What I’m Reading Monday

on November 28, 2011

I am having a very good day, but itâ€™s also one of those days that I spend all my time putting out fires and playing catch-up, leaving my real work behind. Also â€“ I got sucked into the vortex of Internet surfing (see below). Whoops. But itâ€™s only 2:00! Still time to get stuff done, right?

At least I remembered to walk the pooch.

Lunch was simple and fast. Grilled cheesies with an apple.

Okay â€“ so remember when I said I wasted a bunch of time Internet surfing earlier? Well, fret not because I saved all the best articles for you to read (and waste time on), too! Here they are:

Are We There Yet? When Families Fly: As someone who travels frequently for work and plans to bring her baby on some work trips (more on that another time), this article terrified me! I thought flying with a bike was badâ€¦

How to Pick and Stick to Career Goals: As someone who has never picked and stuck with a career goal for long, I found this to be a pretty enlightening read.

Dwindling Power of the College Degree: Depressing, to say the least. As a side note, I think our countryâ€™s economic problems could be greatly assisted by wiping out or drastically reducing student loan debt (I know, I know â€“ unrealistic, but it would be SWEET). A girl can dream.

An Introvertâ€™s Guide to Networking: Really, really great tips. While Iâ€™m not an introvert, I do tend to get nervous in groups (who doesnâ€™t, really?). I liked the â€˜Be That Personâ€™ tips.

Closing the Girl Gap in Science: Not a science girl, but I always try to encourage the Girls on the Run girls who actually express an interest in science and math to pursue their passions. We need to close that gap!

Pursuing Self-Improvement, at the Risk of Self-Acceptance: Just a well-written and thought-provoking piece.

Should We All Go Gluten-Free? Now, THIS was a good read. Very startling to read about the increase in gluten sensitivities in the US. Also interesting to hear how big businesses are capitalizing on the movement.

Did you read any of these articles? What do you think about the topics?

{ 75 comments }

Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous November 28, 2011, 2:00 pm
Love that you’re reading a book on how to get more females into science. As a female in science, I would love to help promote that!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat November 28, 2011, 2:01 pm
I worry that too many people go Gluten free thinking it is simply a trendy diet or a way to lose weight.
Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 2:10 pm
Oh, the science gender gap. I think programs like STEM, the one described in the article, do two unhelpful things. First, they use flashy, exciting glossy gimmicks to steer young women towards science and engineering when it isn’t their true passion, and they quit once they are unhappy with the gritty nature of science and engineering work, particularly the late weekend nights in the lab and extensive work through intensive physics problems. This not only makes for unhappy young women, but perpetuates the inaccurate perception in technical fields that women simply can’t handle hard science. Second, they never prepare women for the reality of what they will face in the workplace in science and engineering. Rampant sexism, exclusion from professional social circles (my old coworkers never wanted me to tag along to the strip club get togethers), and constant second-guessing of their abilities and accomplishments (yes, I’m constantly told that I have my job and got into MIT because of my gender).

It’s a very tough field for women to be in, and those who go into it need to love it enough to be prepared to handle these difficulties, and need to be aware of them.
- CaitlinHTP November 28, 2011, 2:11 pm
  @Victoria (District Chocoholic): Ooooo great comment. What do you think programs like that should do? I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
  
  Also – strips clubs? Lame.
  - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 2:18 pm
    @CaitlinHTP: I think these programs should include young women AND young men, since we have a shortage of scientists and engineers in this country, period. I don’t care if they are male, female, black, white, purple, gay, from the moon, whatever. We need more folks in science because there is a lot of work to be done and not enough brains involved in it.
    
    I also think that these programs should inspire young people by exposing them to what science and engineering can accomplish and what exciting things are going on in those fields, and should also emphasize development of critical thinking skills. It is also important that the students partake in projects that involve application of math and science and require a lot of hard work – because that’s how life is in this world.
    
