While the big names like Google and Yahoo will likely always rule the search engine market, sometimes you want something a little more focused when it comes to finding what you need on the web. That’s where these niche search engines come in handy. Using these tools you’ll be able to search through everything from academic research articles to deals on video games, making your life at college easier in a myriad of ways.

Research

Use these great search engines to aid in your research for papers, projects and more.

1. Google Scholar: With Google Scholar you can search through thousands of guaranteed scholarly (and appropriate for use in a paper) articles and research reports.
2. WorldCat: If you need a book and they don’t have it at your local library, use this tool to find out where the closest location you can find the book is.
3. Scirus: Using this search tool you can browse or search through loads of great scientific articles–great for last-minute research.
4. HighBeam Research: This tool searches through numerous sites to find the articles that you’re looking for.
5. iSeek: Students and teachers alike can find great information using this site that searches through only trusted resources.
6. Librarian’s Internet Index: Make sure you’re finding reliable, truthful information by using this search tool.
7. Vadlo: This search engine allows users to search through thousands of resources in the life sciences and biomedical fields.
8. Virtual Learning Resource Center: You’ll find a great collection of resources on this site to help you complete your projects in everything from economics to art history.
9. Open Library: If you don’t have time to run out to the library, you can find online resources to use for free using this search engine.
10. Online Journals Search Engine: Use this search engine to find great scientific journal articles.

Getting Answers

Check out these search engines for help finding answers to your important questions and organizing information.

11. Answers.com: Ask a question and other users will post their answers on this helpful site.
12. AskMeNow: Use this search site to find answers from experts on a wide range of topics.
13. Powerset: This tool uses Wikipedia to answer your question, bringing up the most relevant information.
14. Lexxe: Simply type a question into this site to get search results that best answer it.
15. Online Conversion: You can convert just about any unit to another using this great tool. Simply search to find the conversion you need.
16. Tablefy: This site will allow you to compare just about anything from products to websites and give you the information in an easy to use table.
17. MetaGlossary: Using this tool, you can find the meaning of millions of phrases, terms and acronyms.
18. BrainBoost: Try out this question-answering engine to see if you can’t find just what you’re looking for.

Med Students

Whether you’re already in med school or planning to head there when you graduate, these tools offer great search capabilities for all kinds of health-related information.

19. PubMed: This site lets you search through the holdings at the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
20. MedScape: Find all kinds of useful health-related articles through this site.
21. OmniMedicalSearch: This medical site lets you search for articles, news, photos and more.
22. Healthline: Check out this basic site to find information on a variety of medical conditions.
23. Healthfinder: Here you’ll find a collection of government health resources that you can search through in both English and Spanish.
24. Antibiotic Guide: If you need to know anything about an antibiotic, you’ll find it using this search site from Johns Hopkins.
25. Medical Student.com: Designed with students in mind, this site is full of searchable information that can help you in your studies.
26. PDR.net: Use this search site as a starting point to learning more about prescription drugs of all kinds.

Law Students

Search through all kinds of legal history and information using these tools.

27. Everybody’s Legal Glossary: This searchable resources puts legal terms into plain English so that you can understand them.
28. Catalaw: Catalaw is a site that brings together the world’s law catalogs and lets you search through them.
29. FedLaw: This site will help you find everything from the meaning of acronyms to forms and legal restrictions for businesses.
30. Supreme Court Decisions: If you need to look up a Supreme Court case, this site makes it simple.
31. LawGuru: Using this site, you can ask any kind of legal question and get answers or find out what kind of law offices are open in your area.
32. Hieros Gamos: Find law firms, jobs, legal information and just about anything else related to the law by searching this site.
33. Meta-Index for U.S. Legal Research: This site makes it easy to search for Supreme Court decisions, legislation, regulations and more.
34. World Legal Information Institute: Search through this database to find information related to legal cases from around the world.

Business Students

Keep up with the markets and the big names in business with these search engines.

35. Business.com: You’ll find a wide range of business information through the search engine on this site.
36. DailyStocks: Keep up with the ups and downs of the market by searching for specific stocks on this site.
37. Inomics: Sign up for this site to search through a wealth of economics-related information.
38. Zapdata: By becoming a member of this site, you can search through businesses from across the nation and get great leads and connections.
39. Bloomberg: Use this site to learn more about economic and financial news and to follow the markets.
40. BPubs: Search through a variety of business publications for articles that interest you using this site.
41. ThomasNet: Look up companies, product names, brands and more and find all the information you need on this site.

All-In-One

These search engines will allow you to conduct big, personalized searches.

42. WikiSlice: This site will let you search through wikipedia for a given term, giving you all the articles that reference it.
43. Dogpile: Use this search engine to search through Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask all at once.
44. MetaCrawlerWeb: Save yourself some time and search through all the big search engines at once on this site.
45. mamma: Whether you’re looking for web results, video or images, this site brings you the best results from the biggest search engines out there.
46. Myriad Search: Search through several major search engines on this site, with the option to customize your results.
47. HotBot: Choose from several search engines to use on this meta site.
48. SurfWax: This site will help you make the most of your searches, offering custom tools for searching Wikipedia, RSS feeds, news, shopping and more.
49. Clusty: With the option to limit searches to topics like blogs, images, Wikipedia and more, this site makes finding what you need a whole lot easier.
50. Copernic Agent: Find what you’re looking for in a snap using this customizable search tool.

Images and Visual Displays

If you need images for a project or just for fun, these sites make it easy to find what you’re looking for.

51. Image Toss: Use this search tool to find great images.
52. Picsearch: This site will let you search through billions of images to find what you need.
53. Fagan Finder: An indispensable tool for searching for images, this site lets you search through stock photos, search engines, photo sharing sites and more.
54. TinEye Reverse Image Search: Have an image but don’t know where it came from? This search site can help.
55. Pixsy: Use this site to search through tons of pictures and images to find what you’re looking for.
56. Netvue: With this site you’ll see images and animations displayed beautifully so you’ll find just what you’re looking for.
57. Creative Commons Search: Find images you can use for free on this site.
58. Middlespot: Search through the images on this site and collect them using the site’s tools so you can use them later.

Media

Find videos and music galore using these search engines.

59. Last.fm: List your favorite bands on this site, and the search feature will direct you towards other artists you might like.
60. Dailymotion: On this site you’ll find thousands of videos you can look through each day.
61. YouTube: As the best-known video-hosting site on the web, this search tool is a best bet for finding the videos you need.
62. FindSounds: Whether you need a new ring tone or just want to entertain yourself with funny sounds, you can find just about everything you need here.
63. Blinkx: Search through tons of videos on this site.
64. SeeqPod: Use this tool to search through millions of songs, and you can even listen to samples of your results.
65. RadioLocator: Search through this site to find the best radio stations in your area.
66. SkreemR: Find a wide range of MP3 files through this search engine.

Entertainment

Find fun things to do in your college town using these helpful entertainment search sites.

67. Gnod: Find music, books and movies that meet your interests using this search engine.
68. ConcertFinders: Try out this site to find out what concerts will be happening in your area.
69. FestivalFinder: If you want to attend a music or any other kind of festival this summer, consider using this tool to find out more information.
70. Fandango: Look up information about movies and find show times and tickets on this site.
71. Restaurant Row: Enter in your city, a type of food or a restaurant name and find all the information you need for a dinner out.
72. TV Guide: Find out what’s playing on your TV by searching through the listings on this site.
73. Zvents: Discover fun things to do in your neck of the woods by searching through this site.
74. Goby: Simply type in what you’d like to do, where you’d like to do it or when you’re free, and you can find all kinds of fun activities.
75. IMDB: Settle your movie trivia debates using this excellent movie and television information database.

Shopping

If you’re a college student on a budget, take advantage of these shopping sites to find great bargains on just about anything you could need.

76. Like.com: This site is home to some of the best deals and selections on the web from sites made for women, men, home and more.
77. Slifter: Find out where to buy products in your neighborhood using this online tool.
78. Pronto: This site searches top stores for great deals and trendy fashions to save you the trouble of doing it on your own.
79. The Find: Search for a product using this site and it will tell you where to get the best deal and if there are coupons available.
80. retrevo: Those in the market for new electronics should try out this site for finding great deals.
81. BizRate: Here, you’re able to search for items, price compare and buy them from the site with the best deal.
82. Shopzilla: This site is the ultimate comparison shopping search engine. Simply type in what you’re looking for and it does the rest.
83. AuctionMapper: Use this site to totally hack the listings on eBay, get the best deals and find what you’re looking for.

Life

These search sites will help you find a place to live or a job to pay for that place.

84. HotPads: If you’re in the market for a new apartment, then this site can help you find some great new digs.
85. Rent.Com: Find a place to rent that’s within your budget using this search site.
86. Apartments.com: Use this site to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck in your college apartment.
87. MyNewPlace: This site lets you search through millions of apartment and rental listings.
88. Internship Programs: Try out this site to secure yourself an internship for the summer or after college.
89. indeed: If your graduation is looming, start looking for work now using this job search engine.
90. JuJu: Search by field, location, or company on this site for a job that will make use of your college degree.
91. Careerjet: This site scours numerous other websites for the best job listings, letting you search through them from one place.

