences.” Wow! That’s the wonderful world we’ll inhabit if…

Team projects are here to stay. Working with others helps expand thinking, generate new ideas, and achieve more with less. But what if a team member doesn’t pull her weight?  Whether a “reluctant participant” or downright “sleeper,” a slacker can…

“In your possession is the greatest technological innovation in research paper writing since the invention of the note card!” With a promise like that, who could resist Mead Builder™ Research Paper Edition? The happy owl certainly couldn’t. Her conclusion: research…

When was the last time you heard someone declare, “Hey, I think I might go luxuriate at the library today!” Never, right? For many students, the library is a place to get in and get out – or it’s just…

Like objects in the rear-view mirror, due dates for term papers and essays are closer than they appear! Students are – or should be – defining topics, developing theses, and preparing outlines. The best are also exploring, documenting, and absorbing…

The happy owl had the privilege of meeting dozens of high school students and their parents yesterday at Map Your Future, a college and career expo for home schooled students. Many talked about the difficulties of getting started and staying…