Do you remember waking up on Saturday mornings at 7:30am just to watch your favorite cartoons till noon? Or rushing home after school making sure that you didn’t miss that one special show that came on at 4:00pm? We here at eCollegeFinder.org remember and that’s why we put together this list of our top 10 cartoons of the 90’s! So stop arguing with your roommate about which cartoon was better and see if the ‘toons on our list match up with yours.
10. Arthur
Known for his circular spectacles and red bow tie, Arthur made the aardvark a commonly known animal within households. One of PBS’s best cartoons illustrated to children in their middle school years how to cope with different life issues. His adventures with sister D.W., best friends Buster and Francine and many more were education and entertaining at the same time.
9. Dexter’s Laboratory
The two-foot high, red haired boy-genius made us all laugh at his wacky experiments. His hilarious run-ins with his nemesis, Mandark, and failed experiments caused by his older sister, Dee Dee, were hysterical. Cartoon segments Dial M for Monkey and The Justice Friends also helped the hit cartoon boost its popularity.
8. Pinky and the Brain
The hit spinoff of Steven Spielberg’s Animaniacs was viewed by many as witty and fresh. Residing in Acme Labs, Brain’s maniacal plans were hilariously stalled by Pinky’s effort to help him. These two genetically enhanced lab mice engaged both parents and children in their attempts to “Try to take over the world.”
7. Hey Arnold!
America’s favorite football head-shaped character, Arnold, made kids tune in almost religiously to see what it’s like to be a normal kid living in a wild and crazy neighborhood. The various characters in the cartoon, like Helga, Jerald and Grandpa Phil, made audiences fall in love with Arnold‘s compassionate nature. The 4th grader’s experiences were one entertaining adventure after another.
6. Pepper Ann
“Is she cool? Is she lame?” Disney and ABC’s red-headed 8th grader was an instant success. With friends Milo and Nicky always close by, Pepper Ann represented the ‘ordinary girl’ with fantasies about how life should be, often resulting in sticky situations. But Pepper Ann always found the right path, and showed us all that the key to being cool was simply to be yourself.
5. Dragonball Z
Super powers, big, flamboyant hair and aliens are some of the characteristics which made Dragonball Z a national phenomenon. Stemming from the original series Dragonball, DBZ introduced many Americans to the cartoon genre of anime. The show focused on Goku, an alien from the Saiyan race, his family and friends, and their quest for seven magical orbs necessary to defeat the evil forces. The hit sagas paved the way for other Japanese anime and manga series to transition into U.S mainstream television.
4. The Simpsons
Before Eric Cartman, the original trouble maker was a resident of Springfield named Bart Simpson. Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa were the first cartoon family to keep us laughing as we watched them live and love in their own unique ways. The Simpsons continue to amuse audiences, and the program is considered to be Fox Broadcasting Company’s most successful sitcom.
3. Rugrats
Nickelodeon’s talking toddlers were a sensation and memorable to all. The adventures of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica and Susie (before the birth of Dil and introduction of Kimi) captivated young and older kids alike. Rugrats is known as the longest running show in Nickelodeon history with 14 years under it’s belt, and has gone on to make numerous movies and a spinoff titled All Grown Up.
2. X-Men
Adapted from the Marvel comic book, X-Men was a hard hitting, action-packed cartoon that kept viewers riveted to their couches. The show detailed the adversities, joys and hardships of these mutants with special abilities and powers. The plethora of relatable characters in the show made children of all ages enjoy watching the series.
1. Doug
“The Beets”, “Quailman” and “Jumbo Street” are words that capture the essence of the amazing cartoon Doug. With numerous wacky experiments by next door neighbor Mr. Dink, and the adorable Patti Mayonnaise, the cartoon showcased Doug, a 6th grader, as he stood up to bullies like Roger and made musical hits like “Banging on a Trash Can.” The adventures of Douglas Yancey Funnie, beloved dog, Porkchop, and best friend, Skeeter Valentine, made Nickelodeon’s and Disney’s Doug the number one cartoon of the 90’s.
Honorable Mentions: The Power Puff Girls, Captain Planet, Gargoyles, Ren & Stimpy and Daria
One of the benefits to online education is the cash you'll keep in your pocket. In lieu of the rocky housing market and uncertain stock market, it's no wonder why many are turning to online education. No commuting fees, no time taken away from the work day and no hassle trying to find and pay for a babysitter: online education can be completed from virtually anywhere, at any time, including your home.
Typical degree programs, whether online or at traditional brick and mortar locations, include textbooks and other additional resources. Some school bookstores charge exorbitant fees for these books, especially textbooks. So when you're shopping for books this upcoming semester, consider these less costly tips to finding textbooks.
