A month ago, I wrote that “Gen-Y is a term to debate, not mould into a definitive shape”.

Here’s another interesting take on position within a ‘generation’, courtesy of Jessica Miller-Merrell:

“The idea and use of creating labels like generational labels and categorizing those around us has been a characteristic of human beings since the beginning of time. […]

“Instead of labeling one another, I encourage a different and unorthodox approach, human interaction, engagement, and good old fashioned conversations with your employees, friends, customers, peers, or whomever.  Of course my impressions could be due to the fact that I’m a Gen XY and Cusper myself.  At 32 years old, I’m essentially an inbetween who is often mis-labeled and mis-understood…Cuspers like myself feel extremely comfortable being uncomfortable.  Being inbetween and feeling as an outsider to your own generational label among other things is normal.”

Who chooses which generation you should be plumped with?  You can’t choose and neither can anyone else.

Your generation lasts a lifetime.  But it will take longer than a lifetime to work out what that generation is called.

Happy Friday. A few more links for you.

Psychology Today – Coffee Vs. Energy Drinks: Caffeine Wars

How much do you know about the caffeine you consume? And what can you do to fix the caffeine fix?

Speak Schmeak – Yes, you are being judged

When you speak and when you’re presenting yourself, it’s common to worry about what people think.  But your audience is not looking for you to slip up.  They are paying attention, but not how you think:

“The audience is trying to determine what their relationship is with you. Can they trust you? Will you listen to them and understand where they’re coming from? Is this relationship worth their time and money?

“Your job on stage is to connect, relate, and deliver. You don’t have to be like your audience to do so, but you do have to be compatible with what your audience expects from a speaker in the general sense, and with what the audience is looking for specific to your topic.”

I think the same can be said when you meet new people.  You may not be up on stage, but people are trying to fit you in to their lives.

From James Dunn – Why a university degree is still worth its weight in debt

“My degree in archaeology from Durham University seems unimpressive on paper, three years with a mountain of debt snowballing out of control and a degree that was not conducive to employment in journalism, a market that is furiously competitive out of recession let alone in it. This, however, is a gross misinterpretation as the common saying ‘Don’t let your degree get in the way of your education’ rings very true in my case.”

Harvard Magazine – Are final exams on the way out?

A lengthy exam at the end of a module?  That may well be falling out of fashion.

Learning by doing, not by listening

A great little piece well worth spending 3 minutes on.  You’ll be respected not for the answers you give, but for the questions you ask…

JP Rangaswami’s life was turned around when a teacher told him that he would be respected not for the answers he gave, but for the questions he asked.  Rangaswami suggests, “An intelligent answer you can give half-asleep. An intelligent question requires at least one eye open”.  He also says that “Words like ‘success’ and ‘failure’ are wasting time”.

More info at JP Rangaswami’s site, Confused of Calcutta [link thanks to @nlafferty]

To Do: Dissertation

Just found this site.  The tagline is: “Motivation and Encouragement for Dissertation Writers Across Disciplines”

In other words, get reading this site when you start working on your dissertation.  You’ll be happier for it!

Awesome Highlighter

Enjoy highlighting in your books and course guides?  Now you can use a highlighter on web pages, make notes, send your annotated pages to classmates, and all sorts.  There’s even a helpful bookmarklet for instant access and a Firefox addon for even more functionality. Hat tip to @jennifermjones for this EduLink.

Here be the linkageness. Ready for the weekend. Yarrrr.

ResourceShelf – Google Scholar introduces search within cited articles

A great new development for Google Scholar. You can now search for where a paper has been cited and then search within those papers.

Lifehack – 20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management

Got time to read this article? No? Then read this article.

BBC Today – That thinking feeling

Education Secretary, Michael Gove, wants A-level students to return to more ‘deep thought’ so they are better prepared for university. But what is deep thought? To find out, we’ll have to think deep.

From New Scientist – Why Facebook friends are worth keeping:

Today, our number of weak-tie acquaintances has exploded via online social networking. “You couldn’t maintain all of those weak ties on your own,” says Jennifer Golbeck at the University of Maryland in College Park, who studies our use of social media. “Facebook gives you a way of cataloguing.” The result? It’s now significantly easier for the school friend you haven’t seen in years to feed you a bit of information that changes your behaviour, from a recommendation of a low-cholesterol breakfast cereal to a party invite where you meet the love of your life.

The explosion of weak ties could have profound consequences for our social structures too, says Judith Donath of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, who studies the various ways we communicate using social media. One thing that limited the size of traditional social groups was the time it took to form reliable and trustworthy ties, she says. Online tools have changed that, helping each of us to build a social “supernet”: a network of easily accessible contacts that is bigger than any we have ever been able to manage. “It would be impossible to maintain 500 or 5000 ties without it,” she says. “We’re already seeing changes.” For example, many people now turn to their social networks ahead of sources such as newspapers or television, because their acquaintances provide them with more trusted and relevant news, information or recommendations. However, Donath believes more should be done to maintain privacy and trust in the networking tools.

Mario Creatura – VCs on Twitter

There are hardly any Vice-Chancellors on Twitter. Mario, understandably, wonders why.

The benefits of a VC joining Twitter far outweigh the drawbacks. An account lets them be personal, engaging, accessible, and helpful. All for a few tweets a day and having to respond to a few quick queries in 140 characters.

VCs could be missing a trick.

IntoUniversity – What will the Pupil Premium mean?

I recently wrote about the graduate earning premium and how I’m sceptical of the concept, especially in the long term. IntoUniversity highlights further evidence in support.

University of Venus – From Great Idea to Winning Idea

Because great ideas are not enough.

Lifehacker – What Have You Suddenly Discovered You Were Doing Wrong?

We do a lot of stuff that could be done better, or shouldn’t be done at all. Who’d have thought you just need to tie those shoelaces in the other direction…