    You know what’s really lame? On several occasions, I said “sure, I’ll go to a strip club with you” but they said “no.” Pigs.
    - CaitlinHTP November 28, 2011, 2:19 pm
      @Victoria (District Chocoholic): I feel like you should be in charge of the world. You know everything about everything – especially swimming, science!!!! 🙂
      - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 2:21 pm
        @CaitlinHTP: I probably don’t know much, I just have a zillion opinions and will babble about them.
      - Heather November 28, 2011, 2:26 pm
        @CaitlinHTP: AND CHOCOLATE!! 🙂
      - Sana November 28, 2011, 2:47 pm
        @CaitlinHTP: Science is hard enough. Gender has nothing to do with it, the averages in my biochem classes are 40-50%. Everyone struggles.
- Anne @strawberryjampackedlife November 28, 2011, 2:14 pm
  @Victoria (District Chocoholic):
  
  SERIOUSLY!?! I do not feel like I am treated any differently in the slightest. The other day I was in a meeting with some clients and coworkers. I realized that I was the only one in the room that was a native English speaker. Ten minutes later, I realized that I was also the only woman. It didn’t even register in my mind. I’m so sorry that you have to deal with such closed-mindedness.
  - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 2:20 pm
    @Anne @strawberryjampackedlife: I will avoid taking over the comments section here, but here’s a sampling:
    -I am often asked whether or not I am married within 5 minutes of meeting somebody in a professional situation.
    -A coworker told me, at work, that he didn’t think women should be emancipated. He was serious.
    -And really, I get told ALL THE TIME that I don’t have difficulties finding a job or advancing in my career because of my gender. No, it’s definitely not working until midnight, talking to people across the world at 3 in the morning with no extra pay, or having three f’ing degrees from MIT. It’s my chromosomal makeup.
    - Anne @strawberryjampackedlife November 28, 2011, 2:35 pm
      @Victoria (District Chocoholic):
      
      That just surprises me so much. Especially since you are in DC. I’m up in Boston, so everyone is very open minded. The closet I got was right after I got married, my boss joked with our clients that I wasn’t allowed to have a baby right away so that I could work more. But never have my abilities or commitment to work come into question due to my gender.
      - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 3:23 pm
        @Anne @strawberryjampackedlife: That’s not close to sexism, that *is* sexism. Would he say the same thing about a 20-something man not being allowed to have kids? (don’t forget, he would be entitled to the same parental leave benefits as you would be)
        
        I run into this very systemically; I’ve worked several different places and encounter this at some level everywhere, though my current workplace has been the most progressive in terms of equal treatment of women. It probably varies by specific field.
      - Anne @strawberryjampackedlife November 28, 2011, 3:28 pm
        @Anne @strawberryjampackedlife:
        
        Yeah, HR wasn’t too happy with him when they overheard me telling someone the story. I just rolled with it. He wasn’t actually being serious.
      - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 3:38 pm
        @Anne @strawberryjampackedlife: It’s what people say when they don’t mean anything that you often find out what they really mean.
    - Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed November 28, 2011, 3:27 pm
      @Anne @strawberryjampackedlife: @Victoria (District Chocoholic): Wow, that’s awful! I’m a female civil engineer and although I’ve always been the minority, I’ve never been treated like that. I’m sorry to hear that.
      
      I’ve actually always found being a woman in a male dominated field a good thing, it helps me stand out. In college I went to a career fair, surprisingly I was the only person there in a bright pink button down. I got a bunch of interviews… was it only because I was a woman? I hope not, but either way I really don’t care! I say use whatever advantages you can.
      - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 28, 2011, 3:37 pm
        @Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed: I view the “standing out” for any reason other than my skills or performance as a problem. THOSE are the only things that matter in a professional situation. I would have no interest in working for an organization that only interviewed me because of a pink shirt.
        
        (For what it’s worth, many of my male colleagues wear pink shirts.)
      - Anne @strawberryjampackedlife November 28, 2011, 4:33 pm
        @Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed:
        
        Hooray for civil engineers! I wonder if the fact that civils have a higher percentage of women than other disciplines, if that helps us be seen as “equals” in the real world.
        