Barter for Books
Many sites offer freebies like FreeCycle.org and Craigslist.org. Scope out the listings to see if your books are available, or post a "Wanted" ad to list what you're looking for. Alternatively, these sites might also offer a form of bartering- so you can trade last year's or last semester's books for the next upcoming semester's resources.
Get the Discounts
There are many online bookshops set up to offer discount prices on used or barely used textbooks, workbooks and CDs. Check out these sites for good deals and steals:
Half.com
eCampus.com
BookByte.com
CampusBooks4Less.com
Borrow for Free
What many students may not know is that most schools keep at least one copy of their textbooks available at their school library. That means even if you're enrolled at an online university, a local college might have the same book you need available. Also, check your local free public library. Many school and local libraries also participate in inter-library loaning, so you may be able to have the books you need shipped to the library closest to you.
Got a discount resource for books that's not listed? Let us know in the comments section!
Did you know that the term "distance education" dates back to the late 1800s? It was first used in a school catalog for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nowadays, this concept of "distance education" is associated with online education at your fingertips anytime, anywhere.
Since its inception, the online education industry has grown in popularity, altered the definition of 'classroom' and has given brick and mortar educational institutions tough competition. Recently, it's no longer uncommon to know friends and family members who've earned their degrees, particularly advanced level degrees, from an online education portal. Though now fully functional and aesthetically pleasing to students, thriving online schools have come a long way.
That Was Then...
The Swinging 60s can mostly be summed up by Paul Kanter's quote, "If you can remember anything about the sixties, you weren't really there." Despite a society rife with drugs and free love, there were some advancements in the educational field. Some schools, including Stanford, began implementing the earliest versions of "online education" which enabled students to reach instructors via online notes and teachers to monitor their students' progress via data. In a different field, a group of psychologists formed "Teaching Machines, Inc", learning texts based off of earlier versions written by legendary behavioral psychologist, B.F. Skinner. In the 70s and 80s, computers began to appear in classrooms as early as in Kindergarten.
Lotus Notes version 1.0 was released in 1989, paving the way for the Internet to transform from "geek gadget" to a necessity. During the mid 1990s, Internet companies were by the thousands and gave way to the "dot-com" boom. Later that decade, schools began to explore internet and computer capabilities-beyond creating slideshows- into very basic, text-based online courses. In 1996, founders Glenn Jones and Bernard Luskin created the first accredited web-based university, Jones International University.
...This is Now
What once began as text-based courses with a smattering of pictures transformed into courses with streaming media, web access and the ability to work anytime, from anywhere. Online education has literally opened doors for many who thought they could not further their education. Whether you've got two jobs, are a busy caretaker, or simply can't afford to commute to a campus program, online education makes pursuing your dreams achievable- often at a lower price, too.
Although it may seem like a cliché or an annoying adage you’ve heard a parent bark at you in the past, it couldn’t be truer. Experiencing new things outside of your comfort zone can be fun and exhilarating, and there’s no better time to diversify yourself and expand your horizons than during your college experience.
Since most life prior to college can be dictated by parental control or community mores, collegiate life may be a person’s first exposure to different cultures, religions, ideas and personality types. This immersion in a new community may lead to a growing interest in politics, art, sports and (most importantly) music.
We here at eCollegeFinder have taken it upon ourselves to create a short list of important rock, jazz and pop records that are as ground-breaking, stimulating and worldly as your college experience itself. So take a chance on these innovative albums and prepare your mind for the diverse cultural landscape that is college life.
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds 
Originally created as a response to The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds is the album that conceptually pushed American rock music closer towards the epic scope of classical and opera. That’s not to say that Brian Wilson strayed far from his surfer-boy crooning and whimsical pop sensibility, but he consciously designed an album tied together by a unifying theme, expanding his band beyond the traditional scope of bass, drums and guitar. The finished product is an absolute masterpiece, marrying the lovelorn melancholy of Wilson’s lyrics with the jovial clamor of a day at the carnival.
Further listening: The Kinks – The Village Green Preservation Society; The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle
Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
Funny, culturally astute and masking a scholarly genius behind a façade of frat boy brashness, The Beastie Boys boldly tried to mash together all of the elements of their Manhattan upbringing into every track on their sophomore effort. Amazingly, they succeeded, creating an album overflowing with elements of funk, early hip-hop, rock, punk, metal, jazz and reggae. This tasty mélange of cultural sound bites rides smoothly beneath the brilliant wordplay of the Boys, as they amusingly skewer modern culture, old movies, political figures and milquetoast American sensibilities.
