Stop and share this news with your smartphone: More American adults (35 percent) own a smartphone than a bachelor’s degree (27.5 percent)!

I have both – a two-year-old Blackberry Storm (although I’m eagerly waiting for the new iPhone to give it a try), and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, which I earned in 1995.

I love my smartphone (oh, the instant access to e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, photos, TV shows, and more!) and my degree. So I figure that’s enough of a qualification to share my three reasons why a bachelor’s degree is more important than a smartphone.

1. A smartphone may make you feel smart, but a degree gives you a key credential to show potential employers.

It takes dedication and determination (not to mention a financial investment) to earn your bachelor’s degree. Once you have it, it shows employers that you have met the college’s requirements and have a strong aptitude for the subject. Sure, you may be able to quickly pull up restaurant reviews, the latest YouTube videos, and beat friends in Scrabble by using your smartphone, but I doubt any of those will impress an employer during a job interview.

2. A smartphone helps you be connected at all times, but a degree gives you potential connections for a rewarding career.

If you love the instant access to email, text messaging, photos, videos, and other information that you get from a smartphone, you’re likely the type of person who likes to be in the know and on top of the latest trends and news about your friends, celebrities, or things that you’re passionate about. A degree offers those same kind of connections. You’ll form relationships with professors and students who could lead to your first job or big career steps. You’ll learn about industry groups and major companies to follow (even by using Twitter on your smartphone) to find out about the latest trends in your field and make you a smarter employee or job candidate.

3. A smartphone’s battery life will lessen as you watch TV, movies, and video, and just use it on a daily basis, but a degree will boost your life professionally.

My biggest problem with a smartphone is how much just daily use sucks the life out of my battery, often causing my phone to die until I plug it in and resuscitate it. Earning your bachelor’s degree won’t harm any of your career aspirations, but will juice up your professional life, increasing your earning potential and allowing you to find a job in a field you love.

There’s one thing a smartphone and a bachelor’s degree have in common – it takes research when deciding what type of smartphone to purchase and what type of bachelor’s degree program you want to pursue. We can’t live without our smartphone, but if you’re only living with your smartphone, consider pursuing your bachelor’s degree, too!

-Lori Johnston

If you’re headed back to the classroom and haven’t had the time for Facebook and Twitter or only use it to check up on your child or connect occasionally with old high school friends, now’s the time to learn how social networking can help you in school.

Social media can help college students make vital education and career connections, a recent Associated Press-Viacom poll found.

Seven out of 10 students reported that the social media sites are good for creating study groups, working with peers on assignments, and getting information about school activities or assignments.

We see it all the time. On Facebook, students discuss upcoming tests, what they missed if absent, and schedule times to meet up to quick study sessions or all-nighters. That way, you don’t have to try to call classmates to arrange a study group while your kids are wanting a snack or needing you to help them with their homework. Virtual connections are essential during a fast-paced semester!

Students also are using Twitter to keep connected with each other and their professors, some of whom use Twitter to fuel class discussions, too.

If you are unfamiliar with how to use those social media sites, you’ll want to brush up on using social media wisely. If you’re on Facebook, you may want to create a secure group that only your classmates can see to discuss a project or test. If you want to keep your schedule private, message a classmate to plan a study group instead of posting it on their wall. Also, realize that what you’re writing about a certain class could be seen by others (including possible employers), so watch what you’re sharing with all of your Facebook friends.

At the same time, 74 percent of students who responded to the poll say social media is a “good way to distract themselves,” the AP reported.

Keep watch of how much time you spend time on those sites. Jumping onto Facebook or Twitter could be a brief reward you earn after writing a paper or studying a couple of hours. But if you can’t resist checking out the sites every few minutes, you’ll need to come up with a plan for keeping in touch with classmates via social media without harming your GPA.

“Survivor” is breaking this season’s contestants into two tribes – young versus old. During this week’s season premiere, it was the older team (called Espada and including contestants over 40) that got sent to tribal council in Nicaragua, sending 48-year-old Montana goat rancher Wendy away (through a graveyard, no less).

It struck me as the credits rolled that if you’re an adult student and going back to school, you may be feeling like there’s two tribes in your classes as well. While you may have been told that the younger students will respect you for your life experience and knowledge, you maybe can’t help but feel that the age gap divides you from your 20-something classmates.