Miscellaneous

If you’re still looking for a different kind of niche search engine, give one of these a try.

92. Snopes.com: Before you get freaked out about that forward your grandma sent you, take a look at this search site to see the real deal behind the often sensational stories presented in urban legends and around the web.
93. NewsLookup: Use this search site to find news from anywhere around the world and on any subject.
94. AlltheWeb: Find the news you need using this search engine.
95. Rollyo: This search engine is what you make of it, meaning you can customize it to fit any niche you’re trying to search through.
96. Wink: If you’re looking for a person, use this search engine to find out their phone number, address or email.
97. Spock: This site will help you connect with old friends from high school you may have lost touch with.
98. Technorati: Use Technorati to scour the blogging world for posts and sites that match your interests.
99. SearchBug: Find people, companies, services and more using this helpful online tool.
100. Soople: This site is the ultimate search tool, allowing you to do basic things like search Google or more advanced things like find a library book.

Online education has increased by more than 20 percent in the past two years, indicating that students have embraced this unconventional mode of education.  Outside factors have contributed to this rise, including the recession (and the subsequent need for students to save money), the rising costs of college, and even the H1N1 scare.  Additionally, the increase in the number of traditional colleges that have begun to offer online courses has contributed to the rise in the number of online universities as this has become a popular way to earn an education.

The economy has led to a higher demand for educated workers and the amount of college students within all types of universities has risen in the past year.  While much of this increase is due to the rise in online universities, it is also indicative of an economy that is shifting toward a better educated public.  Online education has simply become the best fit for students who need a further education to attain a job and cannot compete with the rising costs of traditional colleges.  Online universities have in a sense saved these students and offered them a cheaper alternative to attending college.

While online universities initially did not have the best reputation, the passing of the federal bill a few years ago helped boost the credibility of online schools and helped work towards a higher number of accredited online universities.  Since this growth of online universities has resulted in 1 in 4 students taking online courses, traditional schools have tried to compete with online universities, offering full degree programs through distance learning.  With so many options to choose from, the possibilities nearly seem endless for students of online education, possibilities which were not an option only five years ago.   

The growth in online learning is only the first step in a shift in education.  The next few years are bound to indicate a further rise in the availability of online courses, as online education spreads throughout the world.  The sour mood of the economy has led to a surprising beneficial rise in this sector of education, something which economists could not have predicted.  Students are now able to work and attend classes at their leisure, a feat which was very difficult to do in traditional schools.  The easy availability of online universities has now allowed students to pick a school that caters to their schedule and their budget, as they are able to take classes from the comfort of their own home and create their own schedule. 
 

Many of us have not taken an English class since high school and are lost when it comes time to write a big proposal for work or a letter to a client.  Not to fear! The flexibility in online education has created a niche for online writing classes that offer free lectures to interested parties.  These lectures include ones that are delivered from current authors, from university programs, and lectures about famous authors. 

Determining what type of lecture will best improve your writing is important to picking a lecture.  Many lectures that are offered help individuals improve their writing through every type of outlet, whether they are focused more on rhetoric, on creative writing, or even science writing.  These lectures get their audience to move away from the standardized junior high style of writing which so many individuals still rely on, and instead move them closer to a more professional style of writing. 

One lecture which every person should take when looking to improve their writing is one which caters exclusively to essay writing.  This is a style of writing that is easily adaptable to any type of career and can be manipulated to any subject matter.  After listening to this type of initial lecture, you should move on to a lecture that is better suited for the writing you will be doing at work.  There are now lectures that are available for nature writing, science writing, social media writing, film, and many more.  Each style of writing is similar in its underlying structure, although each lecture can teach you how to attract the reader and draw them into the message you wish to send out.

Social media has become one of the top ways to communicate to a large audience through short articles, and lectures can help you hone in on your writing skills and adapt them to a different medium.  Social media in particular involves a drastically different style of writing than ordinary essays; online articles need to be able to jump out and grab the reader, while other essays in journals or papers cater to a different type of audience.  Determining who your audience will be is the best way to determine what type of writing style is the best one for you, and after this initial step, you will be able to expand your knowledge of English and the written word.

Lectures are only the first step to improving your writing; after this point, you need to immerse yourself with the type of writing style you wish to learn and write as much as possible.  The easy accessibility of online lectures is only one way the internet has changed the way many of us learn new subjects.  Many top level schools offer these free lectures and may in fact encourage you to try out a further online class after this first step. 

Whether you want to be a teacher, principal or even an educational policy-maker, learning all you can about the field and how to be a more powerful leader while you’re still in college is essential. These blogs will fill you in on the latest news, provide inspiration, and ensure that you are up-to-date with the latest educational technologies so you can be the best education leader you can be.

Education News

Read through these sites for great updates on education.

1. DetentionSlip.org: Visit this blog to get daily updates about what’s going on in the world of education.
2. Educated Nation Higher Education Blog: Get higher education news and ideas through this helpful blog.
3. Eduwonk: This blog doesn’t just contain news, but commentary and analysis on it as well.
4. Open Education: If open courseware is something you have an interest in, you can keep up with the latest developments here.
5. The Gradebook: Find out more about educational problems and successes through this blog.
6. Edwise: On this blog you’ll find a good deal of news as well as opinions on this news.

Subject Specific

These blogs focus on subjects like math, writing and language arts.

7. The Exponential Curve: This blog presents some great ideas for high school math teachers hoping to assist their below-level students.
8. Division by Zero: Here you’ll find a math-focused blog with some ideas on teaching and using academic technology.
9. Two Writing Teachers: Get inspired by this blog about two writing teachers who are using their skills to help students in different parts of the US.
10. Langwitches Blog: While focused mostly on writing and reading, this blog also offers some great general information for all educators.
11. Best Practices for Legal Education: This blog focuses on improving the way lawyers are educated in this country.

Inspiration and Innovation

Get inspired and discover new ideas through the help of these bloggers and teachers.

12. Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Use this blog to get a better idea of how to implement and use technology in the classroom.
13. The Innovative Educator: This blog is a great place to look for fresh ideas on how to teach students course material.
14. The Next Generation of Educational Leadership: Here you can read about and connect with other educational leaders.
15. 2 Cents Worth: Check out this blog for some thoughts on the process of learning at large. It could influence how you teach.
16. Education Innovation: This blog offers some ways to improve education through creativity and innovation.
17. Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog: Full of tech tools that can help in the classroom and ruminations on educational issues, this blog can be a great read for teachers of all kinds.
18. Teaching Ideas and Resources: Find some great tips and tools for improving your classroom performance on this blog.
19. Teacher Reboot Camp: Visit this site to find ways you can continually challenge and push yourself to be a better teacher and leader.
20. Free Resources for Education: See what kind of useful resources are out there for teaching and helping your students learn through this blog.
21. Andrew B. Watt’s Blog: On this blog you’ll find a discussion of lots of technological resources that could work well in the classroom.
22. Thumann Resources: Blogger Lisa Thumann shares her ideas on how to bring education into the 21st century in this blog.
23. Darcy Moore’s Blog: Bookmark this site to get updates on using Web 2.0 in the classroom.

Educational Policy

These blogs take an in-depth and sometimes unforgiving look at current educational policy.

24. Thoughts on Education Policy: PhD student Corey Bower shares her insights into educational policy on this blog.
25. Education Policy Blog: Learn ways that educational groups can change educational policy here.
26. Bridging Difference: With women who are often at odds on educational policy sharing this blog, it’s a great place to go to see both sides of the debate.
27. Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas: While this blog may contain information specific to Texas, many of the issues are problems nationwide.
28. The Quick and the Ed: A variety of policy analysts work together to write this incredibly informative blog.
29. Edpresso: This blog is home to news and commentary on proposed and real educational reforms.
30. What’s Working in Schools Blog: Get ideas on reforms that are working in other schools and ways that you can improve your own performance from this blog.
31. Brian McCall’s Economics of Education Blog: Check out this blog to learn about the economic issues that sometimes cloud educational policy.
32. Teacher Beat: Visit this blog often to keep up with the latest teacher and education related policy changes.

Educational Technology

Visit these great blogs to learn about ways you can integrate technology into your courses.

33. Weblogg-ed: On this site you’ll get a number of great ideas on using the web as a learning tool.
34. Gate’s Computer Tips: Educational professional Jim Gates offers his tips on making the best use of computers on this blog.
35. NCS-Tech: Visit this site for K-8 educational technology resources, commentary and lesson ideas.
36. Nik’s Learning Technology Blog: If you teach EFL or ESL, you’ll find some good ideas on using technology to aid your teaching here.
37. Edgalaxy: Nerdy teachers of all subjects can find great tech-based solutions to classroom issues on this site.
38. Emerging Ed Tech: Read through this blog to see some of the technologies that are or will be aiding the teachers of the future.
39. Moving at the Speed of Creativity: Find news on the ways technology is shaping communication and the classroom on this blog.
40. Open Culture: This blog will save you the trouble of searching for the best educational and cultural resources on the web as they’ve already compiled and reported on them here.
41. Learning with ‘e’s: Here, one teacher shares her thoughts on learning technologies and the digital revolution.
42. Box of Tricks: Technology and education is the focus of this image- and video-filled site.
43. Dangerously Irrelevant: This blog focuses on technology, leadership and, of course, education in our nation’s schools.
44. Digital Education: Check out this site for the latest news on how technology is being used in the K-12 classroom.