Further listening: De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising; MF Doom – Operation Doomsday
The Clash – London Calling
Desperately trying to diversify the single-minded world of UK punk, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones (the Lennon and McCartney of punk rock) mined their deep musical influences, seeking a sound that kept their inherent rawness, but mixed it with the rock history that preceded it. London Calling is this combination of past, present and future; destroying world-worn political and social ideals while conveying these messages over a bed of complex and interesting rock, pop and blues ballads.
Further Listening: The Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady; Gang of Four – Entertainment!
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Quite possibly
the height of modern jazz music, trumpet player Miles Davis sculpted a work of relaxed brilliance that exemplifies jazz music’s willingness to step outside the constraints of traditional song structure, while still performing with the utmost skill and nuance. Regularly acting as a gateway for jazz novices, this album is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in experience the hypnotic tones and unpredictable twists and turns of this under-appreciated American music.
Further Listening: John Coltrane – A Love Supreme; Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come
Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde
Combining his passion for rock, blues, country and American
folk music, the world’s greatest songwriter built his seventh album into a virtual encyclopedia of the musical form. From “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’s” ramshackle barroom blues to “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again’s” rambling, long-winded, absurd brilliance, Dylan showed himself as an artist capable of extreme diversity, while never sounding like anyone but himself.
Further Listening: Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water; Beck – One Foot in the Grave
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Despite the years of controversy, bankruptcy, ridicule and eccentricity surrounding Michael Jackson, nothing can take away from the sheer brilliance of his 1982 album, Thriller. Outside of its overwhelming sales, seven Top 10 hits, insanely memorable music videos and sold out live performances, 
every track on this watershed is flat-out amazing; reflecting the scope and range of Jackson himself and his producer, Quincy Jones. It would be impossible to realize the electronic funk of The Neptunes or Black Eyed Peas without “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and its revolutionary synthesized club beats. R. Kelly wouldn’t be able to create stirring soul from his shameless womanizing without “Billie Jean’s” torrid paternity tale. An entire youth culture wouldn’t be emotionally scarred without Jackson’s frightening and eternally cool “Thriller.”
Further Listening: Madonna – True Blue; Hall & Oates – Private Eyes
Nirvana – Nevermind
Although often unfairly lumped into the faceless “Alt-Rock” genre, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana are much more than your standard modern rock act. On their key release, Nevermind, Nirvana echoes the quiet-loud dynamics of The Pixies, the low-end rattle of Black Sabbath and the quirky lyrical absurdity of the Olympia, Washington rock scene while forcing these odd bedfellows into the rigid structure of a pop song. It may seem like walking a tightrope, but Nirvana purveys their unique spin on rock effortlessly, all the while wearing their influences and hearts on their sleeves.
Further Listening: Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation; Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted
Basically inventing the slack and sarcastic indie rock of the early 1990s, Pavement managed to bleed art rock’s wordiness of its pretensions and mix it with a catchy, guitar-driven pop that masterfully plays to your desire to dance, but still pours on enough cultural references and non-sequiturs to keep a Lit. major happy.
Further Listening: Built to Spill – Keep It Like a Secret; Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
Bearing little resemblance to their early work with 
Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon was a profound step forward for the underground rock pioneers, who bravely stepped out of the shadows to craft this masterful treatise on loneliness and the decadence of human existence. This courageous effort expanded rock’s sonic palette, opening the doors for future acts to take risks and experiment with electronic instruments and unconventional song structure.
Further Listening: Radiohead – OK Computer; My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
Various Artists – The Harder They Come Soundtrack
Introducing the 
sounds of reggae music to America, The Harder They Come aptly compiles Jamaica’s biggest hit makers to tell a tale of the corruption and poverty of their homeland. Star of the feature film and head contributor on the soundtrack, Jimmy Cliff shows all sides of his impressive talent; presenting an unwavering optimism on “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and brilliantly depicting Jamaican hardship on “Many Rivers to Cross.”
Further Listening: Bob Marley – African Herbsman; The Congos – Heart of the Congos
Based on a list recently published by the QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a leading global career and education network, the United States offers more high-quality colleges and universities than any other country in the world, boasting 58 schools in the Top 200 and 6 in the Top 10.
The only nation to compete with the US’ big numbers was the United Kingdom, putting up a respectable 29 schools in the Top 200 and 4 in the Top 10. Educational institutes in Australia, Canada and Japan also ranked well with voters, with Israel making its first appearance at a respectable #93 (Hebrew University of Jerusalem).
The QS World University Rankings 2008, the fifth edition of the Times’ popular list, is compiled from the surveys of nearly 9,000 academics and employers. It focuses primarily on academic excellence, global reputation, staff-to-student ratios and current trends in business.
