When it comes to future university applications, good grades and extracurricular activities might not be the only filters.

According to Torben Drewes, an economist at Trent University, universities might have to start thinking of men as a 'disadvantaged group' when it comes to post-secondary education.

Meaning a third filter: gender.

The university gender gap is growing. The Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada reports that in 2006, 56 per cent of Canadian undergraduates were women. Compare this number to the early 1970s, when more than two-thirds of university graduates in their mid-20s were men.

So why are men now so heavily outnumbered on campus? In a study released earlier this week, "The University Gender Gap: The Role of High School Grades," Drewes suggests a simple answer: girls study more than boys. They get better high-school marks, which in turn gets them into university.

Makes sense, right? If you study hard, the payoff includes higher marks and entry into university. But who needs a study to tell us that?

Interestingly, according to the study, the fact that girls study more accounts for just under half of the difference between male and female grades. Maybe the answer isn't so simple after all.

The other half, Drewes explains, is due to girls' "greater efficiency in converting a given amount of study time into a grade." Meaning, girls don't just study more. They also study better.

So what, if anything, should universities be doing about this? Should they lower admission criteria for male applicants? Is it even a university's responsibility to maintain a gender balance?

Effort isn't the only factor. So how are girls studying 'better'? In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Drewes said something in the high school system "rewards girls more than boys." However, that doesn't mean he's in favour of creating lower university entry standards for males. "That seems wrong."

I have five children, one girl and four boys. Interestingly, Jenny, my oldest, has always had the highest marks among my five kids. Of course, her three youngest brothers are only 4, 11, and 13. But even comparing how she did at their ages and grades, her marks were always higher.

Why?

I always assumed it's because Jenny has an incredible work ethic. She's a well-organized student who makes school and homework a priority. During her years in public school, unlike her younger brothers, I never had to remind her to do her homework, or lecture her about studying harder.

I've never considered her gender as a possible factor in her academic success.

The study concluded that the difference between male and female grades can be explained by girls not only studying more, but also studying more efficiently than boys. Makes sense to me.

Sounds like our girls can teach the boys a thing or two.

It's a special kind of book.

Sometimes you dread reading it. Sometimes it's downright boring. Once you're finished reading it, you may hope you never have to read it again.

And it's probably the most expensive kind of book you'll ever have to buy.

Yes, I'm talking about university textbooks, of course.

When my two oldest started at the University of Waterloo last September, the tuition was bad enough. But between part-time jobs, scholarships, and student loans, it was pretty much covered.

But then there were the textbooks.

The textbooks, lab manuals, course readings and tutorial manuals cost well over $700 a semester at the school's bookstore.

I wasn't too surprised. Heck, when I was a student, the textbook situation was even worse. My two oldest said that a few of their professors claimed they can only list one required textbook (in addition to readings and course manuals) for a class. Most of my classes, on the other hand, had multiple textbooks. It was always frustrating to spend hundreds of dollars on five books for one course. And then use only one of them for the entire year.

But my daughter discovered that a couple of her textbooks are $20 cheaper on Amazon.ca. And since shipping is free for orders $39 or more, she didn't have to pay anything extra for shipping and handling.

My son's history class requires a 'clicker,' a sort of remote that students can use to answer multiple-choice questions during a lecture.

The problem: It costs $42 at the University of Waterloo's bookstore.

It's $32 at Amazon.ca. But that's when it's in stock.

The solution: eBay. My son found a second-hand clicker for less than half the bookstore's price. Thanks to the Internet, this generation of university students have a lot of options when it comes to trying to save money on their course textbooks.

And for students at the University of Waterloo, there's UW-ACE, a Web-based course management system that allows instructors and students to interact with each other. During the school year, its main purpose is for students to access homework assignments, tests and course notes. But it also provides a great network for students to buy and sell used textbooks.

My daughter recently sold three of her old textbooks to AbeBooks Canada, an online marketplace for books that is a subsidiary of Amazon.com. In addition to buying textbooks, Abebooks also sells used, new, rare, and out-of-print books, and even provides you with a prepaid and trackable shipping label when you sell your used textbooks.