But let’s think about how “Survivor” typically plays out. At one point, the tribes are going to merge. And at that point, usually the younger contestants realize they can learn from the older players because of their experience, maturity, and wisdom, and vice versa.

As host Jeff Probst told CBSNews.com: “You have young guys running around, young women running around, and they’re fit and they can do all these challenges. But can they think? And when you look at the older tribe, you see people who stop before they walk and say, ‘We should go this way.’”

In the meantime, here are some tips provided by the University College Community at Rutgers-New Brunswick for adult learners:

• Seek out organizations and honors societies with adult students participating

• Make time for special events geared toward nontraditional students

• Contribute to campus events, working alongside those younger than you, to make a difference on campus

• Participate in the classroom and in group discussions

The young versus old experiment that “Survivor” is doing also may give you some insight into how you can relate to younger classmates, too.

-Lori Johnston

The Twilight Saga’s third book and movie, Eclipse, may seem unrealistic, with its storylines of hot vampires and even hotter teen werewolves. But at the heart of the plot is the idea of making choices after high school graduation that can impact the future.

Maybe you’re a TwiMom proud of your addiction to the books, and it’s bringing back memories of decisions you made as a senior in high school. Maybe love caused you to put other desires ahead of college, like Bella’s main goal of becoming a vampire. Or maybe the idea of attending college wasn’t a choice due to financial or other obstacles.

No matter your reasons or decisions, the great thing is that the option to pursue a college degree is something you can do now, even as an older student.

Since you graduated high school, the options for getting a college education have exploded. Think about it: Even after Bella becomes a vampire, she could get her degree through online programs in everything from history (hey, she used her knack for history to determine that Edward was a vampire!) to criminal justice (maybe she could follow in the path of her dad, Charlie). And that way, she would track down any evil vampires going after her family.

Don’t let past decisions keep you from pursuing a degree now. You’ll want to start with determining your goals, whether it’s landing a new career or trying to get a promotion.

Also realize that more adults are going back to school, too, so you aren’t alone. And if you happen to walk into a classroom and realize you are the oldest student there, just use your Twilight knowledge to connect with the younger students who are fans, too. Maybe they’ll even look up to you for that!

-Lori Johnston

A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) report found that 5.3 percent more new graduates will be hired this year than in 2009. But what NACE doesn’t mention is that new grads aren’t just competing with each other for work; they’re competing with record numbers of unemployed, experienced workers!

So how can you, the new college grad, land the job that everyone else wants? Career Coach Ford Myers, author of “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring” (John Wiley & Sons, 2009), lists the top 10 tools that all grads should have in their “Job Seekers’ Tool Kit.”

1. Accomplishment Stories
Myers recommends writing stories about five or six school- or work-related tasks of which you’re proud. It’s no secret that stories can be much more memorable and compelling than bullet points on a resume.

2. Positioning Statement
This has become known as the “15-second pitch” or “elevator speech,” listed by every career expert as a must-have job-search tool. Your “commercial” should highlight who you are, what you’ve done, and what you will do for an organization.

3. Professional Biography
Here’s your chance to get creative. Every detail of your bio must be true, but you have the opportunity to write the one-page career narrative in the third person. Don’t bother with false humility; sell yourself!

4. Target Company List
This is a two-part tool. First, brainstorm a wish list of adjectives to describe your ideal employer. Include such considerations as industry, location, size, culture, etc. Then do some research to find organizations that match your criteria, and create a list of 35 to 50 target companies.

5. Contact List
It’s time to hit up your Facebook friends and Twitter followers (are you following us, by the way?). According to Myers, about 80 percent of new career opportunities are secured through networking, so get ready to contact everyone you know – professionally and personally.

6. Professional/Academic References
Use your contact list to highlight professors or colleagues who would love to sing your praises, and ask for their approval to be listed as a job reference.

7. Letters of Recommendation
Now go even further to request recommendation letters from four or five colleagues or academic associates. Never underestimate the power of a personal letter from a career professional.

8. Networking Agenda
If you’ve ever planned your words before you got on the phone with a love interest, you’ll understand the value of creating a script for your networking discussions. Write out your statements and questions, and try to anticipate reactions in order to prepare appropriate responses.

