Beginning a year at college can be stressful enough in its own right without the added hassle of scrambling to buy myriad dorm room supplies and decorations before classes begin. Target and other superstores may benefit from that rush, but a new site aims to help students plan and shop for their living quarters ahead of time with the help of some 3-D modelling.

DesignYourDorm is a web-based 3-D interior design tool that allows college students to customize their dorm room interiors and purchase what they need online. When students register with the Los Angeles-based site, they begin by indicating the university they'll be attending. Ultimately, that will generate a selection of floor plans with exact room dimensions used in the corresponding dorms, and DesignYourDorm is currently pilot-testing those capabilities with the University of Pennsylvania, according to TechCrunch. For universities that haven't signed on, however, students are given a series of generic room layouts. Either way, they next choose the type of room they'll have—single, double or triple, in various configurations—and then begin moving furniture and accessories around. Gaps can be filled in from items available from DesignYourDorm's online store—furniture, accessories, appliances and more—and many of them can be virtually dragged and dropped into the room to see how they will look. Perhaps best of all, roommates can collaborate virtually over the summer using the site to plan and coordinate their purchases ahead of time. Once they've decided what they'll need to buy, they can order the items and have them shipped directly to their college—order fulfillment is handled by Amazon, which passes revenue on to DesignYourDorm through its affiliate program.

Similar in many ways to DesignMyRoom—which sadly got repurposed since we covered it last year—DesignYourDorm is free for both students and participating universities, which will ultimately get a cut of sales generated through the site, according to TechCrunch. Given that there are more than 18 million college students in the US alone, could be a good one to bring to campuses in your neck of the postsecondary woods!

Website: www.designyourdorm.com
Contact: www.designyourdorm.com/contact.aspx

Spotted by: Roberta Steinberg

Unconferences have become increasingly common over the past decade or so, notable in particular for their low-key structure and participant-driven format. LaidOffCamp is one such example, and now—inspired, in fact, by that initiative—the concept has been applied to education with the launch of (un)classes.

Aiming to provide a more casual and ad hoc way for people to learn something new during their limited free time, the (un)classes website serves as a sort of marketplace through which people interested in learning about a topic can find someone in their area with the passion to teach it. Anyone can create a new class listing on (un)classes, and anyone can sign up to be a student or a teacher. Topics tend to be lightweight and fun, offering a way to learn about things not traditionally taught elsewhere. Examples so far have included How to Create The Greatest Rock Song of All Time and How to Be a Digital Nomad—the only guidelines are that they shouldn't be offensive or illegal.

The website explains: "Ever wish you had the choice to get up off the couch and spend the afternoon learning to rock climb, cook, or maybe juggle? Well, we have and that's why we came up with (un)classes. (un)classes are premised on the belief that everyone has *something* to teach and learning doesn't always have to be a formal experience requiring big up-front commitments."

The result can be thought of as "educational snacking," the site also points out—illustrating nicely what our sister site would call snack culture, in which consumers seek gratification in small, easy-to-handle bites. Offering entertainment, education, community and status skills, consumer-generated (un)classes have already been offered in cities around the world. One to localize for the lifelong learners in your neck of the peer-to-peer woods...? (Related: Free video lectures by top scholars — Local lessons, advertised & reviewed — Craft workshops for commitmentphobes.)

Website: www.unclasses.org
Contact: rahmin@unclasses.org

Spotted by: Miriam Brafman

"Shaving knowledge and technique is not instinctive, all men need to learn the art and unfortunately many learn it badly". A passionate statement from London-based grooming shop Geo F. Trumper, which now offers classes on how to shave properly. Customer demand led to the introduction of the one-to-one sessions, in which a barber shows a customer the best techniques for shaving and how to avoid unsightly problems such as ingrown hairs and razor burn. Other shaving tips are offered according to skin type.

Two types of class are on offer from the Soho branch, depending on the skills sought: there's the Mach 3 Shaving School at GBP 50, or the 90-minute Open Razor Shaving School at GBP 75. Founded in 1875, the Trumpers chain is drawing on the power of status skills to expose modern men to its traditional craft while showing customers the advantages of its high-end range—something entrepreneurs in most industries should think of doing, if they aren't already. Which skills can you help your customers master? (Related: Publisher launches creative writing academy.)

Website: www.trumpers.com
Contact: www.trumpers.com/contact.cfm

Spotted by: David Licona

While students have traditionally sought work placements with big name brands and firms, those looking to work closely with a company's founders and get hands-on experience in a variety of roles might be better off at a small business or startup.

Through its online directory, Enternships.com aims to connect SMBs and startups with entrepreneurial students, or 'enterns'. Businesses and aspiring enterns fill out a profile and advertise their needs to kick start a working relationship. Full-time, part-time, project-specific and remote placements are on offer, as are headline-grabbing opportunities with entrepreneurs such as Martha Lane Fox of Lucky Voice.

Enternship.com went into public beta last month, and its matchmaking service is currently free of charge. When it comes out of beta, the site aims to combine a free basic service with paid-for premium features such as targeted advertising and featured placements. The site was developed by former members of Oxford Entrepreneurs, a student society for entrepreneurship at Oxford University. The site continues to work with the society, and plans to add more services in the near future, including a special programme for school leavers and tailored year-long programmes for graduates. One to set up for the growing ranks of entrepreneurial students in other parts of the world?

Website: www.enternships.com Contact: info@enternships.com

Spotted by: Sam Patel

Back in March, we featured SmartyCard, a program for kids that combines educational games with virtual and real-world rewards. Focusing on an older crowd, GradeFund offers college students the opportunity to be rewarded for academic achievement.

GradeFund lets students recruit sponsors—usually friends and family—who donate money for each good grade. Participating students upload their transcripts at the end of each term and GradeFund verifies them and then collects funds from the sponsors, who can set their own criteria such as sponsoring students from their alma mater or choosing specific grade levels to sponsor. They can determine donation amounts for each grade, from as low as USD 5. GradeFund also allows employers to find students anonymously through their performance record, potentially netting students job and internship offers. So far, over 16,000 people have signed up for the program.

With the cost of college increasingly difficult for students (and parents) to cover, innovative programs that provide an alternative to loans and scholarships are only going to get more popular. If you're in financial services or education, time to get involved?

Website: www.gradefund.com
Contact: support@gradefund.com

Spotted by: Susan Johnston