Several readers of this blog have given their own suggestions. Matt recommends finding international editions of textbooks. "They've got the exact same content as the regular $175 books, except they're printed on thinner paper and have a soft cover. Oh, and they also cost about $20-$50 on eBay instead of $150-$175 at the bookstore."

Cheap as they may be, Tyler warns there's a "certain amount of risk" involved with buying international editions of textbooks. "I've bought three in the past couple years, and two were perfectly legible. The third, however, was printed on extremely absorbent paper, and the print quality of most of the diagrams and figures was too low to be discernible. " Also, be aware of potential copyright and trademark violations, AbeBooks warns.

Jeff suggests borrowing textbooks from friends in different years, or checking Facebook for second-hand copies. "Borrowing books, or even renting them is always better than buying, unless the book is worth holding onto."

Tim Jacobs points out that newer editions of textbooks might not necessarily be worth the extra cost. Turning to older (and therefore cheaper) editions can save money. "The material is largely the same, but the cover and, perhaps, a few of the graphics will have changed - certainly not a substantive difference in editions."

Of course, as soon as you stray from the campus bookstore and turn to sources like eBay or Facebook, there's a certain amount of risk involved. Especially when purchasing older editions. Buyer beware: although the changes from one edition to the next might not be huge, sometimes important information is updated or completely changed. The newer editions sometimes correct mistakes from the older editions. An important diagram might be fixed, or an entire section will be updated with new information. So, although buying an older textbook will save you money, it might cost you in marks. Make sure you know what you're getting. Or not getting.

University textbooks cost hundreds of dollars every semester. But thankfully, for this generation of students, there are lots of other options. Between Amazon.ca, eBay, and buying textbooks secondhand from other students, your campus bookstore might be the last place you should look.

(Editor: Also read about how school supplies last longer in university and Beer or food? A savvy student can have both.)

In less than a month, my two oldest are starting their second year at the University of Waterloo. But unlike my three youngest, who are still in public school, their professors didn't provide a list of important school supplies. I don't have to buy them a new pack of pencil crayons, a geometry set, or some markers.

Uh, come to think of it, I don't have to buy them anything. Now they buy their own school supplies.

The whole back-to-school phase is completely different for university-aged children. I don't have to buy them indoor and outdoor shoes. I also don't have to write their names on the back of their jackets, or inside their lunch bags.

I don't have to replace their ratty book bags every year. For one thing, they don't use book bags anymore. Apparently, book bags are only for public school and first-year university students. Any self-respecting university student quickly learns to use a messenger bag. According to my son, "It's more compact. You can stuff it under your seat during a lecture, and it doesn't get in the way on the bus."

Every year someone needs a book bag replaced. There's a hole in the bottom, one of the straps are ripped, or the zipper is stuck. Or the zipper has disappeared entirely. Lunch bags rarely last more than a year, either.

But for some reason, school supplies have a longer life span on a university campus. My two oldest are using the same messenger bags they did last year. All the zippers and straps are intact. They're using the same pencil cases and calculators, and their lunch bags haven't gone AWOL.

The most expensive part of back-to-school shopping for my three youngest isn't the binders, duotangs, notebooks or pencils. It's the clothing.

Every year they go through the August Growth Spurt. Overnight, their t-shirts, jeans and pants stop fitting. Their shoes (indoor and outdoor) are a couple sizes too small. Not to mention there's often a gap, or at least a flap, where the big toe rests.

None of that is a problem for my two oldest. They don't grow four and a half inches over the summer anymore, outgrowing their entire wardrobe.

Come August, their jeans and t-shirts still fit. Their shoes are also usually in good shape as well.

Of course, there are certain expenses that are unique to university.

Those math and science textbooks that were handed out for free in high school? Suddenly they cost hundreds of dollars. And for students in the sciences, back-to-school shopping often includes goggles and lab coats.

And unlike those lists mailed or handed out in public school, the list from university is more of a 'suggestion' of supplies you might want to consider having for each course. In fact, some text books are even indicated as being optional. My two oldest research the necessity of each item before they actually purchase it. They find out which books will be used during the course and which are 'nice to have.' They don't spend their hard earned cash on the nice to have books. Ever.