        Also, we were told by our male classmates that they liked being put into groups with women in college, because the girls work so hard. Some men just major in engineering, because they figured it’d be a good job. Whereas women get into engineering due to a true passion and desire to study math and science.
      - Eileen November 28, 2011, 5:37 pm
        @Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed: Another female engineer here. I think I’ve been pretty lucky with my experiences – not too much sexism for the most part, despite being in the minority as a woman through most of my education/career. But definitely a few things here and there that can be frustrating. And I hate hearing that other women have experienced similar or worse 🙁
        
        I do agree with the first comment that we need to encourage *everyone* to be more interested in science and math. These fields are where the jobs are… plus, rational thinking is SO important! Science and math are how we understand our world, which is a complicated place! And yet, so many people in our society just write off these subjects as boring and overly nerdy.
        
        I am not sure what the best solution is, but I try to do my part by sharing the cool and exciting parts of my job, and other interesting science articles that I read, with family/friends on facebook or in conversations occasionally. I didn’t always do this, because I assumed everyone would find this boring. But then I realized what a bad attitude that is, and started making the effort… and realized how rare it is for science to come up in regular conversation with people who don’t work in the field. I really wish we could do away with the stereotype that science/math are too boring to think about.
      - Anne @strawberryjampackedlife November 28, 2011, 5:47 pm
        @Eileen :
        
        I got lucky recently in that my job suddenly became very relevant to the news. I work on the seismic (earthquake) design of nuclear power plants. Not only was there the disaster in Japan this spring, but then my current project was very close to the epicenter of the earthquake in Virginia. I was so excited to be able to discuss it with family and friends when I knew what I was talking about!
      - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 29, 2011, 9:48 am
        @Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed: Really? Anne, I’m surprised we haven’t run into each other. I work in nuclear energy.
- Nikki November 28, 2011, 6:03 pm
  @Victoria (District Chocoholic):
  
  I have to whole heartedly disagree with most (basically all) of your comment.
  
  You are making the argument that the community is using “flashy .. gimmicks.. to lead girls to something that’s not their true passion” (paraphrased). We are talking about GIRLS here. We’re not really talking about women in this article, we are talking about adolescent girls, and regardless of GIRLS or BOYS these are all acceptable tactics to entice children to learn and be interested in a new field. All fields are going to have drawbacks and long nights. Do you think kids are becoming advertising majors because they want to work 80+ hour weeks and buy expensive suits, or because they watch Mad Men? There’s nothing gimmicky about this.. it’s how things catch our interest and attention.
  
  As a scientist, you should already understand that YOUR experience is not indicative as science as a whole. I’ve had the exact opposite experience as you – I work in neuroscience, was at NIH for a number of years and am currently at a university in North Carolina. I have NEVER ONCE received a sexist comment, been excluded from professional events, or felt second-guessed for being a woman. We’re both outliers here, and not reflective of what most women actually may be going through.
  
  You make the argument that we are basically lying to girls about the experience of working in science by glamorizing – don’t you think you’re doing the same thing right now by presenting such a biased view?
  
  I hate to say this, but it needs to be said: sometimes the problems facing “a woman in science” have nothing to do with that person being a woman, it has to do with them.
  - Victoria (District Chocoholic) November 29, 2011, 9:56 am
    @Nikki: I am very happy to hear that you have had a good experience, though, when I was in school, the neuroscience program actually had more women than men so I am not sure how relevant your experience is here. I also believe that once many of you advance in your careers, you will find this to be more of an issue. It seems to be less of an issue at the entry level.
    
    I do not think that adolescents are “girls” – they are young women and I refer to them that way. I think that they are very capable of understanding the reality of any career – science, advertising, teaching, modeling, whatever – and that we owe it to all young adults, both male and female, to make sure they understand what these careers involve on a day-to-day basis before they make decisions in their lives.
    
    I do not think I am presenting a biased view, but even if I were, how on earth is discussing the realities that MANY women in my field have encountered the same as glamorizing the field? You have me very confused, here.
    