This year’s list seemed to spotlight technology-based institutions, with schools like Caltech, MIT and the ETH Zurich all climbing towards the top of the list. Experts believe that this rise may be due to a societal need for engineers and scientists, as well as an academic need for technology professionals in the classroom.
Topping the list for the fifth consecutive time is Harvard University, followed closely by Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, Caltech, Imperial College, UCL, University of Chicago, MIT and Columbia.
For other rankings on top US universities, check these resources:
If you’re a college student with a tight budget and a heavy workload, eating three healthy meals a day might be quite a challenge. Yet, taking a trip to your local grocery store instead of eating fast food not only keeps more cash in your pocket but also puts healthier food in your stomach.
Begin with Basics
It’s a well-known adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’ve heard it all before, but even if it borders on cliché, it couldn’t be truer. Think of breakfast as a great way to get you energized for the day ahead that does not necessarily have to be time consuming. 
Instead of grabbing an expensive value meal from a chain or a bagel from the local deli, pick up a box of generic cereal. Generics (like Malt-O-Meal®) are very inexpensive, come in family-sized packaging and are just as nutritious as brand name items. They even passed the ABC News test, when a study conducted by Consumer Reports showed that generic cereals matched brand names in quality, flavor and nutritional value. And let’s not forget about that incredibly low ticket price.
Mid-Day Munchies
As for lunch, a hot meal like your mom used to make is only minutes away. With just water and a microwave, you can have Kraft Easy Mac Cups
, a personalized serving of macaroni and cheese that’s ready to eat in roughly 4 minutes and pretty darn tasty to boot. Pair it with some frozen vegetables and you’ve got a fast and healthy meal. Be choosy about your snacks though, they can get quite pricey.
If you’re in the market for an inexpensive and delicious potato chip, Utz® Snacks makes delicious chips at discount prices. For a miniscule $17.99, you can get a box of 60 snack-sized bags of chips in a variety of flavors. The quaint bag size even helps you keep the snacking to a reasonable level and keeps you chips fresher than a conventional-sized bag.
Dine in Style
Finally, we tackle the dinner menu. If you’re not willing to experiment, ramen noodles are still a cheap and effective way to fill yourself up. Nissin® Top Ramen® and Cup Noodles® are the gold standard, but lesser-known brand Smack® offers over 20 flavors and is often cheaper than the already bargain-priced Nissin items. 
If you consider yourself adventurous, Stouffer’s® Skillet Sensations® are low calorie and easy to prepare (all you need is a skillet), while Betty Crocker’s® Suddenly Salad line takes the mystery out of all those amazing pasta salads your aunt brings to the 4th of July cookout.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make meal time healthy, cheap and easy. Just grab a shopping cart and go to it!
With the Dow dropping a record 778 points, Fannie Mae under
FBI investigation and banks cautiously abstaining from giving private loans,
getting funding for higher education has become harder than ever. Yet, with
some savvy internet searching and a keen eye, you can find a low-interest
government loan program or a reasonable personal loan that will suit your needs
without cleaning your pockets.
One of the more well-known government loan programs, the
Stafford Loan is a loan guaranteed through the US Government, which makes
interest rates lower while assuring the lender that all money will be
reimbursed. Although there are some requirements and limitations on the actual
lending amount, it packs a respectable 8.5% interest rate and nearly all
students are eligible regardless of credit history.
Also of interest is the Federal Perkins Loan, which carries
a fixed interest rate of 5% and no accrual of interest until the repayment of
the loan begins. Although the loan amounts are not as considerable as a private
loan (ranging from $4,000 to $40,000), the government is very lenient
concerning credit history and willing to contribute to furthering education.
If you’re still a bit short after exhausting all of your
federal loan options, don’t get discouraged. Acquiring a private loan is still feasible;
just follow a few simple rules and keep your best interests in mind.
A good starting point for jumping into the private loan pool
is finding a cosigner. A parent, sibling or friend with a higher credit score
could make the bank lean in your favor. However, keep in mind that you must
make all payments on time. You don’t want your generous benefactor ending up in
hot water right along with you.
Also, it is of the utmost importance to choose the right
lender. Pick a bank on strong financial ground that offers loans at a reasonable
APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Don’t be afraid to shop around and make sure the
loan you apply for suits your income. Specifically select a loan that includes a
reasonable payoff date and inexpensive monthly payments. This can help you stay
up-to-date on bills and away from the dreaded world of debt.
If you stick to your guns and refuse to be taken advantage
of, you can be successful student on your way to a degree and a considerable
credit score boost.