Even if I were in charge of buying the back-to-school supplies for my two oldest, which fortunately I'm not, I don't even know what the heck some of the items on the list are.

Like 'clickers.'

I overheard my daughter saying she'll have to buy a 'clicker' from the school bookstore before they run out. The only 'clicker' I was aware of is the one we used a few years ago, to train our dog to stop barking at everyone who came to our front door.

Assuming they aren't just messing with me, my two oldest assured me that the clicker they need won't be teaching them about not barking at strangers. Apparently it'll somehow be used for multiple choice quizzes given during a lecture.

Sometimes my two oldest need help paying for some of the more expensive items on their back-to-school lists, and we're happy to help them. Of course, just because my two oldest claim something on their list is absolutely essential, doesn't mean they'll necessarily get it.

No matter how much they insist they really need a car for second year.

Every school year there's a new flu season for parents to contend with.

I'm already thinking about all the lovely germs my four-year-old, about to start school for the first time this fall, is bound to bring home with him in about six weeks.

But this September we won't be dealing with just your average, run-of-the-mill, back-to-school cold or some sniffles. Most public-health experts believe there will be a second attack from the H1N1 virus this fall.

HN1N, also known as Swine Flu, is predicted to hit full-force by this September, and apparently the virus targets young adults - the Globe and Mail reported that the median age of those infected in Canada is only 18.

If the H1N1 virus is going to sweep across the country, university campuses are an obvious pit stop for the Swine Flu. Aside from the fact that it seems to target university-aged young adults, come September, there are going to be thousands of students packed into lecture halls, studying together in the library, and eating in the cafeteria. The perfect targets.

Its already been declared a pandemic. H1N1 is being compared to the 1918 Spanish Flu. Even if that's an exaggeration, the virus is still a scary reality. What if this next wave, about to strike just as our children are headed back to school, turns out to be more severe? Even deadly?

So how are university students going to be affected? Namely, what's going to happen to students who contract the Swine Flu? And what about those students in residence?

And how are universities preparing for this threat? What are universities doing to protect our children? What can parents do?

My two oldest have already taken some steps to minimize their exposure.

They'll be doing two of their electives by distance education and, with the exception of two labs - where their physical presence is required - their other courses could easily be done by podcast if necessary.

They'll be playing it by ear, waiting to see how big the threat is once they get back on campus this September.

Some universities, such as McGill, are readying their health clinics to isolate their very sick students. McGill is considering help lines so that less serious cases can avoid entering the clinics altogether.

Sports and extracurriculars could get the axe if the flu spreads quickly enough.

The University of Western Ontario has armed itself with masks, gloves and hand sanitizers. Dalhousie University has backup staff ready for the school year.

It's not hard to work yourself into a full-blown panic.

So what the heck is an effective strategy? Keeping all our kids home from school? Wearing a bio-hazard suit 24/7? In a crowded school system, is good cough-and hand-hygiene etiquette going to be enough?

Every teacher I spoke to said basically the same thing: Kids need to wash their hands.

"Not too long ago it was MRSA staph, now it's Swine Flu. And frankly, a lot of students aren't taught simple hygiene procedures at home," says Pam, a middle-school teacher.

My two oldest are well-versed in simple hygiene procedures. When they head back to school this September, they plan to have a bottle of hand sanitizer handy at all times. But it doesn't matter how germ-aware my two oldest are. The deciding factor: my four-year-old. The weakest link of the family. With Typohoid Mary sitting across the kitchen table, hand washing and hygiene habits could be completely undermined.

Most of the parents I spoke with seem calm. Some expressed concerns about the upcoming outbreak, but no one was overly panicked.

"Even though I have my sometimes laughable 'doomsday pantry' and I'm fairly disaster prepared in general, my trend toward worrying about the fall seems to be 'wait and see' for now," says Sam Jones, a parent of a high school student.

Like most of the parents I spoke with, she has tried to strike a balance between making her son aware of the necessity of proper hygiene technique, without causing him undo stress. But her son is involved in a lot of contact sports, and sharing of equipment, so she wants to ensure he does take some steps to minimize his risk.

"I stressed hand washing and trying to stay away from anyone noticeably sick. I feel like I've prepared him enough without causing him stress.