    Thank you also for the thinly-veiled dig suggesting that I am personally the problem. I happen to disagree, because the very few women in my field have noted that they have run into similar problems, many of them to a much greater extent than I have. This also negates your argument that I’m drawing a conclusion based only on my experience; rather, it’s based on experiences of many women I have spoken to.
    
    But again, thank you for making your argument even more cohesive by attacking me personally.
Sarah November 28, 2011, 2:11 pm
I recently heard the argument that student loan problems are primarily caused by lenders (yeah, them AGAIN). They make loans easy to get, and then universities feel comfortable raising tuition. They have a captive audience after all. Between the schools and the lenders, they can basically charge whatever they want.

I think making student loans more difficult to get would correct the price of tuition, but at the cost of people not getting an education? It’s really difficult problem but I could see some sort of hard correction in our future.

And for those older folks who brag about how they worked their way through college without incurring any debt? It’s NOT the same world anymore. Read this article: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2011/10/13/a-dose-of-financial-reality/
- Ashlee November 28, 2011, 7:22 pm
  @Sarah: I absolutely LOVE that article from Trent. Beyond amazing. I’m going to be the first person in my family to get a BA/BS but still, many of my old family members think that it’s no big deal to work a zillion hours while going to school AND racking up huge amounts of debt. I want to slap them sometimes. But then I just show them this article. Actually, now that you bring it up again, I’m going to print off a few copies for those holiday gatherings coming up! 😉
Joelle (on a pink typewriter) November 28, 2011, 2:12 pm
I’ll have to check out that gluten free article.. you caught my interest. That grilled cheese looks yummy!
Anne @strawberryjampackedlife November 28, 2011, 2:12 pm
As a female engineer, the NY Times article does not surprise me at all. I went to Purdue which is 40% women, and less than 20% women in engineering (it’s also 20% international students). We always liked to joke about the plethora of nerdy men at Purdue saying “The odds are good, but the goods are odd.” But you would be surprised at the number of female engineers in my company. While I work with mostly men, we still have a significant numbe of young female engineers. The gap won’t close any time soon, but it’s been narrowed.
Laura November 28, 2011, 2:29 pm
The shocking thing about the air travel article is that they are allowed to seat such young children away from their parents. I would think that would be a huge liability and quite frankly I wouldn’t want to sit next to a 3 year old that was by itself.

The airline not giving them milk issue, while frustrating, I don’t see as that big of an issue. Be prepared. If they stock regular milk for kids, what about soy milk? What about almond or coconut milk for the kids allergic to soy?

A thought on student loans – I only took out private loans because the info was sent to me by the school. As a dumb 18 year old, I assumed that if it came from the school, it must be OK. So I took out the loans. And now I pay 9% interest and can’t refinance. There is no reason that college should cost as much as it does.
Nena November 28, 2011, 2:29 pm
I read “An Introvert’s Guide to Networking” Turns out, I am an introvert. lol. I get rediculously scared/nervous around groups of strangers. Though I am friendly and kind naturally, it’s getting myself out there that is hard for me. I’m back in college and the very first time I was asking a question in my math class my face and ears turned bright red, and my eyes started to water. So crazy! Anywho, that article was a good read. Thanks.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat November 28, 2011, 2:33 pm
Ooh I just read a bit of the career goals one and although I don’t have time to finish it right now, I’ve printed it off to read when I get home tonight!
Candice @ Sailing on Paper November 28, 2011, 2:34 pm
Okay, not an article, but I have a book series suggestion for you! Especially if you are thinking about writing fiction: A Song of Ice and Fire is an AMAZING series. I’m not into fantasy at all, but these novels have some of the most compelling characters I’ve ever read. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+song+if+ice+and+fire&x=0&y=0
kwithme November 28, 2011, 2:45 pm
I read two of the articles (thanks for the links, BTW), the introvert article and the women in science and technology as I am both. I find socializing in groups to be difficult, even if I know everyone. I get distracted by other conversations and often at a loss for things to say. I give myself a pep talk before heading to my kids school for an event, as that helps me enjoy it. I like socializing one on one, it is just groups that are hard.