E-Learning and Online Education

On these sites you’ll find advice, tips and tools for online learning.

45. E-Learning Queen: This blog covers numerous aspects on online learning from distance training to instructional design.
46. eLearning Technology: Dr. Tony Karrer is the CEO/CTO of TechEmpower and is considered one of the leading educational technologists, so check out his blog for news and advice.
47. The Rapid eLearning Blog: This blog will help you learn to better navigate the world and resources out there for e-learning.
48. Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day: Jane Hart of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies writes about a different e-learning topic each day on this blog.
49. openthinking: Find more information on open education on this blog, as well as plentiful commentary and insight.
50. 21st Century Teaching and Learning: Here, blogger Michelle Pacansky-Brock shares her thoughts on using technology in higher learning and online colleges.

Those taking college courses in the sciences likely already have a great number of resources at their disposal courtesy of their school library. But what about those late night study sessions when you need information — and need it fast — and don’t have time for a trip to the library? Or when you just want to learn new information without having to leave the house? That’s when these 100 reference sites will come in handy, letting you look up everything from the basics of the periodic table to the intricacies of human DNA.

General

These general reference tools will answer some of your more basic science questions and often cover a range of fields and specialties.

1. refdesk.com Science References: This site provides hundreds of references you can use if you have a science query.
2. Science Reference Services: Here you’ll find a great collection of bibliographies and research guides.
3. ScienceWorld: This reference on math and science offers information on chemistry, astronomy, physics, math and more.
4. Science.gov Index: Search through government resources on just about every science subject out there through this site.
5. Science Magazine: Journals, blogs and multimedia that are science related are found on this magazine’s website.
6. Beta-Theta: This site offers references on chemistry, physics, and biology.
7. Science and Engineering Encyclopedia: Look up terms and phenomena in a wide range of fields using this encyclopedia.
8. RefScout: Sign up through this site and you’ll get weekly emails about the latest science reference materials sent right to your inbox.
9. Knovel: Browse through information in engineering, chemistry, biology and much more using this research-focused tool.
10. EFormulae.com: If you need a formula, chances are good you’ll find it in this repository for scientists and engineers.

Chemistry

If you’re taking a tough chemistry course, get some support from these helpful resources.

11. PTable: You might have a periodic table in your textbook, but this dynamic and fully interactive version is a step up.
12. Chemfinder: Using this directory, you can look up any chemical or molecule structure out there.
13. Chemdex: Those looking to go to grad school or trying to find a researcher working on a particular chemistry topic should take advantage of this global database.
14. Molecular Weight Calculator: Type in a molecular formula and get the information you need here.
15. Wolfram Research Chemistry Reference: From basic chemical reactions to inorganic chemistry, you’ll find loads of tools and information to help you out here.
16. On-Line Encyclopedia of Chemical Terms: Look up any chemistry-related term in this great online encyclopedia.
17. ChemnetBase: Here you will find an absolute wealth of information on chemicals, formulae and structures.
18. NIST Chemistry Web Book: This indexed book allows you to search by molecular weight, reaction, properties and more to find the information you need.
19. Chemistry Virtual Textbook: Forgot your chem textbook? Use this handy online text for reference.
20. Chemtutor: If you’re not doing so hot in your chemistry course, consider taking some lessons on this free tutoring site.

Biology

Here you’ll find a great collection of resources to help you find answers and do better in bio.

21. Biology Online: On this site you can post questions in a forum, look things up in a bio dictionary, and read all kinds of informative articles and tutorials.
22. Everything Bio: Check out this resource to find a glossary, textbooks, images and a range of other online biology tools.
23. Life Science Dictionary: Try out this dictionary to look up life science terms and identify their meanings.
24. Molecular Biology Glossary: Students of molecular biology will appreciate this valuable research tool.
25. National Biological Information Infrastructure: Want to know and read about the research being done in the life sciences? Check out this site.
26. Biology Reference: You can look up loads of helpful biology terms in this online encyclopedia.
27. Biology Nation: From finding the best biology grad programs to looking up biology terminology, this site is a one-stop resource.
28. Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology: Search through this online dictionary to refresh your memory on the parts of the cell.
29. BioScience: With a dictionary, encyclopedia, links, software, and custom search tools, you’ll find more reference material than you could ever need on this site.
30. All Experts: Biology: Have a biology question you just can’t seem to find the answer to? This site may be able to help.

Genetics

These reference tools will lay out the human genome for you, piece by piece.

31. Amino Acids Repository: Use this site as a reference on amino acid properties alone and in proteins.
32. Table of Standard Genetic Code: This site is a great reference when trying to remember which part of DNA goes where.
33. Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Don’t know how to say a particular term? No worries, this glossary will tell you and more.
34. Human Genome Acronym List: Don’t have a clue what the ASHG is? This site can help you look it up.
35. Genetics Resources on the Web: Search through this site for the best genetics resources the web has to offer.
36. National Human Genome Research Institute: This site offers a number of helpful educational resources for students young and old.
37. Genetics Virtual Library: Search by organism or topic to find the genetic information you need to do your homework.
38. Genetics Home Reference: Those studying genetic disorders will appreciate this quick online reference for conditions.
39. GeneTests: Even if you’re not in medicine, you’ll be able to find interesting and compelling information on this site.
40. Gene Cards: You’ll find a collection of concise information on just about every gene out there on this site.

Botany

Look up terms, find pictures and get all kinds of information on plants from these resources.

41. Botany Glossary Online: Enter a common or Latin name into this database to find more information.
42. Bryological Glossary: Study mosses from around the world with this helpful glossary.
43. Index Herbariorum: A Global Directory of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff: Use this site to search by institution, city, state, acronym, staff member, correspondent, research specialty, and important collections.
44. Dictionary of Common Names: Find out a plant’s Latin name using its common name or vice versa using this tool.
45. Index Nominum Genericorum: Use this tool to search for a wide range of plants by their common names.
46. Plants Database: The Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains this impressive database of North American plant species.
47. Virtual Library of Botany: Find a wide range of resources related to botany and other plant sciences on this gateway site.
48. Economic Botany Bibliographic Database: Through this portal you can search for research and bibliographies.
49. International Plant Names Index: Use the scientific name to search for plants on this site and find out what research has referenced them.
50. Index of Botanical Publications: You can find just about any botanical publication you could need through this site.

Zoology

Delve into the animal world using these zoological resources.

51. American Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications: This reference tool will let you search through a wide variety of scientific publications to find the information you need.
52. Mammal Species of the World: Download this list to get the names and information of every known mammal in the world.
53. The Tree of Life Web Project: From evolutionary history to modern characteristics, this site attempts to organize the history of life.
54. Nomenclatural Glossary for Zoology: This site will let you more easily browse through and find what you need when it comes to doing zoology research.
55. Nature Serve Explorer: This site provides an amazing online encyclopedia of life forms.
56. Species 2000: Explore this database to find research and information on every animal and plant species out there.
57. Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference: If your research involves amphibians, you can find some great basic information on this site.
58. Zoonomen: Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Find photos and research information on all kinds of bird species through this site.
59. Audubon Society Bird Resources: Visit one of the most well-know ornithological organizations to get a great amount of information on species around the world.
60. Dictionary of Ichthyology-Related Terms: Improve your fish-related research with a little help from this online dictionary.

Geology

These selections can help you identify minerals, study volcanoes and even track the world’s earthquakes.

61. Mineral Gallery: Search through all the minerals out there and find out more about their physical properties on this site.
62. Geology.com: Find answers to basic geology questions, look at maps, and see satellite images as well as a whole lot more through this site.
63. Geologic Ages: This site acts as a great reference tool for looking up and remembering the geologic ages.
64. GeologyLink Glossary: Look up geologic terms in this online dictionary using this site.
65. Mineralogy Database: On this site you’ll find the reference information for over 4,714 minerals.
66. Geologic Guidebooks of North America: Use this site to look through just about every geologic guidebook of North America.
67. Earthquake News: Follow where in the world earthquakes are taking place using this tool, great for aspiring seismologists.
68. MTU Volcanoes: Learn more about how volcanoes work and where active eruptions are taking place on this site.
69. Geology Link Page: You’ll find an amazing number of useful geologic links for societies, government institutions, and individual fields of study on this site.
70. GISnet: Check out this site for more information on Geographic Information Systems.

Physics

These reference tools offer help in everything from remembering the basic formulas of physics to reading the latest literature in the field.