He doesn't seem worried, but he is aware."

But if she ever suspects her son isn't taking the threat seriously enough, she won't hesitate to make sure her son gets the message.

"I will say though with great conviction that if I come to the point where I think making him nervous will contribute to his safety - in the event that things are getting ominous - I have no qualms about turning up the fear-mongering."

Another parent, with a daughter starting Grade 2, says it's harder to keep younger kids protected from the virus.

"Sometimes I really worry about it. If your kid's in an older grade when this kind of thing hits, it's easier to keep them healthy and safe. A seven-year-old doesn't have the strongest immune system, and can't understand the importance of basic hygiene. Little kids do stupid stuff and don't even know how dangerous it is. What if someone sneezes on her in class?"

Words like "pandemic" and "high-risk category" might sound off alarm bells, but how serious is the threat?

Donald Low, chief microbiologist at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, says that the Swine Flu continues to be a relatively mild virus.

And, unlike back in 1918, today we have antiviral drugs and antibiotics to treat influenza infections and secondary cases of pneumonia.

But still, as a parent of five school-aged children, I know I'll be watching, and still feeling a little anxious, as it all begins to unfold over the next six weeks.

(Editor: Information about what universities are doing to prepare for a possible H1N1 onslaught in the fall)

I'm still not exactly sure when the transition happened. Maybe it was when they got part-time jobs. Or maybe it was when they started drinking coffee. Either way, my two oldest children aren't... well... children anymore.

They're adults.

Okay, after finishing a year of university, they're still not full-fledged adults. They're quasi-adults. But sometime between last September and this summer they took a huge step towards adulthood.

Unlike previous summers, I can't order them to go outside and play anymore. Or to go clean their rooms. If it's cold outside, I have to resist the urge to tell them to put on a sweater.

Throughout the school year, I never even thought to nag them about their homework. Back when they were in grade 12, I would remind them not to fall behind on their science fair projects. But this year, I didn't remind them about upcoming tests or assignments. It would have seemed somehow... disrespectful.

I also didn't pack them a sandwich and cookies for their lunches. They did. Well, at least I think they did. Maybe they didn't even eat lunch.

Of course, some things have not only changed, they've also been completely removed from my parental responsibilities. Like my children's friends. These days, unlike my three youngest, I rarely get to meet the parents of my two oldest's friends.

Actually, I don't even meet a lot of their friends.

When they get together with friends, there's no playing tag or hide-and-seek in the backyard. They don't play Xbox in the living room.

They meet at Tim Horton's. Or study together at the library. Now I feel lucky when they occasionally hang out in the basement.

Never mind room-cleaning and homework nagging. In just over a year, our relationship has irreversibly evolved. Sometimes I can't believe just how much has already changed.

I admit it. I find it a little scary how fast things are changing. But I accept it as normal, healthy, and absolutely necessary.

I just wish the changes would wait up for me.

My two oldest recently finished their course selections for next semester. It'll be their second year at the University of Waterloo.

They knew exactly which professors they wanted, which professors are known for giving unfair exams, and which ones to avoid at all costs.

They knew which professors give interesting, engaging lectures. And which professors don't.

They knew all this before even setting foot in the classroom.

Thanks to websites like ratemyprofessors.com and birdcourses.com, there isn't as much trial-and-error in choosing university courses these days.

On the first day of classes, there are very few surprises.

But if a student decides later that they've somehow made a bad choice during course selections, there's a simple solution. Drop the course. Swap it out for a different class.

Elementary school is a completely different story. There isn't any screening-out process. Even if ratemykindergartenteacher.com existed, students and their parents have little control over selecting their teacher - the person who has complete control over a significant portion of their day, for ten months straight.

Of course, high schools students can always turn to ratemyteachers.com. There are even some elementary school teachers listed on the site.

Back in high school, my two oldest had a serious problem with one of their teachers. The class was a prerequisite for the undergraduate program they both hoped to eventually apply to so they couldn't drop or change out of her class. When they looked her up on ratemyteacher.com, it was oddly validating to see four pages worth of negative comments and concerns posted by previous students and their parents.

And of course, anonymous comments posted on the internet are a pretty reliable source of information, right?

