How To Stay In "The Know"

By Victoria Troxler

In the current age of social media, being out of the loop is deplorable. Yet, as college students, we often get sucked into our classes and lose sight of the world around us. I was recently in a course in which someone openly admitted to not being familiar with the Arab Spring. I was mortified. If you are like this kid or if worldly news doesn’t interest you, a general knowledge of current events is essential for any career path. Here are a few ways to stay into the loop that cater to even the laziest of college students:

Let Google Alert You

If you’re too lazy to seek out information, let the news come to you. What is Google Alerts, you ask? It is a service where Google alerts you about newsworthy topics that you are interested in. This is an extremely useful tool, especially when following certain news stories. Simply set your Google alerts to cover a few topics of your interest and you’ll start receiving emails updating you on top stories. Simple as that.

Twitter/Facebook

I know you’re on it all day anyway, so why not use it for something useful. Follow or ‘Like’ new stations or major papers—breaking news will be at your fingertips at all times. If hard news doesn’t tickle your fancy, find a magazine or blogger that updates on news in a more readable way.

Set Your Homepage

Change your homepage from Apple.com or Facebook.com to NYTimes.com or CNN. You can’t help but be interested in the Arab Spring when the horrifying pictures pop up every time you go to use your browser.

Take it to the Tube.

If reading is not up your ally, the television is a useful medium—and not just for watching “The Jersey Shore.” Tune in for 10 or 15 minutes of the 5 o’clock news for both local and international news stories. If you’re too lazy to even do this, then there is really no helping you dude.

Read!

If you’re daring enough, pick up a copy of the NY Times. They are free around campus! If paper isn’t your thing, there are a wide variety of mediums. Try reading the news on your tablet or phone.

Don’t want to read every day? Check out our column, The Week on Friday’s for our thoughts on the most important weekly news events.