71. PhysLink.com: From a great physics glossary to the Greek alphabet, this site offers many references making it well worth bookmarking.
72. American Institute of Physics: Use the Niels Bohr Library and Archives to search for physics-related research and information.
73. The Laws List: You’ll want to bookmark this site as it’s full of all the laws of physics and astronomy you’ll need to know.
74. Physics for Free: This site is home to some introductory physics texts you can use for free.
75. Physics Reference Desk: With everything from the Planck constant to a unit conversion calculator, this site is a great tool for studying physics.
76. Physics Glossary: If you’re unsure exactly what a particular term means, just look it up here.
77. World of Physics: This site offers references and basic information on just about every specialization in physics.
78. HyperPhysics: Use this reference to learn more about nuclear physics, astrophysics, light and vision and much more.
79. Physics-Help: Those seeking help with physics homework can ask questions and find answers on this site.
80. PACS Scheme Guide: Not sure what your area of interest would be called? This classification system can help.

Astronomy

Use these reference guides to identify the stars, learn the correct terminology and find out more about the universe as we know it.

81. Astronomical Constants: Bookmark this site for a quick reference when it comes to astronomical constants like the Earth’s orbital velocity.
82. Astronomy Thesaurus: This reference tool will help you standardize your terminology when it comes to astronomy.
83. The Nine Planets: While it’s been technically renamed Eight Planets after the loss of Pluto, this site will help you find all the information you need about our planetary neighbors.
84. NASA Space Flight Glossary: Look up any space flight vocabulary using this site.
85. Aladin Interactive Sky Atlas: This site allows users to "visualize digitized astronomical images, superimpose entries from astronomical catalogues or databases, and interactively access related data and information from the Simbad database, the VizieR service and other archives for all known sources in the field."
86. Astronomical Data Center: This site is home to images, mission information, heliophysics, and universe-wide exploration.
87. Astronomy Digital Image Library: Need an astronomy image? Check out the information and resources on this site.
88. HyperLeda: This site serves as a database on the physics of galaxies from the basics to more specific spectrophotometry.
89. 100 Hours of Astronomy: Find photos, blogs, and many more astronomical resources on this site.
90. AstroWeb: On this site you’ll find links to astronomy departments, organizations, data resources, observatories and much more.

Environmental Science

Study ecology and environmental policy through these reference sites.

91. Ecology Dictionary: Look up ecological terms using this helpful reference.
92. Solar-Terrestrial Physics Glossary: Bookmark this tool to explore the terminology associated with solar-terrestrial physics.
93. RadWaste: Take advantage of this site to learn more about radioactive waste and harmful waste products.
94. EnviroLink: From climate to water quality, this site offers great resources on everything environmental.
95. Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity: Search through all kinds of information on ecology and the environment on this site, as well as a range of other science related topics.
96. Worldwide Weather and Climate: Check up on the weather and current temp anywhere in the world using this tool.
97. Ecology Online: Use this site to search through courses, textbooks, research and even test yourself when you’re done.
98. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network: Learn what government initiatives are working on cleaner energy through this site.
99. American Meteorology Society: Take your weather knowledge to the next level with research and information from the American Meteorology Society.
100. NOAA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will help you understand the relationship between weather, the environment and commerce.

Getting your business education from school is important, but you also likely have a few idols in the business world to whom you look for guidance when it comes to making it big in the industry. Learning from those who have achieved their own success is an excellent way to enhance your knowledge of business as well as find motivation for your own success. Read on to learn about 25 biographies you should read that share insight to leaders in business throughout history into modern day.

1. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist. Starting with little more than a keen eye for investing, Warren Buffett has amassed a great fortune to become one of the richest men in the world. Read this book to learn about the man behind the money and what type of mindset Buffett has that has enabled him to develop such a successful method of investing in both stocks and businesses.
2. Richard Branson: The Authorised Biography. This high-profile British entrepreneur achieved success with Virgin Music and Virgin Atlantic and captured the world’s attention with his attempt to fly around the world in a hot-air balloon. See how Branson has channeled his energy and drive into making it big in the business world.
3. The John Deere Story: A Biography Of Plowmakers John & Charles Deere. The green and yellow tractors bearing a logo of a deer is one of the most recognizable machinery in the world. Find out how John Deere started as a poor blacksmith who relocated to the midwest, where he developed a steel plow that would cut through the unforgiving sod to reveal fertile soil. Deere nurtured his business with hard work, high quality materials, and fair prices, and provided the basis for a company that is still thriving almost 200 hundred years later.
4. Inside Steve’s Brain. This biography of Steve Jobs details his life and even takes a look at particulars such as his management style and his impact on Apple. This biography seems to be better received than an earlier biography that prompted Apple to pull all books from this publisher off the shelves in all Apple retail stores in protest.
5. The Helmsleys: The Rise and Fall of Harry and Leona Helmsley. Harry Helmsley started with nothing and became a real estate tycoon, amassing vast amounts of money. Late in life he married Leona, and the two of them continued to collect money. Leona became known as a ruthless, mean-spirited person and was eventually brought to trial and sentenced to 18 months in jail for tax evasion and mail fraud. This biography does an excellent job of detailing how these two business people made it big in real estate.
6. H. J. Heinz Company. Henry J. Heinz changed the face of the American diet with his innovation and dedication to quality. Starting with bottling grated horseradish, Heinz became a successful marketer and entrepreneur who built his 57 varieties of ketchup into one of the most recognizable American food products in the world.
7. Mr Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream. You wouldn’t think that anyone would actually need to market the idea of sex and sexuality, but Hugh Hefner has become the master of doing just that. Read about his life, how he maintained power amidst strong feminist backlash, and has built a successful communications and entertainment company.
8. The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst. Starting with his newspaper in San Francisco, Hearst grew the first media conglomerate. This book not only details his rise through the news media, his fortune, and his loss of fortune, but it also delves into his life that was full of contradictions.
9. The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century. Perhaps one of the most well-known American business success stories, the life of Henry Ford is chronicled in this biography. Learn how Ford went from his childhood on a farm in Michigan to work as an engineer in Detroit to establishing his own successful business filled with innovative ideas.
10. Mary Kay. Mary Kay Ash created one of the most recognizable companies, complete with pink Cadillacs as rewards for top performers. She was also a champion for women and their place in the business world. Read this book to learn how this business woman made it big and created such a powerful cosmetic company.
11. Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire. Bill Gates is frequently referred to as the richest man in America. Read this book for a look into the man behind that success, how he achieved such heights, missteps along the way, and a glimpse into the corporate culture at Microsoft in the early days.
12. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. Learn about the business behind one of the most beloved American companies. Disney was a man of determination, imagination, and enthusiasm who created a safe place for children and adults alike to bury themselves for a while. This biography offers a balanced look at the man who has been labeled both a saint and a communist spy.
13. Liz Claiborne: The Legend, The Woman, The Designer. Get on the waiting list for this book that is scheduled for release in April of 2010. Written by Claiborne’s husband and business partner, it describes how a young Liz Claiborne started as a designer and created a successful company based on designing and selling well-made, attractive, and affordable clothing for working women. Read a preview of the book here.
14. Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes. Read this biography as a cautionary tale. As famous for his flight around the world as for his eccentricity, Hughes made it big in the aerospace industry, then dissolved in a sea of illicit dealings, drugs, and madness. Discover how he made his success and how he lost millions in shady activities.
15. George Eastman: A Biography. George Eastman brought photography to the average person in the early 1900s with a low-cost camera that almost anyone could afford. A bold entrepreneur, Eastman built his company on a combination of innovation and hard work that is detailed in this scholarly biography. Learn about the reclusive life, generous philanthropy, and sharp business acumen of Eastman with this book.
16. Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie became one of the richest men in the world from his business in the steel industry and later devoted himself to giving his vast wealth away through philanthropic ventures. Despite his generosity, Carnegie was known as a harsh businessman who relied more on efficiency than concern for his employees, with many of Carnegie’s practices in the workplace now illegal in modern business. This book provides balanced insight into both Carnegie’s talent and shortcomings.
17. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.. Vying with Carnegie for making the most money and giving the most away, Rockefeller came from a modest home to become the world’s first billionaire. His work in the oil industry earned him a reputation of being unscrupulous, but this book also shows a softer side to the religious, philanthropic man.
18. Morgan: American Financier. Take a look into what made J. Pierpoint Morgan so famously successful as a banker during the Golden Age. This book not only provides insight into the man, but also takes readers on a journey through a monumental shift in American and world economics as they were occurring during the time.
19. How Dell Does It. From his dorm room to his board room, this book takes a look at the rise of Michael Dell and his computer business. With less emphasis on Dell’s personal life and more on the specific strategies of the company, this book will take readers on a tour of one of the most successful computer businesses in the world.
20. The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot took over her husband’s winemaking business after his death and turned it into one of the most recognizable names in champagne as well as transforming the market and image of the popular wine itself.
21. Popcorn King: How Orville Redenbacher Created One of America’s Most Popular Brands. Redenbacher’s success came later in life, but his determination to "do one thing and do it better than anyone" helped his business achieve great heights. He was also a visionary, seeing the potential for microwave popcorn in the early days of the microwave.
22. Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. While biographers have not been kind to Martha Stewart, this account focuses more on her incredible business acumen that helped propel her forward as one of the most successful businesswomen in America. From her middle-class background to her business relationships with some of the most recognizable names in the industry, this book covers it all.
23. Ted Turner: A Biography. Once named Man of the Year by Time magazine, Ted Turner is a successful businessman who has gone from establishing cable TV to baseball team owner and just about everywhere in between. Learn about the way Turner has taken underdogs to the top of their game through his insightful business skill.
24. Jack Welch & The G.E. Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO. Jack Welch is both loved and hated, but is indisputably one of the most recognizable CEOs in American business. Read this book to find out Welch’s business philosophy that helped take GE to the top of the field as one of the most valuable companies in the world.
25. Rupert Murdoch: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Media Wizard. Rupert Murdoch has been a major player in global business for decades. Discover some of the reasons why when you read about Murdoch’s business wheeling and dealing brought to life in this book by a business writer from Australia.

