Last night, I was thrilled to participate in a Twitter.com event with moms interested in going back to school, and I must say — I was impressed!!!

In this tough economy of ours, it was amazing to hear inspiring stories from adults who went back to school — whether it was via online learning or their local community college — to launch or advance their careers, all while setting a great example about the importance of lifelong education to their kids. Other participants discussed their desire to return to the classroom and sought general advice about college admissions as well, and we were happy to assist them with financial aid information, facts about online learning, tips for juggling family and books, and more.

If you missed the event, no worries. You can check out the post-event buzz. For specific resources on how to choose the right school for you, the importance of accreditation, and what adults need to know before they make the school commitment, you can head straight to the event portal page. Best of luck!

P.S. Are you following @collegesurfing on Twitter?

I really discovered my love of The Beatles in college, and it’s continued to grow ever since. So I was delighted to once again participate in the Carnival of College Admissions, this time Fab Four style! Thanks to Mark Montgomery for putting together an all Beatles edition, and for including the CollegeSurfing blog as well as our sister blog, CollegeBound’s U. Got It?.

Some things I learned so far from perusing the fun posts listed:

• There are practical questions every students should ask when choosing a college — thanks Kate Scozzaro of myUsearch blog!
• A topic near and dear to my CollegeSurfing heart, written by Khan at the Higher Education Blog: Why you might be better off going to a career or technical school.
• And a very timely issue: the Money Blue Book blog lists the best student credit cards to avoid debt trouble.

But of course, there’s more to explore “across the universe” — at the Carnival, that is. So get surfin’ and let us know which posts (and which Beatles songs) are your faves!

Start low and work your way up the corporate ladder.
Your hard work will get you noticed.
Pay your dues and work long hours and it will pay off.

Sounds like pretty sound advice, just like your dad gave you when you set out into the world of work, right? The problem, says Penelope Trunk in her new book, “Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success,” is that such thinking applies to yesterday’s ‘old school’ workforce. “Today, there are new rules, new expectations, and new standards for success,” she writes.

For one thing, she stresses, people are not going to come and throw money at you or necessarily notice the great job you’re doing. That might sound obvious, but it took me years to find out from a manager that I need to “play the game” more if I want to get ahead. I’m a self-professed quiet type, always buried in my laptop, listening to my iTunes, typing away. I had always equated the “game” with office politics, schmoozing, and brown-nosing, all of which I wanted no part — or had time to do! But I’ve learned, it’s sometimes a necessary and even fulfilling part of the job, like sharing news with colleagues and higher-ups about my latest initiatives, like this blog. Had I not sent around a staff email, none of my co-workers would have a clue it even existed.

“Brazen Careerist” solidified for me some of the lessons that I learned the hard way throughout the years. For anyone making their way through corporate struggles, deciding if they should go for an advanced degree or launch a new business, or discovering a completely new line of work, Trunk’s renegade advice is right on. Some other highlights (you’ll have to pick up a copy yourself for the rest!):

- Break job-hunting rules. “Even though the advertisement says no calls, a call is a great way to get someone to pay attention to you when there’s a huge pile of resumes.”

- A messy desk portrays you as unorganized, not busy. “Use your workspace to control how people perceive you.”

- Forget dollars and cents. “Learning new skills is worth a lot more to you, in the long run, than some ridiculous 4 percent raise.”

Add Trunk’s book to your wishlist for her complete 45 rules for success. (And don’t believe everything Dad tells you.)