You just spent four years of your life as an undergraduate, but why not delay the job search for another two years at your alma mater?The graduate program at TCU has been ranked among "The Best 361 Colleges" by students signed up on the Princeton Review Web site.

According to the TCU Fact Book, there were 1,478 graduate students in fall 2004.

While admission requirements may differ, basic guidelines include a bachelor's degree, appropriate test scores, certified transcripts and recommendation letters.

Once SATs, ACTs and college applications are in the past, undergraduate days of hungover 8 a.m. classes and Fridays off feel like they will last forever.Unfortunately, reality catches up with the easygoing collegiate life, and the option of attending graduate school needs to be addressed.

When should students begin investigating graduate schools?

Now.

"You need to know what's out there. and what you don't know can hurt you," said Dan McGrew of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.

There is a strong concern for the safety of students at TCU and otheruniversities around the country.It is easy to see why. Turn on any local news program when you wake up, take a lunch break, sit down...

Freshman minority enrollment has hit a record high this semester at 15.5 percent. University officials attribute the increase to the success of several new programs designed to attract students who are financially disadvantaged, such as the Community Scholars Program.The program, which began in 2000 as an integration into local area high schools, was designed for disadvantaged students who are first-generation Americans or college students.

"The Community Scholars Program is the jewel in the diversity crown here at TCU," said Ray Brown, dean of admissions.

The 5th Annual Rockwall Sprint Triathalon on Sunday featured 14 faculty, staff and students from TCU.Trey Morrison, assistant director of fitness and wellness at the University Recreation Center, said the 14 participants represented the Rec Center, Student Development Services and the swim team.

Ten Horned Frogs placed and seven had Top 10 finishes.

Mary Ellen Miliam, associate director at the Rec Center, said a mass e-mail was sent out inviting faculty and staff to participate in the event.

Though in Fort Worth, some TCU students felt the effects of Hurricane Katrina as it passed through New Orleans and forced family members to evacuate.Ryan Mitsuhashi, a senior engineering major, spent his weekend arranging hotel reservations because his parents, who live in Connecticut just dropped off his sister at Tulane University for her first year, and she fled to Houston to get away from the hurricane.

The start of the school year means new clothes, new classes, new friends and a new system of representation in the Student Government Association.Students are no longer represented in the House of Student Representatives by where they live, rather by class, school and college.

There are 56 seats in the House. Each class gets two representatives, while the number of representatives for the schools and colleges is proportionate to the number of students majoring in that program, said Sebastian Moleski, chairman of the Elections and Regulations Committee.

A university policy dictates that students only have five academic days, including the first day of classes, to add more classes to their schedule. Registrar Patrick Miller argues that this prevents the disruption of catching students up on a week's worth of work.

When students come into classes late "It is unfair to everyone," Miller said.

Unfortunately, the policy itself is unfair to all other students as well.

n front of a roaring, packed house, the Horned Frog volleyball team opened the regular season with a hard-fought three-games-to-one loss, 24-30, 30-23, 22-30 and 19-30, against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday at the University Recreation Center.Veteran head coach Prentice Lewis emphasized making quicker adjustments as the key for her young team, which consists of 16 underclassman, including eight freshmen.

Head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle agreed to a multi-year contract extension, athletics director Danny Morrison announced Saturday. Neither Schlossnagle nor Morrison would comment on specific terms of the new contract, but Schlossnagle, who has been at TCU for two years, said he is excited to have to opportunity to continue working with the program.

Morrison said he is excited about the future of the baseball team with Schlossnagle as head coach.