Homeschoolers sometimes don’t get as much as credit as students who attend traditional schools do, but the truth is, their education can prepare them to be just as competitive in college and in the real world. In fact, some pretty important people in business, entertainment, science, politics, and literature were homeschooled at some point in their lives. Just check out our list of 10 of the most famous and successful people who were homeschooled.

1. Venus and Serena Williams: Tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams have won championships and tournaments like the US Open, French Open, Sony Ericsson Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon, sometimes more than once. The sisters — just 29 and 28 respectively — have also been rewarded for their hard work with endorsement deals and celebrity-level access to award shows and special events around the world. When they were young, the Williams sisters moved from Saginaw, MI, to Compton and then West Palm Beach, CA, where they were homeschooled by their father Richard. Until they were teenagers, the girls studied tennis under Rick Macci, but in 1995, their father took over their tennis training too.
2. Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President of the United States Abraham Lincoln was also the first Republican president and pulled the country through the Civil War, ending slavery. Today, Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history, but he grew up with much humbler roots. Lincoln famously lived in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky and only attended 18 months of formal school. Lincoln mostly taught himself under the guidance of his stepmother Sarah Bush Johnston and the local library.
3. Andrew Carnegie: Scottish business magnate Andrew Carnegie immigrated to the United States when he was a boy in the middle 19th century. He grew up in Allegheny, PA, and began working at just 13 years old, his only real education coming from his uncle back in Scotland. Though he had a history of working his way through menial jobs, Carnegie was eventually sponsored by the Colonel James Anderson, who allowed Carnegie and other promising teenagers access to his extensive library. Years later, Carnegie continued to foster relationships with academics and writers, but he is best known for building the Cargnegie Steel Company, which later became U.S. Steel after a merger. At one point one of the richest men in the country, Carnegie is also recognized through institutions like the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Carnegie Mellon University.
4. Booker T. Washington: Teacher, author and community leader Booker T. Washington was born to slaves in Virginia in 1856. Nine years later, Washington and his family were freed after the Civil War ended, and he worked in West Virginia salt furnaces and coal mines until he was able to attend college at the Hampton Institute, despite not having been able to go to formal school as a boy. After graduating, Washington attended the Wayland Seminary so that he could become a teacher, but Washington ultimately went on to become the first president of Tuskegee Institute. Washington was also known as an influential organizer in the African American community for his peaceful, diplomatic leadership.
5. Woodrow Wilson: Woodrow Wilson served as President of Princeton University, governor of New Jersey and of course as 28th President of the United States, from 1913-1921. As President, Wilson started the League of Nations, which set up a foundation for the United Nations, and helped Europe in its formation of the Treat of Versailles after WWI. Before his life in politics, Wilson was an academic, attending Johns Hopkins for graduate school, and teaching at Bryn Mawr and NYU Law School. But as a child, Wilson struggled with learning and could not read until he was 10 years old because of his dyslexia. Wilson’s father — a professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in South Carolina — took over his studies for the most part until he went to college.
6. C.S. Lewis: Writer, critic and theologian C.S. Lewis is considered of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century, and even taught English alongside J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford University. But the Belfast, Ireland, native was homeschooled by tutors until he was sent away to a boarding school after his mother’s death.
7. Joseph Priestly: Joseph Priestly made huge contributions to theology, politics and science, and is considered the father of modern chemistry and the inventor of soda water. Born in 1733, Priestly spent time with his grandparents and later with an aunt and uncle after his mother died. He was a gifted child, and after gaining a solid education in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, entered school to prepare for the ministry. Priestly eventually became very ill and dropped out of school and was tutored in many languages like French, Italian, Syrian, Arabic and German, as well as philosophy, science and math.
8. Frank Lloyd Wright: Iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed some of the most well-known buildings in the country, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, as well as many homes constructed in the Usonian style. When he was young, his mother — a trained teacher — brought home Froebel Gifts, special building blocks designed to help children learn on their own. Wright taught himself using these tools and eventually attended high school, but it is not known whether or not he graduated. He enrolled in the University of Wisconsin – Madison, but dropped out after one year.
9. Albert Einstein: One of the most famous and influential thinkers of all time, Albert Einstein, is credited with discovering the special and general theories of relativity, relativistic cosmology, quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, and many more scientific theories and laws. Born in 1879 in the German Empire, Einstein eventually moved with his family to Munich, where he attended a Catholic school. But when he was ten, the Einsteins fell on hard times and paid a Jewish medical student named Talmud to tutor Albert in math, science and philosophy.
10. Pearl S. Buck: Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck is well-regarded in American and Chinese literary circles for her short stories and her novels, including The Good Earth, which is taught in many schools today. Buck was born into a strong Southern Presbyterian family in West Virginia but at just three months old, moved to China where her parents had been missionaries. Buck grew up in China and was tutored in Chinese and English during The Boxer Uprising. Buck attended college in the United States, but eventually moved back to China, where she wrote some of her greatest works.

There are a lot of fun-filled and educational years between grade school and heading off to college, providing ample opportunity to forget some of the most basic lessons you learned as a child. Here are some facts and tips that will help you refresh your memory and bring back some of that important information that can help you boost your trivia knowledge or even perform better in your college studies.

Language

These facts will remind you of proper grammar, punctuation and structure.

1. Is it the "i" or the "e" first? This is a spelling question that troubles even the best spellers out there from time to time. The old rule "i before e except after c" will help you sometimes, but not in all cases. Some important addendums should include "or when sounded like a, like neighbor and weigh" and the rule should be dropped altogether when -c sounds like -sh, like in species.
2. How is a paper organized? Being able to organize an essay, research project or story is an essential part to doing well in any area of academics. While there are, of course, many subtleties, a paper should start with an introductory paragraph containing a thesis–the most important part of any essay. After this, each paragraph should have a main idea followed by information that expands on and explains these ideas. At the end, work should be tied up with a conclusion paragraph. It sounds basic, but many students let their writing become sloppier as they go along or never develop these strong fundamentals in the first place.
3. Which is the subject and which is the object? If you don’t remember which part of the sentence is which, you’re not alone. In most basic terms, you can remember that the subject is the part of the sentence that is doing something, while the object is the thing that is having something done to it. This can be helpful to know when learning a language besides English, as well.
4. What is a pronoun? Most of us know what a noun is, but do you recall what a pronoun is? Pronouns are the words that take the place of nouns in a sentence including I, she, he it, you, we and they. Using these correctly may get a bit trickier but you can find a guide here.
5. What is a homonym, antonym and a synonym. A homonym is a group of words that appear to be the same but actually have different meanings or pronunciations. An antonym refers to a word that is the opposite in meaning from another word. A synonym is a word that means the same or similar as another word.
6. What is the correct way to use commas? Commas aren’t alone in often being used incorrectly. Semi-colons, hyphens and colons are frequently used incorrectly as well. If you find it hard to remember to use these elements of speech correctly, reference a guide like this until you can commit it to memory.
7. What’s the difference between its and it’s? Find yourself often mixing these two up? You’re certainly not alone but there’s an easy way to remember which is the right word for the situation. Simply remind yourself that "it’s" is a contraction of the words "it is." If the expanded form of those words doesn’t make sense in your sentence, then you know to use "its" rather than "it’s".
8. How can you tell if a sentence is too long or too short? Sentences can either be a run-on or a fragment. You can determine if your sentence is a run-on by simply turning it into a yes or no question. If it makes sense, you’re doing ok. If not, you need to add some kind of conjunction or separate it into two sentences. A fragment on the other hand is simply an incomplete sentence that doesn’t make sense on it’s own. You can usually fix these by adding them back onto the main sentence to which they refer.
9. What are a verse, stanza and paragraph? If you can’t answer this question, it might be a good idea to refresh your memory on how writing is organized. In most cases, a verse is a single line of poetry, though more loosely it is a series of words arranged metrically. A stanza is a group of these verses, usually composed of four or more that work together in a poem or a song. A paragraph, on the other hand, is a division within a written work that focuses on a particular idea found in prose rather than poetic works.
10. What things need to be capitalized? While you’re probably aware that things like names, titles and other proper nouns need to be capitalized, are you aware of what parts of a book title should be capitalized or whether or not to capitalize the names of the seasons? Here you’ll find information on just about everything you should or shouldn’t put into caps.

Social Studies

At a loss when it comes to recalling basic social studies and history information? These facts will help you remember.

