Ask the Experts

The internet scares me sometimes. The other day, I had a date with a girl that I met (on the internet, actually!) just a week ago. She already knew a ton about me, she said, because she’d Googled me before our date! I was a little shocked, to be honest. It wasn’t that she searched my name--I know people do that, and I don’t think it’s so weird--it’s that when she did, she was able to find so much! It’s crazy to me that now anytime I apply for a job or a loan, the company will track down a bunch of details about my life to decide what to do. How can I better manage my internet presence? I don’t want people to be able to find me quite so easily.

I live off-campus in an apartment that my parents own (I know, I know, I’m spoiled). They bought it with the idea that they could keep it as an investment and then sell it sometime down the road, after I’ve moved out. So the plan is to make improvements to this apartment while I’m living there, ideally increasing the place’s value down the line. But since I’m the one who has to deal with construction and the first person to use any improvements we make, my parents wanted my input on where to start upgrading.

I’m going to graduate this year, and I have a job lined up with my friend’s dad. I’m set to move to a different state for the gig, and my friend’s dad recently told me that he has a place for me to live: a corporate apartment. I’m not so sure this is a good idea, though. After four years living on a campus, should I go right to living on my employer’s property? What are my obligations if I do? I’m not planning on throwing any wild parties or anything--I’m just a little apprehensive about why my friend’s dad wants me to live in a corporate apartment. He says it was just to make things easier on me, so maybe I’m overreacting. What do the experts think?

My son is now at college. Has backpacking remained popular with students, since my college days in the 80s?

Most students end up with debt, but why do more of them tend to be women?

What are the rules covering computers and the internet for those that suffer visual impairments?

I have a chronic medical condition. How will this affect my college life?

I use the internet a lot for shopping. Why do I always end up spending more than I should?

What are the rules if a student is stopped by the police?

I’m not athletic (at all, really), but I love playing casual sports with friends—or, at least, I did until I got to college. Now I feel like people are rarely in the mood for any kind of pick-up game, and if they are, they’re looking for something more competitive than I am. So I’ve gotten the idea in my head that I want to start some kind of sports organization that helps people meet up to enjoy playing and watching sports without getting too competitive. The only problem is that I’ve never started any kind of organization in my life before. So, uh, any tips?

When I graduate, I plan to work for my father’s company back in my hometown--a small suburb in Ohio, near Cincinnati. I don’t mind the idea of working closely with my Dad and following him into the family business. What I do mind, though, is the idea of going back to my old childhood bedroom and living with my mom and dad!

One of my sisters is having a baby soon, and my other sisters are planning to attend the baby shower (as the only brother, I’m the odd man out). My sisters worked hard to pick out good gifts, but then they found out something that really upset them: my parents are buying my sister a car as a baby shower present! That’s obviously a much more expensive gift that my other sisters have managed to get, and—worse yet—we found out that the sister who is having a baby actually asked my parents for the car! Isn’t it rude to ask for something so pricey as a baby shower gift? Isn’t it rude for my mother to present a gift like that in front of people who have spent good money on less spectacular gifts?

Back when I was still in high school, my buddy and I started a lawn care business. I still work for our company when I’m home during the summer, and my friend works there full-time (he’s not in school anymore). I’m busy with school, so my friend is in charge of the day-to-day business these days. That includes our website. He’s not a tech guy, so he outsources that work. Lately, he’s been paying a contractor for “SEO.” Our company doesn’t show up very high on Google results (not even for our own company name!), and apparently this work will make us “easier to find on Google.”

My father is in business, and even though I’m still in college, he’s always getting on me about networking. Every time I call home, he’s talking about how I should join clubs and go to events, reconnect with people from my summer internships, and so on. Is this really necessary while I’m still in school? I’m in tech, and I think my skills are what will get me jobs, not my ability to schmooze!

My older brother just got engaged this year. I’m thrilled for him (really!), but I have no idea what to expect in the wedding. We’ve been super close since our parents passed away, and he’s normally the person I’d ask about what to wear and how to buy wedding presents, but I don’t want to stress him out. I’m a broke college student - what am I supposed to wear? How much do people spend on wedding gifts? Help!

Will my student debt prevent me from getting a mortgage after I graduate?

One of my courses involves a community project. Volunteering is valuable, but should it be worth college credit?

Can I be required to take a drug test when accepting a job?