9. Tracking System
Scribbling phone numbers on scraps of paper lends itself to disorganization and unproductivity in your job hunt. Keep a detailed record of all your job search activities (e.g., phone calls, e-mails, faxes, etc.) so you can regularly refer back to your notes and follow up with key contacts.

10. Resume
Of course, you still need to have a resume, and it needs to be amazing. Your one-to two-page synopsis should be well-written, carefully edited, and intuitively designed. All the other job-seeker tools won’t make up for the lack of this critical document.

Taking the time to gather these tools and utilize them effectively will demonstrate the dedication, professionalism, and creativity you need to get hired. Are you ready to beat the competition?

Comment up: What tools did you use to get your first job?

-Robyn Tellefsen

If you can’t wait to get your hands on an iPad, have you thought about working in the tech world?

Maybe your goal  to work for Apple or get a job with a tech company in your town. Or maybe you desire to be promoted into a more exciting position with your current employer and help create an innovation that pushes the boundaries of everything we know about computers, cell phones, and technology.

Here are two Apple executives who are doing just that:

Jonathan Ive: Time magazine calls him the “style guru.” Ive, a London-born designer, leads Apple’s design team, so he’s part of the reason why the Apple products look so sleek and cool. His education was overseas, with a bachelor of arts and an honorary doctorate from Newcastle Polytechnic, an art school in Northeast England.

Phil Schiller: Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing helps generate the buzz for the iPad, iPad, iPhone, MacBook and other Apple products. So where did he go to school? Schiller graduated with a bachelor of science degree in biology from Boston College, in 1982.

Apple and other technology companies also employ engineers, information technology professionals, software engineers, Web designers, project managers, graphic designers, attorneys and paralegals, human resources managers, database management professionals, and more.

If you desire to be part of the latest technological innovations, businesses of all sizes have their hands in the future of technology. And pursuing a degree from a technology school or one of these other fields could be just the start for you.

-Lori Johnston

Maybe you dream of people camping out in front of Best Buy, Wal-Mart or other stories for the newest release of a video game you helped create.

Or maybe you spend so much time playing everything from Halo Wars to Mario Kart Wii to Resident Evil 5, just a few of last year’s best-selling games, that you think you’re an expert.

Here’s more evidence that being a video game designer could be a lucrative and growing career field for you: The Princeton Review and GamePro Media this week unveiled their first-ever list of top 50 undergraduate video game design programs in the U.S. and Canada.

More colleges and universities are paying attention to this profession, and it shows that they recognize education and training are essential to being a successful game designer, not just playing a game nonstop or beating friends and strangers online.

The schools recognized stood out for their curriculum, faculty credentials, graduates’ employment, facilities, career achievements, infrastructure, financial aid, and career opportunities.

So, if you imagine yourself having a hand in designing the latest games for the Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, now is the time to look at schools that could train you to develop the newest Wii Fit, NCAA Basketball (think of March Madness fever), Call of Duty or Madden NFL games.

So who is No. 1? That’s the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. GamePro notes that the school’s Interactive Media Division has helped launched careers of graduates who are well known in the indie gaming arena.

Others rounding out the top 8 are on both coasts. They are: DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, Wash.), Drexel University (Philadelphia), Becker College (Worcester, Mass.), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y.), The Art Institute of Vancouver (Vancouver, B.C.), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, Mass.), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass).

Schools like Becker, which is 4th on the list, graduated their first class in the Game Design and Game Programming departments just last year, according to GamePro.

That shows that more schools are likely to be adding these programs, so it’s definitely worth asking if you’re interested in a school that doesn’t currently offer game design or other degrees.

Ready to play? Check out our info on salaries and job descriptions for game designers. That combined with the Princeton Review’s list of top programs could set you on the path to turning a pastime into an action-packed career.

-Lori Johnston

Here’s some encouraging news out of my home state of Georgia: Record numbers of students are enrolling in technical colleges, inspired to try new career fields and seeking to quickly gain the knowledge needed to land those jobs.

Data from the Technical College System of Georgia shows a 24 percent increase in 2009 enrollment compared to 2008, with 110,254 students in the state’s 28 technical colleges. The previous record: 91,838 students, in 2003.