11. What are the state capitals? Unless you use this information regularly, it’s easy to forget what the capital of far flung states are. It can be good to know these kinds of things, however, so use this online table to review. If you get ambitious, learn the capitals of other countries as well.
12. What are longitude and latitude? Do you remember which is which? Longitudinal lines are those that go around the globe vertically (you can remember them as being long like hair) and latitudinal lines are those that go around horizontally like the equator. These lines allow every place on earth to be specified using just three coordinates and aid in navigation.
13. What factors led to the Revolutionary War? Taxation without representation is a phrase you should remember from your elementary education days. Taxes imposed on the colonies by the British on goods like sugar and documents enraged the public who felt that if they were gong to be taxed they should at least have some kind of representation in the British Parliament. These factors, among many much more complex issues, led the early American people to revolt against British rule.
14. How are laws made? Not sure how the regulations we have came to be? The process takes a little explaining so you can read about it here or watch the classic Schoolhouse Rocks video of how a bill gets made into a law.
15. What are the branches of the government and what do they do? The government is composed of three branches: the legislative, the judicial and the executive. The legislative branch is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. These individuals are responsible for debating, proposing and signing bills into law. The judicial branch refers to the court system, headed up by the Supreme Court. This branch decides how to apply the laws, whether or not they are constitutional and how they should be interpreted. Finally, the executive branch is composed of the president, vice president, cabinet members and various other supporting institutions. This branch carries out laws, suggests new ones and runs national defense and foreign policies.
16. What is Manifest Destiny? This term, coined in the 19th century, refers to the belief that Americans were destined, perhaps even divinely so, to expand across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. This term was used to justify the harsh, and often violent, means implemented in an effort to bring the rest of North America under US control.
17. What are the major amendments to the Constitution? The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These include the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to trial, and many more basic freedoms we often take for granted. Other important amendments include the 13th which abolished slavery, the 15th which gave non-whites the right to vote, the 19th giving women the right to vote, the 22nd limiting the president to two terms, and the 18th and 21st prohibiting (and then allowing) the sale and consumption of alcohol.
18. What were the 13 original colonies? The 13 colonies were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
19. What are the names of the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes are composed of five large bodies of water: Erie, Huron, Michigan, Superior and Ontario, containing a whopping 5 percent of the world’s fresh water.
20. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? While there were several contributors to this piece of writing, the primary author was Thomas Jefferson, using the statement to declare that the 13 colonies were no longer under the rule of the British Empire.

Science

Even if you’re not heading into a science field in college, these facts will kick start your memory when it comes to understanding the world around you.

21. Why do the seasons change? If you ask most people, they’ll say it has something to do with the Earth’s distance from the sun. However, this is actually not why the seasons occur. The real reason is that the Earth spins on a tilted axis, causing different parts of the Earth to point towards the sun at different times of the year. This allows more sun to reach these areas at a more direct angle, causing the warmer and cooler temperatures that we experience as the seasons.
22. What’s the difference between mitosis and meiosis? Mitosis it is the basic way that cells of all kinds reproduce, creating two cells from one that are identical copies of the original parent cell. Meiosis on the other hand, is what happens in gamete or sex cells, producing cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell and creating four cells from the original one.
23. What the heck do mitochondria do? You may have forgotten the parts of the cell, but the mitochondria is an important component, providing your cells with the energy they need to do what a cell needs to do, often being referred to as the powerhouse of the cell.
24. How are animal and plant cells different? Animal and plant cells are alike in many ways but have some key differences that allow them to create such a diverse group of organisms. One difference is the lack of a thick cell wall in animal cells. Plants need this cell wall to keep from bursting. Perhaps the biggest difference between plant and animal cells is their source of energy. Plants gather light from the sun and convert it to energy through photosynthesis, while animal cells use sugars and other substances that they consume to power themselves. Additionally, plant and animal cells differ in the size, shape and number of their vacuoles, and plant cells tend to have a set shape while animal cells can differ greatly.
25. What are the phases of the moon? The moon starts off at the new moon where no light is visible. From there it grows through the waxing crescent, first quarter, and waxing gibbous into a full moon. After a full moon, the light dwindles through the waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent back to the new moon.
26. What are the types of clouds? While there are many subdivisions of clouds, the main types are: cumulus (the puffy, fluffy clouds); stratus (horizontal, layered clouds); and cirrus (wispy, feathery clouds). Add the word "nimbus" onto any of these to denote a cloud that produces rain, hail or snow.
27. What is the order of the planets? While many of us learned that there are nine planets, today there are only eight, as Pluto is no longer included. The remaining eight comprise of: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
28. How does weather work? Weather is a complex thing, but something that students begin learning about in school from an early age. Watch the animation found on this site to learn why weather changes or stays the same. You can also refresh your memory on the water cycle here.
29. How do we know the Earth’s crust isn’t solid? While the ground you’re standing on might seem solid, any fifth grader can tell you that it’s simply an arrangement of plates making up the outer crust. We can see and feel these plates move through earthquakes and can look back in history to find that the continents themselves have moved around over millions of years.
30. How does gravity work? While there are two different interpretations of gravity (Einstein’s and Newton’s), we’ll stick with the basics here. Gravity is the natural tendency for objects with mass to attract one another. In our case, this object is Earth, which, in being much larger than us, pulls us to the ground and keeps us firmly earth bound.
31. What’s osmosis? As a kid you probably hoped you could learn through this process rather than doing your homework, but you may have long since forgotten the meaning. Osmosis is the process by which water is diffused into a cell body through a semi-permeable membrane, moving water from an area of high saturation to one of low saturation, much like a sponge picking up a spill or water seeping into a basement.
32. How do reflexes work? A reflex is an involuntary reaction that your body has in response to a stimulus, like pulling your hand away from a hot surface. Reflexes are controlled by the spinal cord, which takes over, sending a message to your muscle via the nerves that tells it to react. Reflexes can include things like coughing, breathing and sneezing as well.
33. What is the scapula? The scapula is the scientific name for the shoulder blade, one of 206 bones in the human body.
34. What are the steps of the scientific method? If you want to figure something out using science, you’d follow these steps of the scientific method: ask a question, do research, form a hypothesis, test your hypothesis with an experiment, analyze your data and draw a conclusion, and finally, report your results.
35. Who laid out the Laws of Motion? The Laws of Motion (regarding force, inertia and other basics of physics) were laid out by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687 and form the foundation of classical mechanics.
36. What are the parts of an atom? There are three components to an atom: the protons (positively charged particles); the neutrons (particles with no charge); and numerous electrons (the negatively charged particles).

Math

Make sure math is still fresh in your mind by going over these grade school facts.

37. How to determine the volume, area and circumference of a shape. Here you’ll find the basic formulae needed to solve these problems–good things to know even if you don’t calculate them daily.
38. How many feet are in a mile? American students have it rough using measurements that are hard to remember because they’re so oddly numbered. There are 12 inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, 1760 yards in a mile. That means there’s a whopping 5280 feet to a mile.
39. What are the different types of numbers? There are several different groups numbers can fall into. Natural numbers (the counting numbers), whole numbers (add a zero to the natural numbers), and integers (this group throws negatives into the mix as well). Additionally, there are rational numbers (integers with the addition of fractions) and irrational (numbers that can’t be represented as fractions like pi and some square roots). Of course, there are other groups as well, but these are the basics.
40. What is a prime number? In math-speak, a prime number is a number that has two integer factors, one and itself. More plainly speaking, it’s a number that can’t be divided evenly by any number other than one and itself. Some examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, and 11, though the list goes on and on.
41. Just what is the order of operations? This order can be remembered as PEMDAS: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. This order will allow you to get the correct answer when working with complex equations.
42. What’s a mean, median, mode and range? The mean is the average of a group of numbers, the median is the middle value in a list of numbers put in numerical order, the mode is the most commonly occurring number and the range is the difference between the largest and smallest values in the list.
43. What are the types of triangles? Triangles can be put into several categories: right (having one right angle); equilateral (all angles are 60 degrees); isosceles (having two equal angles and two equal sides); scalene (having no sides the same); acute (all angles are less than 90 degrees); and obtuse (the triangle has one angle larger than 90 degrees).
44. What happens when you multiply two negatives? Negative numbers can get tricky. When you multiply two of them, you should end up with a positive number. Additionally, when you subtract a negative number from any other number the negative number is treated as an addition of a positive one.
45. Can you divide by zero? Hopefully you remembered you cannot divide by zero. Any attempt to divide by zero, even to divide zero by zero, results in an undefined result that isn’t much use to anyone.

The Arts

Here you’ll find the basics for music and the arts.

46. What are the notes on the scale? The basic notes on a scale are C, D, E, F, G, A and B in that order, though there are sharps, flats and other variations to these notes.
47. What are the types of notes? Chances are good that you used these notes in a childhood music class, but you may have forgotten them, unless you still play an instrument. The basic types of notes are whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth which you can see in this picture. Each type of note tells you how many of it will appear in each measure.
48. What is the style of art Picasso is best known for? Picasso worked his way through a variety of artistic styles in his decades of production but is perhaps best known for his work with Cubism. Cubism distorts space and forms, leaving works that often have recognizable elements that have been twisted and fractured.
49. What is the difference between high and bas-relief? These represent different levels of relief. High relief art stands out from its surface, often having elements that are not attached at all. Bas relief on the other hand, is an extremely low relief, barely standing out on the surface.
50. What are complementary colors? The basic colors on the color wheel are red, blue, yellow, purple, orange and green. Of these colors, the complementary ones are those that opposite to one another–blue and orange, red and green and yellow and purple. When two complementary colors are mixed they create a neutral color like gray or black.

