I've been hiring both interns and recent grads from engineering and programming positions since 1981 when I first hired a dozen interns out of Drexel.

While MIT and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute interns and grads have impressed me as hands-down the most brilliant, Drexel students are usually the most prepared for the challenges of every-day work life with Rowan University (formerly Glassboro State) coming in somewhat behind Drexel. (Based on my experiences, Drexel's 5-year program that includes 4 six-month internships should be adopted EVERYWHERE).

Mind you, I usually see applicants only from North Eastern colleges, but over the years it means I've probably hired more than 200 of these individuals.

[Unfortunately, I've never even gotten a resume from anyone from my alma mater, the University of Bridgeport, in response to a want-ad, so I can't say good or ill of UB products.]

Time to revise:

1. Identify a career that pays well and that you would enjoy spending your waking hours being devoted to. (Until you are certain, live at home, work at some crap jobs, and save money while you figure these things out. Take at least one community college or cheap online course year-round and at all times to maintain your study skills and knowledge base. "Undeclared" full-time college majors should be reserved for children of millionaires.)

2. Identify the lowest cost educational providers that provide quality training and education. (Starting at 2 years of community college followed by 2 years of state college should work just fine for 80% of us. Living at home while attending college should be an option if you live close to good inexpensive colleges.)

3. Work while you are in college to pay what you can and minimize borrowings. (College students who are also working can also often apply classroom lessons to their real-world experience. By not living in an "ivory tower," the lessons are integrated and retained instead of being forgotten after an all-night cram session before the final.)

4. Graduate with reasonable debt and start on a great career and great life.

5. PROFIT!

>> The world is basically starting to overflow with way more people than positions

Not even remotely accurate. Check out the chart at http://tipstrategies.com/blog/... and you will see that while manufacturing employment is on the decline, that Professional Services (including tech), Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Financial Services, Government, Trade, Transport, and Utilities have relentlessly grown over the last 40 years.

At the height of the Great Recession (2007-2012), the unemployment rate for people with technical and professional degrees in the US never exceeded 4.5%!

One problem in the US is that our policies discourage risk taking and entrepreneurship. (Single payer college education and healthcare would go a long way toward helping gin this area.) Another problem in the US is that our tax policies insure the biggest corporations hoard cash instead of investing in growing jobs FASTER. A third problem in the US is that we do not treat immigrants with the respect and dignity that future taxpayers deserve.

All are fixable problems. I don't know if we actually fix them. But the solutions are right in front of us.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 32,885 people died in traffic crashes in 2010 in the United States (latest figures available), including an estimated 10,228 people who died in drunk driving crashes, accounting for 31% of all traffic deaths that year. (http://www.centurycouncil.org/drunk-driving/drunk-driving-fatalities-national-statistics).

Depending on whose statistics you use, the number of innocent people maimed or otherwise permanently disabled by drunk drivers may exceed 100,000 victims per year.

Taking blood is ridiculous, But breathalyzers save lives. That many of the 10,000 people who die in drunk driving crashes are innocent people who are driving other cars, or are pedestrians, or are passengers, warrants road blocks and breathalyzers, especially on weekend evenings.

Yes, there should be a "red line" defining "reasonable" limits on police searches. But in America, the cost in deaths, pain, and suffering mean that to reduce the odds of some moron injuring me or my loved ones, I'll give up a reasonable degree of freedom and support politicians who promote breathalyzer roadblocks.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_locust

"
Kosher locusts are varieties of locusts that are deemed premissible for consumption under the laws of kashrut (Jewish dietary law). While the consumption of most insects is considered to be forbidden under the laws of kashrut, the rabbis of the Talmud identified eight kosher species of locusts. However, the identity of those species is in dispute

The Torah states in Parshat Shemini:

        "Every flying insect that uses four legs for walking shall be avoided by you. The only flying insects with four walking legs you may eat are those with knees extending above their feet, [using these longer legs] to hop on the ground. Among these you may only eat members of the red locust family, the yellow locust family, the spotted gray locust family and the white locust family. All other flying insects with four feet [for walking] must be avoided by you."[2]
"

Sure it does. When I was in Israel 4 years ago, I saw Domino's Pizza delivery via scooter in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and in Haifa.

There are a lot of truly good lists in this thread. To keep my posting brief, I Iimited my response to ten items I use but did not see on the other postings.

1. A cabinet with a combination lock big enough to hold your tool box so your tools are actually there when you need them.

2. Duct tape and electrical tape. - Seriously. In multiple colors.

3. Cable ties and scissors to cut old ones. (No, not a razor knife. You also need one of those.)

4. A label-making machine (like the Brother P-touch to label every device and cable)

5. Gauze, medical tape, and band-aids. Small wounds should not slow down large repairs.

6. A telescoping magnet. Screws will fall!

7. Extra multi-outlet strips and extension cords to hold you over until the electrician shows up a week from now.

8. Fine point sharpies in multiple colors.

9. Wrist-wrapped grounding wires

10. A magnifying glass to read service tags mounted far away with tiny serial numbers. (Although there are now phone apps that sort of work ok.)