In the public high school system, however, there's usually no way to reverse thrusters and swap classes at the last second, regardless of a teacher's reputation. Short of moving to a new school district, there's no avoiding that teacher.

Well, at least not officially.

Some schools actually post a student's classroom placement for next year on the final report cards. Which means parents can start campaigning and pestering their child's school principal immediately if they don't like the name they see, or don't see, in their child's future.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why my children's current school doesn't share that information until three days before school starts again in September.

My four-year-old son is starting kindergarten this September. My next door neighbour warned me about one of the teachers, saying I should make sure my son doesn't get Mrs. 'Smith.'

"She's really mean," said my neighbour. "Try and get Mr. 'Jones' instead. He's very nice and really loves kids."

I admit, I didn't feel comfortable calling the school principal to ask for a specific teacher, based on some vague gossip from my neighbour.

Thankfully, with eight kindergarten teachers at the school, the odds are with us.

If not, we can always move.

High stress, less sleep, and a cafeteria food diet. For some students, the first year of university is a recipe for weight gain.

My two oldest, who both just completed their first year at the University of Waterloo, lived at home last year. Predictably, their eating habits didn't change much, if at all. Okay, they both seemed to increase their coffee consumption quite a bit. But mostly, I didn't give much thought or concern to what they were eating. Or not eating.

But for those students living away from home for the first time, the demands of university go far beyond academics. Adjusting their study habits from high school are just one of many changes, such as suddenly being responsible for meals. Of course, many parents support their children throughout university, financially and otherwise.

But even just playing at being an adult is demanding.

A study from the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence revealed that moving away from home makes female first-year students three times as likely to binge eat.

The researchers found that first-year female students who lived away from home were more likely to report symptoms of binge eating than students still living with their parents.

Erin Barker, the lead researcher of the study, says that when a young person moves away from home, not only are their social networks disrupted, their eating patterns also change if they live in residence.

And those changes in their eating patterns are not for the better.

Barker says those unhealthy eating habits could eventually lead to obesity and even diabetes.

In other words, never mind the 'Freshman 15.' Sending your child into residence might be setting them up for life-long health problems.

Obesity and diabetes are both serious health concerns.

Many first year students live at home, or have already been responsible for their own meals for years, anyway. But other students aren't so lucky. A crash course in nutrition and preparing meals is one of their lessons of first year.

Really, it's a wonder that the 'Freshman 15' isn't the 'Freshman 25.'

Yet according to two University of Guelph dieticians, the Freshman 15 is dropping a few pounds. Those 15 pounds that first-years supposedly pack on? Binge-eating or not, it's actually more like five. Between leaving high school and finishing their first year of university, the first-year female students who were studied gained five pounds, which is two-thirds less than the fabled 15.

So is five pounds still cause for concern? Perhaps not. But the fact that the students in the study increased their waist circumference, body mass index, and body fat is definite cause for concern.

University might not make you fat. But a poor diet and too much stress add up to a toxic mix for too many first-years.

The Freshman 15 might be an exaggeration. But it's not a myth.

How many university students are unable to read this sentence? According to a report recently published by the Canadian Council on Learning, it might be more than you think.

A lot more.

In the CCL's report, "Post-Secondary Education in Canada 2008-2009," 20 per cent of university graduates in 2006 were below Level 3 on the prose literary scale (see page 63 for the stats). A Level 3 is considered the minimum literacy level necessary for coping in our society. Below Level 3 means struggling to understand even the simplest text.

And the numbers are expected to get even worse.

The CCL's report, released last month, predicts the amount of university graduates falling below Level 3 to increase to almost one in four (24%) by 2031. As a comparison, the numbers for non-university post-secondary graduates are 38% (as of 2006) and a predicted 45% for the year 2031.

This steady decay of Canada's literacy rates arguably poses an even greater threat to our country's economic future than the current recession.

When I first attended university in the early '80s at Concordia University in Montreal, a prerequisite for graduation from the English department included having to write an English language proficiency test. At the time, it was considered a bit of a joke. If I recall correctly, you had about 45 minutes to write a brief essay, and when it was over, you got a pass or fail. As far as I know, very few, if anyone, ever failed.