No matter how much you know, there is always something new to learn about science. While your college courses may cover the basics, you can get a more in-depth look at a wide variety of topics from Internet resources such as these great documentaries. These selections will help you explore everything from the inner reaches of the human mind to the outer areas of our universe and just about everything else in between. Better yet, they’re all free to watch online so you can learn more without spending a dime.

Health and Medicine

These documentaries cover topics like health care, diseases, nutrition and more so you can get great insights into health and medicine.

1. Super Size Me: In this movie, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock attempts to subsist on only a diet of McDonald’s for a full month. His discoveries will make you question your own food choices.
2. The Age of AIDS: Here you’ll find a program done by Frontline that examines some of the worst pandemics the world has ever known, focusing on AIDS.
3. How Does Your Memory Work?: Do you know how your brain really works? While there are still many mysteries to be unraveled about the brain, this film attempts to foster a better understanding of how we learn and remember.
4. Sicko: Filmmaker Michael Moore exposes the ramifications of a lack of universal health care in America in this controversial documentary.
5. The Origins of AIDS: Check out this film to learn how the AIDS virus moved into humans and the factors that led it to spread so rapidly.
6. The Slow Poisoning of India: In the spirit of Silent Spring, this film exposes the serious health ramifications the use of pesticides has had on many Indian people.
7. Body of War: What is life like after returning from war? What if you come back disabled? This heartbreaking film shows one man’s journey back home.
8. Cryonics: Death in the Deep Freeze: This film shows the first woman to have her body cryogenically frozen after her death.
9. The Half-Ton Man: Learn more about Patrick Deuel, weighing in at about 1100 pounds, and doctors’ battle to save him.
10. Darkest Hour: This movie examines the lack of health care assistance for parents of children with mental health problems.
11. Swine Flu: The Science of Pandemics: Check out this show to see how pandemics like the swine flu spread and the impact they can have on populations.

Drugs

Learn how drugs impact the brain and the variety of legal restrictions imposed upon them from these documentaries.

12. Ecstasy Rising: Watch this video from Primetime to learn more about ecstasy, its effects and more.
13. Big Bucks, Big Pharma: This documentary attempts to expose the business behind medicine–often done at the expense of the health of consumers.
14. Prescription for Disaster: Learn why the billions poured into medical treatments may not be helping people to live longer, healthier lives through this documentary.
15. The World’s Most Dangerous Drug: This show will expose the true danger behind methamphetamines.
16. In Pot We Trust: Here you’ll find a film that wants to show the medical benefits of marijuana.
17. The Drugging of Our Children: More and more children these days take drugs for behavioral issues like ADD and ADHD, but this documentary points out that those drugs can have pretty serious side effects as well.

Genetics

From cloning to genetic disorders, these documentaries will shed some light on your DNA.

18. Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita: Learn more about the research being done with stem cells as this neurologist seeks a cure for his paralyzed teenage daughter.
19. The Science of Dwarfism: Here you’ll find an informative program that will teach you about the genetic causes of dwarfism.
20. Panacea or Poison?: Check out this film to learn more about the battle between those who support and those who oppose genetically modified foods.
21. The World According to Monsanto: Watch this film to learn more about Monsanto, the leader in genetically modified organisms as well as one of the most controversial and hated corporations of all time.
22. Boy with the Incredible Brain: This documentary tells the story of David Tammet, one of the world’s true savants.
23. Clone: This film will show you the amazing potential as well as some of the more negative aspects associated with human cloning.
24. Designer Babies and Gene Robbery: If you could design your child, would you? As technology evolves, this documentary shows how this may soon be a reality.
25. Strange Culture: Learn how one man’s work with genetically modified organisms nearly got him branded as a bio terrorist.
26. Ghost in Your Genes: This film will show you how a mysterious second genome could also play a roll in determining our biology.
27. Gorillas: 98.6% Human: Remind yourself of just how close we are to the natural world with this stunning movie about the endangered mountain gorilla.

Evolution and Biological History

Learn more about life on earth, from the earliest cells to the evolution of humans, from these documentaries.

28. The Four-Winged Dinosaur: Watch this film to learn how one of the earliest ancestors of birds may have been able to fly.
29. Neanderthal: Learn more about this close human relative, what it was like, and some of the factors that caused it to go extinct while we flourished in this film.
30. The Ape That Took Over the World: This film will help you to better understand the steps and even leaps in evolution that brought human beings to where they are today.
31. Why are We Here?: In this film, you’ll get a scientific examination of the origins of life from author Richard Dawkins.
32. A War on Science: This documentary shows the longstanding battle between proponents of evolution and those of intelligent design.
33. From Butterflies to Humans: Try out this documentary to learn what forces cause animals to evolve and how the process works over time.
34. Ape to Man: Here you’ll find the story of the quest for human origins, one that has already spanned 150 years.
35. Dinosaur Hunters: Secrets of the Gobi Desert: This film brings some of the latest dinosaur finds to life in stunningly realistic animations.
36. The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs: This BBC documentary explores how some of the fiercest dinosaurs lived, ate, got around and more.
37. Dinosaur Planet: Follow along with this documentary as it shows you the story of a young velociraptor named White Tip.
38. Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia: This movie will allow you to see some of the biggest dinosaurs brought to life as well as learn what the most important dinosaur discoveries have been.
39. Origins of Life: Check out this movie to learn more about how scientists think life arose from single-celled organisms.

Physics

Even if you don’t know a ton about physics, these great movies will show you how the universe works from the smallest particles to the biggest galaxies.

40. The Quantum Revolution: Dr. Michio Kaku explores the cutting edge of quantum science in this short documentary.
41. Pythagoras: While not really a physicist, Pythagoras did come up with some of the most important mathematical and philosophical issues, or so we think, as this documentary will show.
42. Cold Fusion: Fire from Water: This documentary offers a chance to learn more about a potentially cleaner and better source of energy.
43. Uncertainty Principle: This short film will explain the history and fundamentals of quantum mechanics.
44. Illusion of Reality: Professor Jim Al-Khalili explores how studying the atom forced us to rethink the nature of reality itself in this engaging documentary.
45. Albert Einstein: Check out this documentary to learn more about this renowned physicist and thinker.
46. The Atom Smashers: This documentary follows researchers at Fermilab as they attempt to find the Higgs-Boson particle.
47. Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything: Learn more about the work of cosmologist Stephen Hawking in this film.
48. The Universe: Beyond the Big Bang: This movie shows how different cultures think the universe began and how it will end, including information from leading scientists.
49. Absolute Zero: Here you’ll follow a team of scientists as they attempt to reach absolute zero.

Environment

These documentaries focus on technologies and conservation efforts meant to preserve the environment.

50. Car of the Future: From hydrogen fuel cells to cars you can plug in, this film takes a look at where the automobile is headed in the next decades.
51. The 11th Hour: This documentary narrated by Leonardo Di Caprio shows the truly perilous state our planet is in.
52. Who Killed the Electric Car?: Plans for electric cars have been around for awhile, and this film examines the reasons why they’ve never come to fruition.
53. Here Comes the Sun: Learn about what a big role solar energy may play in the future of our planet.
54. An Inconvenient Truth: This famous documentary shows the true impact of global warming through a talk given by former Vice President Gore.
55. The Great Global Warming Swindle: This film takes the opposite stance, claiming that global warming is just propaganda, not reality.
56. Global Dimming: Find out more about the phenomenon known as global dimming in this film, as well as the impact it may have on our climate, our planet and, ultimately, us.
57. Darwin’s Nightmare: Take a look at this film to see some of the unexpectedly negative effects of introducing a foreign species into an environment.
58. It Runs on Water: Think things can’t run on water? This 1995 film shows otherwise, with a technology that never came to be.
59. Robinson Crusader: Keith Robinson is fighting to keep his Hawaiian island home free from corporate development in this film.

Geology

In these movies, you’ll be able to learn about the regions of the world, how Earth’s processes work, and much more.

60. Africa: The Serengeti: Check out this film to see the world of the Serengeti in detail.
61. Lost Worlds: Life in the Balance: This film will show you just how interconnected the world truly is.
62. Ocean Oasis: In this film you’ll get to take a look at Mexico’s Sea of Cortez and Baja California.
63. Australia: Land Beyond Time: The wilds of Australia seem at first like a pretty inhospitable place, but this film will show you the amazing ways life has found to survive.
64. The Bermuda Triangle: What is it about the Bermuda Triangle that makes it so dangerous to travel through? This film takes a scientific look at the phenomenon.
65. White Sands: White Wilderness: This film gives a detailed account of the plants, animals and geologic formations of New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument.
66. Volcano: Nature’s Inferno: This documentary will let you take a closer look at the volcanoes and the volcanic processes that shape our planet.
67. Hunt for the Supertwister: Follow along with this team of storm chasers as they attempt to find the biggest and baddest tornadoes out there.
68. Crude: The Incredible Journey of Oil: Here you’ll be able to learn where oil comes from and how it gets from there into your car.