I am also in science and technology, as a computer engineer and industrial engineer. I entered college intending to major in physics but switched to computer science after learning more about it. My high school intro to computers was not helpful and I was put off by the image of people who worked with computers (geek chic did not exist in the late 1980’s). What I learned through my boyfriend (now husband) was that programming was akin to solving puzzles, using maps and building models. All things that I loved and was good at.

Now, as a parent, my daughters are exposed to lots of science and I even extend it to the Girl Scout troop that I lead. Not everything is science, but I try to do a lot of variety to spark their interest. Nature hikes and ecology, architecture, building their own electronic quiz game, and cypher writing, to name a few.

Sorry about the ramble but it was fun to think about.
Heather @ Side of Sneakers November 28, 2011, 3:03 pm
Wow all those articles are great. The gluten-free one stands out to me since it’s so relevant to my job. I’m all for the bigger companies coming out with gluten free options because until recently, the only choices were really expensive. The fact that gluten allergy is increasing is really interesting to me, however I think people get the wrong message from that- they think going gluten free will automatically make them healthier. It’s still only beneficial if you have a true allergy or sensitivity, not just because it’s a trendy thing to do.
Colleen November 28, 2011, 3:06 pm
I read the families fly article. It was an interesting read. We’ve flown numerous times when our herd consisted of four people (last time was in 2008). During those times, we had great service and no issues. I flew multiple times with my third baby in 2009 and also had no issues except one strange request by a flight attendant. I normally carry babies, while flying, in a body carrier. It keeps my hands free and keeps them safe and within reach. Anyways, on a flight from Charlotte to Chicago I was asked to remove my baby from it because ‘it was unsafe and against some government regulation’ while in flight, take off, and landing. I questioned the request since it was the first time I heard it and it didnâ€™t make any sense to me or the ladies in my row. Ultimately I removed her and placed her in my lap for the rest of the flight and landing. On my return trip though, I used the carrier without any problem. We are flying in 23 days as a herd of five and we have seats together, am planning on packing snacks for everyone and plenty of activities to keep them busy. It should be an adventure since we will be outnumbered. Also one note about boarding, if you have a car seat to get in place, it is nice to board first and we always did. Now that my kids are older, we probably wonâ€™t use the early boarding â€“ no reason to get the kids on early to sit and wait.
Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) November 28, 2011, 3:20 pm
Now I’m going to spend the rest of my day surfing the stuff you just mentioned. I haven’t even read the one on gluten yet and I can already tell you that I will agree that businesses are making money off of the “gluten free movement”. I hate that we spend so much more money for something as simple as pretzels when they are made mostly from potato starch and bean flour. Two of the cheapest food products you can buy. It sickens me. Thanks for sharing these Caitlin and I hope you have a great afternoon!
Lisa (bakebikeblog) November 28, 2011, 3:39 pm
an interesting collection of articles there!
Irina G (Fit Flexitarian) November 28, 2011, 3:51 pm
Oooooh thanks for sharing! I especially liked the career goals and gluten-free pieces.
Lindsay November 28, 2011, 3:58 pm
I am an actuarial science major. I am a junior and in most of my classes I am the only female in a class of 26. It is difficult being the only female, but I LOVE the challenge and I enjoy showing people there wrong when they tell me I cannot be an Actuary! 😀
Jen November 28, 2011, 4:00 pm
That NYT article on gluten is great. I feel pretty lucky that I had to stop eating gluten this year when pretty much everyone knows what gluten-free means and there are GF options everywhere. I can’t imagine how hard it would be if you didn’t have those things available to you.
D November 28, 2011, 4:09 pm
I read the airlines article…and I’m sorry, but why should families get priority over anyone else…unless they pay for it? I agree that small children should not be set separately from at least one parent, but it is the parent’s responsibility, not the airlines, to insure that they do not get separated. Yes, that means you might have to pay more. I completely agree with the article tip about making sure you are prepared and bring everything you need…that goes for people with kids and those without. I also do not think kids should get to walk around the plane, everyone is supposed to stay seated except to remove something from overhead bins or to go to the bathroom. Sadly, if you do not feel that a child can handle the flight, find another alternative.
- Lindsay November 28, 2011, 4:21 pm
  @D: I kind of agree with some of D’s points here. I often get frustrated with couples or entire families trying to guilt me into moving my seat for them. When I book, I request an aisle seat because I am tall and claustrophobic. I don’t mind switching for another aisle seat, but I really don’t want to switch for a middle seat just so a random couple can sit together for 2 hours on a plane. I guess I don’t understand why others don’t just book their seats together, just as I request an aisle seat when booking. With that said, I would and have moved anywhere on a plane to give up a seat for a solo parent and child to be together or for a handicapped person – its the adults needing to be together (but not planning ahead for it) that I find annoying.
- Miranda November 28, 2011, 8:41 pm
  @D: Agreed!
Lindsay November 28, 2011, 4:10 pm
I read the NYT gluten article. I felt that title was misleading. The article seemed to be about gluten intolerances and how companies are doing more to offer more gluten free products, which is still a great article. But, I expected to read about benefits to me (someone without a known intolerance) on going gluten free…random feedback 🙂
- Helen November 28, 2011, 5:09 pm
  @Lindsay: There isn’t one. 🙂 I feel like there’s a “gluten = unhealthy” trend in the blogosphere at the moment and it just isn’t true. Unless you have Celiac disease or a medically diagnosed allergy, there’s nothing wrong with eating gluten.
  - Lauren November 28, 2011, 5:36 pm
    @Helen:
    