Officials say the enrollment increase is due to the downturn in the economy. The education provided by technical schools can provide marketable skills that open doors to jobs in high-demand fields such as healthcare, business and office technologies, and computer information systems.

You can gain that knowledge faster than at traditional four-year colleges and universities.  In Georgia, its 600 certificate, diploma, and degree programs can be completed in six months to two years, depending on the program. That’s much like other areas of the county, and the costs are low ($2,100 is the annual tuition and fee average in Georgia).

And the interesting thing is that technical colleges have a diversity of ages among the students enrolled. The schools in Georgia are seeing an increase in students under 21, with recent high school graduates joining experienced workers in the classrooms. Having that diversity of ages in programs is beneficial to everyone, preparing you for a multi-generational workplace.

You may be among those who have lost jobs or are just ready for a different career path, and technical colleges are an affordable route worth considering.

-Lori Johnston

On average, new grads are making almost $50k right out of college — not too shabby in this down economy of ours, right? I know I certainly would have been thrilled with that kind of “first job” salary offer back when I graduated. Here are the deets…

NACE’s [National Association of Colleges and Employers] Summer 2009 Salary Survey report shows that the average starting salary offer for new college graduates now stands at $49,307. That’s off less than 1 percent from the average $49,693 that 2008 graduates posted last year at this time…

Seems like a good sign that things may be on the upswing. Of course, job openings may be a little harder to come by, which means that grads need to work slightly harder to edge out their competition.

Start with these tactics:

• Top 5 Tips for Job Seekers
• Social Network Your Way Into a Job
• How to Turn Your Internship Into a Job

Grads: We want to hear from you! Tell us about your job hunting experience, and if you’ve been happy with salary offers.

With all of the unemployment statistics out there, there’s a good possibility that you’re reading this in fear of losing your job, or not being able to find one once you finish school. There’s an even greater possibility that one of your parents or older relatives was laid off or took a buyout. What you don’t often hear about, though, is that for the younger workforce, the climate isn’t necessarily as bad as news reports would have you believe, as recently pointed out by fellow blogger, the Brazen Careerist herself, Penelope Trunk:

What I’m saying is that young people shouldn’t be thrown by the bad news that old people are pushing. Things are not that bad if you’re beginning your career. Think big, ask a lot of the world, demand respect and fun and a high learning curve.

In other words, stay positive — your future looks bright! That’s because, as the boomers are offered packages to opt out, or simply asked to leave, many companies are turning to new grads to fill those slots at a cheaper salary than they were paying their longtime loyal employees. Of course, it seems an unfair way to land a job, but it’s the inevitable circle of life these days, so you might as well take advantage of it. Some things to keep in mind…

Companies are still hiring, it’s true: Employers say they will hire about as many new college graduates from the Class of 2009 as they did from the Class of 2008, but plan to keep a watchful eye on those hiring needs, so they can shift gears if necessary, according to the Job Outlook 2009 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). In such an environment, says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, “students need to use all the resources available to them to conduct a successful job search, starting with the campus career center.”

Think inside and outside the box. In this case, the box is referring to your computer. You need to diversify the way you market yourself, whether it’s online at job boards, or at social network sites like Twitter (follow us: @collegesurfing), or LinkedIn; or offline at campus recruitment opportunities, job fairs, networking events in your field, or spreading the word to friends. The more you get the word out, the more potential jobs you’ll hear about.

Big opportunities have less to do with salary than you think. I haven’t heard much about students landing six figures and signing bonuses out of college, have you? In other words, keep your expectations down to Earth, and the job offers will come. The most important thing to think about is what a prospective job can do for you beyond your paycheck. Will it get you close to a mentor in the field that you can learn from? Does it serve as a jumping off point to something else you’d like to do down the line? Is it your dream company, and you don’t care how low on the totem pole you start?

Consider both short- and long-term. Despite the last point, money does of course count — let’s be real. The idea is not to think so much about the starting salary offered, that you overlook what that salary has the potential to become over the course of time. Would you rather start off making $35K knowing that the next level up makes $40K and takes a couple of years to reach, or will you take $30K with the promise of a performance review every six months and a better benefits/vacation package? The point is, listen carefully to all offers and then make your decision based on the big picture.

Feeling a little better? I hope you do.

What are your biggest fears about the job market?