Space

Explore the solar system and beyond with these great space-focused documentaries.

69. Hubble: 15 Years of Discovery: Take a look back at some of the awe-inspiring images captured by the Hubble telescope in this film.
70. Supermassive Black Holes: While black holes are still largely mysterious bodies, you can increase your knowledge of them by watching this great documentary.
71. Asteroids: Deadly Impact: Learn what (literal) impact asteroids may have on Earth and what we may be able to do to protect ourselves.
72. Carl Sagan’s Cosmos Series: Though made several years ago, this series has stood the test of time and still offers one of the best and most accurate looks at the universe.
73. 3D Sun: This documentary uses stunning 3D images of the sun to explain its history and phenomena.
74. Revealing Mars: Take a look at the Mars orbiter in this film and some of the images of Mars that have been captured.
75. Colonizing Space: This documentary will present some of the plans already in motion to take the first steps into the final frontier.
76. Secrets of the Sun: Learn more about the star central to our own solar system in this film.
77. International Space Station: This film will explain how the space station was built and is maintained and operated.
78. Alien Galaxies: Give this documentary a try to better understand the galaxies that lie elsewhere in the universe.
79. Saturn: Lord of the Rings: This documentary will allow you to learn more about this beautiful and mysterious ringed planet.
80. The Life and Death of a Star: Take a look at how stars form, live, and ultimately die in this great documentary.

Technology

These documentaries will help you learn about computers, robots and even the beginnings of electricity.

81. Nikola Tesla: The Genius Who Lit the World: Check out this film to learn more about the inventions of this man and how they shaped the modern world.
82. Big Brother, Big Business: Learn about the myriad of technologies that watch your every move from this Orwellian documentary.
83. New York City Hackers: This documentary film will introduce you to the first hackers, a group of students from MIT, and what the name originally meant.
84. Building Gods: Watch this film to learn more about the development of AI technology.
85. Welcome to Macintosh: Here you can delve into the history and development of one of the largest technology companies in the world.

Nature

Study the natural world and the fauna that calls it home through these free documentaries.

86. The Ultimate Predators: Here you can watch the life and death battle between predators and their prey first-hand with cameras strapped to the animals themselves.
87. Life After People: Learn what would happen to Earth should the human race somehow become extinct in this interesting hypothetical documentary.
88. The Private Life of Plants: Take a look at the inner world of a variety of plant species in this film.
89. Ants: Nature’s Secret Power: Ants may be tiny, but they are strong and play a valuable role in ecosystems around the world, as this film shows.
90. Cassowaries: Learn more about these giant and little known birds in this informative film.
91. Life in the Freezer: Want to find out more about Antarctica? This film will introduce you to the land and the animals who call it home.
92. Microcosmos: Get tiny and explore the creatures that live all around us, but very often, out of our sight.
93. Africa: Wilds of Madagascar: This film lets you see some of the truly unique and beautiful creatures that call this island nation home.
94. Search for the Great Sharks: Travel the world to learn about the whale shark, the blue shark and the white shark.
95. Whales in Crisis: Whales may be the largest creatures on Earth, but this film shows how they are struggling to survive.
96. The Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef is large enough to be seen from space, comprising miles upon miles of complex, beautiful ecosystems, as this film shows.
97. Amazing Journeys: If you thought your last flight was bad, consider the long journeys these migratory animals make each year.

Miscellaneous

Watch these films to fill in the gaps in your scientific knowledge.

98. Dangerous Knowledge: Here you’ll find a great biographical film that addresses some of the eccentric, depressed, and often volatile men who helped foster modern science and mathematics.
99. Earthlings: Gain a greater respect for the creatures and the world around you through this documentary.
100. This Is Coffee: Learn more about the history, biology and social role of coffee through this film.

As an online student, you’re part of a new generation of learners. But you’re also joining a much larger group of nontraditional students who have graduated from community colleges and junior colleges before going on to undergraduate and graduate institutions, or beginning their careers. Nontraditional students, as you probably know, can be just as successful as those who completed four-year degree programs from well-known universities. Just check out our list of 10 incredibly successful people who went to community college.

1. Jim Wright: Jim Wright is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House who served for 34 years on Capitol Hill. First elected in 1954, Wright was appointed House Majority Leader in 1976. Eleven years later, he was named Speaker of the House and served as Speaker until 1989, when he resigned. Now a writer and professor at Texas Christian University, Wright prepared for his career in Congress when he attended Weatherford College, a junior college located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Wright then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin before joining the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
2. Sam Shepard: Sam Shepard is a well-known American playwright and film director who has written such works as Icarus’s Mother, La Turista, Cowboys and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child. Shepard, who has also acted in notable films like 2000’s Hamlet, The Pelican Brief and The Notebook, was born in Illinois and began his acting career after dropping out of community college. He moved to New York in the 1960s, and despite trouble with drugs, joined the Off-Off Broadway scene as a writer and occasional actor before getting his big breaks in Days of Heaven and The Right Stuff.
3. Jim Lehrer: The iconic media personality Jim Lehrer has been the news anchor for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer since 1975, when it was known as The McNeil/Lehrer Report. Lehrer was born in Wichita, KS, but grew up all over Texas, attending high school in San Antonio and community college at Victoria College. After graduating from Victoria College, Lehrer attended the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism.
4. Ross Perot: Former Presidential candidate Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate in 1992 against Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George H.W. Bush, and although he lost the race, is still considered to be one of the richest men in the United States: Forbes estimated his net worth to be around $5 billion in 2008. Perot accumulated his fortune when he sold his company Electronic Data Systems to General Motors in 1984, started the IT services provider Perot Systems four years later, and then sold that company to Dell in 2009. Dell reportedly bought Perot Systems for $3.9 billion. Besides his wealth, Perot is known for his small-town roots and twangy accent. He was born in Texarkana, TX, in 1930, and attended Texarkana Junior College before joining the U.S. Navy.
5. George Lucas: Star Wars creator and American Graffiti director George Lucas has won countless awards for his movies and contribution to the arts, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. He attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, which was one of the first such schools in the United States, and where Lucas met other filmmakers like Steven Spielberg. Before attending USC, however, the Modesto, CA, native attended community college and then junior college as an anthropology student. As part of his common curriculum at junior college, Lucas explored filmmaking and cinematography.
6. Billy Crystal: Billy Crystal is a multitalented performer, director and producer who has contributed to American entertainment in film, TV, comedy, theatre, and as a long-time host of the Academy Awards. Some of Crystal’s most famous roles include Harry Burns in the iconic When Harry Met Sally and Mitch Robbins in City Slickers. Crystal was born and raised in New York and originally wanted to become a professional baseball player, attending Marshall University in West Virginia before returning to New York to attend Nassau Community College. From Nassau, Crystal transferred to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a B.F.A. and studied directing from Martin Scorcese. Just six years later, Crystal was cast as Jodie Dallas on the popular TV show Soap.
7. Nolan D. Archibald: Archibald, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Black & Decker Corporation, was once the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 Company and has been celebrated by the American Marketing Association, BusinessWeek and Fortune as one of the most successful and "most wanted" business executives in the country. Exactly twenty years before being named CEO of Black & Decker, Archibald graduated from Dixie Junior College, which is today known as Dixie State College of Utah and can award bachelor’s degrees. He then attended Webster State University where he was an All-Conference basketball player and Academic All-American player. Archibald graduated from Webster State and moved on to Harvard, from which he earned an MBA in 1970.
8. John Walsh: America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh is more than just a TV personality: after the kidnapping and murder of his son Adam, Walsh has been a strong advocate for child safety and legislation reform. He and his wife helped create the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984, and also founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, which continues their campaign to fight for legislation that protects children’s and victim’s rights. Walsh, who was born in New York State, attended community college and eventually graduated from the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system. He worked in hotel real estate and management until Adam’s murder inspired his campaign for legislation reform. In 1988, Walsh became the host of America’s Most Wanted.
9. Sarah Palin: Little known Alaska governor Sarah Palin became an instant spectacle when 2008 Presidential candidate John McCain chose her as his running mate. Palin became popular with conservative Republicans for her small-town cracks at Democratic candidate Barack Obama, which quickly morphed into campaign slogans. McCain and Palin lost the election, and ever since, Palin has been involved in tabloid-worthy fodder over her teen daughter’s pregnancy, new book tour and alleged plans to run for president herself. But before she entered politics, Palin was a well-rounded student at four different colleges, including North Idaho College and Matanuska-Susitna College, both community colleges. Palin eventually graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in communications.
10. Nolan Ryan: One of baseball’s greatest stars, Nolan Ryan is now the president of the Texas Rangers. Ryan played for four MLB teams during his career, including the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers, though he is best known as the pitcher for the Rangers. After playing for the Rangers for 27 years — until 1993 — Ryan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Ryan was born and raised in Texas, where he played Little League and high school baseball. After high school, Ryan attended community college but was soon drafted by the New York Mets into a minor league team, the Marion Mets.