    Completely agree with Helen.
  - Lindsay November 28, 2011, 11:22 pm
    @Helen: right! so why did they title the article that? Just thought the title was totally off!
Jen November 28, 2011, 4:41 pm
Interesting article – flying with kids is easy! We have flown withour 4 year old since she was 8 months from short flights to CA, to Hawaii and to Miami. They key as a parent is to be prepared. Don’t rely on anyone else and at the same time not overprepared – find a happy balance. People are often suprised that we have a child in our row as she is enteratined and well behaved on planes and often will just snuggle on me and fall asleep. 🙂
- Rachel November 28, 2011, 5:11 pm
  @Jen: Jen said it best; be prepared! We live in Seattle & all our family lives in MI & we’ve been flying w/ our daughter since she was 5mo old. We would try to coordinate flight times w/ nap times & that worked well for us. Or we’d do the dreaded red eye. Daughter is now 2 & we usually set her up w/ the iPad or a dvd & she’s good 🙂 She even has her own frequent flyer #’s on Southwest & Delta! Next year will be a bit trickier b/c i’ll have an infant & toddler, but i’m not too worried. But yeah, we bring lots of snacks & toys & LOTS of running around in the airport before boarding. Most people don’t even know she’s on the plane. But that could also be due to my stellar parenting skillz 😉
Kate November 28, 2011, 4:57 pm
My friend recently flew with her nine month old from the west coast of Canada to the UK.
She took with her individually wrapped ear plugs and little chocolate bars and handed them out to the people around them, saying she would do her best to keep her son quiet, but if at times the flight became too much for him, she hoped the ear plugs and chocolate would help make the other passengers plane ride more enjoyable. I thought it was a genius idea!
Karynn November 28, 2011, 5:07 pm
Thanks for the reading list! They look really interesting.
Allie Q (Fit Geek) November 28, 2011, 5:12 pm
I’m reading all of these now, but I just wanted to say that wasting time on the internet is contagious, because that’s what I’m doing now at work 😛
But who am I kidding? I’d probably be doing it even if I didn’t come across your post.
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife November 28, 2011, 5:27 pm
those all sound fascinating!! I can’t wait to read some of ’em. Thanks for the links 🙂
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats November 28, 2011, 5:27 pm
Since I recently found out I am gluten and soy intolerant, so I read the first couple pages of the gluten article. I am ALL for companies taking advantage of the gluten free market because it means more options for me!
Caitlin @ Vegetarian in the City November 28, 2011, 5:43 pm
An Introvert’s Guide to Networking sounds like something i would find useful too! although i’m not reallly an introvert, i certainly do get shy!
Army Amy* November 28, 2011, 5:56 pm
I’m think I spent the last 10 minutes reading the comments. Lots of good dicussion. I haven’t even read any of the articles yet!*
Keri @ Keri {&} Brian November 28, 2011, 6:08 pm
Wow, that flying with kids article makes me terrified to fly with kids and I have already done it successfully many times! I even flew by myself with a 8 month old and a 2 year old this summer. It really wasn’t a big deal. If you have a good attitude and are kind and apologetic then people will be kind and understanding back!