My two oldest are attending the University of Waterloo. By next April they have to write and pass the school's "English Language Proficiency Exam." On the school's website, where it explains and answers questions about the exam, it states that if a student did well in high school English, they should have "no trouble completing this short essay-based examination."

So why insist that those who did well - even exceedingly well - in high school English courses, still have to take the test?

Because approximately 25% of incoming students, most of whom are from Ontario high schools, are not able to pass the test at Waterloo.

The English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) at Waterloo requires students to write a 300- to 500-word essay in 50 minutes. This means a four- to five-paragraph essay in response to a choice of topics. Depending on which program you're in, you need a minimum grade of 60-65% to pass.

But failing the test doesn't necessarily mean failing university. Like many schools today, the University of Waterloo offers a lot of support for those students who don't pass the test. On the school's website, it states: "You are not alone. There are options for you."

Those options - which are available to any student struggling with literacy skills - include free writing clinics and workshops.

Yes, we're now playing catch-up at the university level.

The CCL reports that although Canadians are more educated now than ever, our literacy skills will continue to erode until we do something to stop it. As it stands now, 40% of our high school graduates "have insufficient reading skills. Two in 10 university graduates, five in 10 adults, and six in 10 immigrants also have insufficient literacy skills."

Why are literacy levels in Canada continuing to decline?

If you don't already know the words to, Goodnight Moon and Green Eggs and Ham, it might already be too late. According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, the best time for us to begin learning how to read is even before we start kindergarten. Children should be exposed to books and start developing basic reading skills at the preschool level.

As parents, like most of us already know, this means we need to be reading to our kids right from the start.

Because if we don't, we can't blame the public school system later, when 40% of our kids leave the system functionally illiterate.

Thirty-plus years ago, when it was time to enroll for my CEGEP courses at Dawson College in Montreal, it meant physically showing up at the school. Then waiting in line for hours, only to discover that half the courses I wanted were already filled.

And then on the spot, having to improvise and reconstruct a brand new schedule from scratch.

Thirty-plus years later, my two oldest are first-year university students. Last week they did a pre-enrollment for their next semester.

This meant going online to complete an unofficial registration. Sort of like reserving their spots in line by selecting which courses they'd ideally like to get next September.

They didn't have to leave the house. Heck, they didn't even have to get dressed, brush their hair, or have a cup of coffee first.

Okay, they probably had to have a cup of coffee first.

I admit, I'm impressed by how much has changed since the beginning of my own post-secondary days.

Of course, 30 years is a long time. In terms of technological advances, maybe it shouldn't be any surprise that nearly everything related to an undergraduate degree can be done today without ever leaving the house.

Or dorm room.

Unlike my generation, thanks to laptops, podcasts, and the internet, my children can 'attend' virtual lectures, join in discussion boards with other students, and complete and submit assignments, quizzes, and tests.

They can also enroll in courses, drop courses, pay their tuition, and order their textbooks. All online.

Oh, and they can email any questions or concerns to their teaching assistants or course professors.

Uh, why bother ever showing up?

Of course, some programs, like engineering, can't be done from the comfort of home while lazing around in your pj's. And like many science students, my kids have also had to attend mandatory labs and tutorials in person on campus.

But they still have the option of doing lots of their work online, outside of the lecture halls.

My son is one of those students who really seems to benefit from podcasted lectures. Instead of falling asleep during lectures half the time like he apparently did during his first semester- missing half the work - he now chooses a time to listen to lectures when he's feeling more awake and alert.

At first I wondered if he was just being a slacker. Yet the results of a recent study found that students learning via podcast actually scored "significantly higher" on an exam than those in the classroom.

When I was in university, sometimes we'd have to wait weeks and weeks to learn how we did on an assignment. Today, thanks to being able to complete many assignments and quizzes online, my kids often know how they did immediately. The mark is displayed an instant after they hit 'submit.'

Of course, not all aspects of university life can be replicated on line.

And that's not a bad thing.

In addition to all of the extracurricular activities university students can get involved with outside of the classroom today, some of their most important lessons are definitely going to happen far away from the lecture hall.

Yes, 30 years later, some things never change.