And about the not being able to sit with your kids thing, even if you have different seats the people who are near will most likely be able to switch seats and it not be a big deal!

Don’t worry about flying with baby Caitlin! You will do great!
Porsha November 28, 2011, 6:13 pm
Actually there has been a loan “forgiveness” plan enacted. It doesn’t completely wipe all debts, but it is an interesting plan.

http://www.ibrinfo.org/
Amy H. November 28, 2011, 6:14 pm
Just wipe out all existing student loan debt? Nothing is free. Who would pick up all the slack? The nation’s taxpayers? The universities and colleges themselves? The states (most of which are broke)? The loan servicers? The lenders (the largest of which is the federal government, i.e., back to the nation’s taxpayers)? And how would this *possibly* be fair to those people who scrimped and saved, worked during school, worked second and third jobs, etc., etc. etc. to pay for their education and to pay off their own student loans??
- Miranda November 28, 2011, 8:40 pm
  @D: @Amy H.: Completely agree.
- Caitlin November 28, 2011, 9:04 pm
  @Amy H.: Well…. in my Husband’s defense (I don’t have student debt), he did scrimp and save all through undergrad and graduate, and he did work 30 – 40 hours a week while in ungrad (and also as much as possible during grad school), his parents even helped, AND he got scholarship money because he worked hard and was a good student, ANNNND he still came out with $60,000+ in debt (he didn’t even go out of state for undergrad!), which adds up to a totally unrealistic amount over the lifetime of the loans when you add in interest. I think the issue is especially great for people who go to graduate school… The prices are just outrageous. It’s not like that in Europe. There’s something seriously wrong with our system when some people are going into bankruptcy because they can’t pay back their debts even though they had advanced degrees. Obviously I was being factitious when I said we should just wipe it out – it’s not realistically possible. But there’s something broken in the system and it needs to be remedied.
  - Lindsay November 28, 2011, 9:29 pm
    @Caitlin: Actually Caitlin I have to disagree. My cousins currently live in the UK and are all in university and there parents are all having to find the money to pay or get loans. Things have really changed in the UK.
    Yes, there are a FEW people that get there school paid for, but they have to score well in both there O level and A level exams! (But isnt that like the US and the ACT/ SAT, YES I THINK SO!)
    - Caitlin November 28, 2011, 9:32 pm
      @Lindsay: What is the cost of a private university for one year in England? I know they just raised the limit to 9000 pounds per year (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuition_fees_in_the_United_Kingdom). If you’re in-state, public colleges aren’t usually TOO bad but can still be $15,000 a year in some cases. And private schools can be $35,000+. It’s insanity!
      - Caitlin November 28, 2011, 9:33 pm
        Haha Also, I always think everything is better in Europe 😉
      - Lindsay November 29, 2011, 9:01 pm
        @Caitlin: I LOVE the UK as well. My parents are both from there and I would prefer to live there, but I know that my cousin that attend a University in Leeds is paying the same as I am to go to a great university here in the US.
  - Amy H. November 29, 2011, 12:21 am
    @Caitlin: It is a broken system; I agree. And I’m sure your husband has worked very hard and has been very frugal. I’m probably extra-sensitive to this topic because I’m an attorney and keep reading stories about people who *chose* to take on over $120K in student loan debt to attend a low-ranked law school — in an economy where tens of thousands of attorneys in law firms were getting laid off or told they weren’t going to be hired after all.
    - CaitlinHTP November 29, 2011, 8:35 am
      @Amy H.: GOOD POINT! Not everyone *needs* to attend a $35,000 school. I recently started a college fund for BabyHTP and I keep saying that he/she is NOT allowed to go to a private school for ungrad. These days, it’s simply not worth it. 🙁 And that’s sad!
Mackenzie @ Eat. Exercise. Evolve November 28, 2011, 8:12 pm
As a female science teacher, I really appreciate you posting the article on closing the girl gap in science. Thank you!
Lee November 28, 2011, 9:04 pm
I like the introvert article. While I’m not super, duper shy, I’m definitely more introverted than extroverted (unless I’m drinking and obviously that’s not going to fly in a networking event!) and I’m currently looking for a job, so it is hard to network.
Jes Suazo November 28, 2011, 11:03 pm
I definitely read the Gluten-Free article. Very startling statistics. I personally steer clear from as much gluten as I can. I don’t have celiac disease, but reducing/eliminating gluten truly makes me feel better after a meal.

Thanks for sharing!
Khushboo November 28, 2011, 11:52 pm
Thanks for the link-ups…I am extremely interested in the gluten-free article!
Katie November 29, 2011, 6:08 pm
Don’t let “Flying with Children” get you down! As long as you are organized and polite it will be fine! My family regularly travels and as long as you are nice to the flight attendants, they will be nice to you and see what they can do.
Julia H. @ The Petite Spiel November 29, 2011, 7:52 pm
Great tips in the introvert networking piece! Admittedly, I kind of hate the idea of networking. It just feels so fake/forced to me sometimes…but I know it’s SOOO important! As a college student, you’re practically force-fed encouragement to network, so it’s just one of those things that you have to do!
Christin November 29, 2011, 7:53 pm
I read the “Pursuing self-improvement at the risk of self-acceptance” article. When the author described two types of people – those caught in a rut and those on a hamster wheel – I found myself trying to put myself in one of those categories and I realized… I’m both, in different ways.

I’m a hamster on the inside in that my expectations of myself and who I should be (in terms of my body, my work performance and my role as a spouse) are super-high. Being such a people pleaser, I don’t want to let anyone see me fall short of my own expectations. So, on the outside I think I give off a kind of laid-back, ce la vie, almost slacker type of attitude.

Don’t get me wrong, I do TRY – just not as hard as I could. What if I set the bar too high for myself, then fail to reach it next time? What if I do really well, then suddenly lose motivation and fail? It’s one thing to fail because of circumstances… it’s a whole different kind of failure when you just punk out.

An image came to mind to replace (or maybe combine) the rut and the hamster wheel: an image of a tire spinning in mud… the engine gunning as hard as it could go, but the rubber never gaining traction. I feel like that is me – gung-ho on the inside, but spinning my wheels on the outside.

Anyway, that was kind of an epiphany moment for me tonight. Caitlin, thanks for sharing that article. Does anyone else identify, or is it just me? How do I lower that “inner expectations” bar while becoming willing to really TRY (and maybe fail) in front of others? How do I gain traction?

Did that even make any freakin’ sense?? 🙂
- Caitlin November 30, 2011, 8:27 am
  @Christin: I like this comment 🙂 I just don’t know the answer!!!! hahah. This is one of the greatest mysteries of life. I would say you have to change your whole life to get traction though i.e. when made a career change, I had to go all in, when I got healthy, I had to go all in.
  - Christin November 30, 2011, 6:38 pm
    @Caitlin: Thanks for your comment, Caitlin! Of course, I don’t expect you to have the answer. 🙂 My question was really just rhetorical.
    
    I love those moments in life when we have those sudden big-picture realizations that illuminate why we do what we do in small, everyday ways.
    
    Thanks again for sharing the article, and for your blog. It’s such a positive, healthy (in many ways) place to be. I’ve been reading for 3 years and I feel like I know you!

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