diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js.coffee
index ee697f3c082..5ad11c9468b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js.coffee
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ window.Discourse.ComposerController = Ember.Controller.extend Discourse.Presence
       .then (opts) =>
         opts = opts || {}
         @close()
-        Discourse.set('currentUser.post_count', Discourse.get('currentUser.post_count') + 1)
+        
+        if composer.get('creatingTopic')
+          Discourse.set('currentUser.topic_count', Discourse.get('currentUser.topic_count') + 1)
+        else
+          Discourse.set('currentUser.reply_count', Discourse.get('currentUser.reply_count') + 1)
+
         Discourse.routeTo(opts.post.get('url'))
       , (error) =>
         composer.set('disableDrafts', false)
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars
index 72e7e19239c..e1c6d5417c7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 <div class='contents'>
 
-  <div id='new-user-education' {{bindAttr class="view.newUserEducationVisible"}}>
+  <div id='new-user-education' style='display: none'>
     <a href='#' {{action closeEducation target="view"}} class='close'>{{i18n ok}}</a>
 
     {{{view.educationContents}}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/composer_view.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/composer_view.js.coffee
index c0897b575ce..7cef1fa4d21 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/composer_view.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/composer_view.js.coffee
@@ -59,8 +59,11 @@ window.Discourse.ComposerView = window.Discourse.View.extend
 
   fetchNewUserEducation: (->
 
-    if (Discourse.get('currentUser.post_count') >= Discourse.SiteSettings.educate_until_posts)
+    # If creating a topic, use topic_count, otherwise post_count
+    count = if @get('content.creatingTopic') then Discourse.get('currentUser.topic_count') else Discourse.get('currentUser.reply_count')    
+    if (count >= Discourse.SiteSettings.educate_until_posts)
       @set('educationClosed', true)
+      @set('educationContents', '')
       return 
 
     return unless @get('controller.hasReply')
@@ -71,17 +74,25 @@ window.Discourse.ComposerView = window.Discourse.View.extend
     educationKey = if @get('content.creatingTopic') then 'new-topic' else 'new-reply'
     $.get("/education/#{educationKey}").then (result) => @set('educationContents', result)
 
-  ).observes('controller.hasReply', 'content.creatingTopic', 'Discourse.currentUser.post_count')
+  ).observes('controller.hasReply', 'content.creatingTopic', 'Discourse.currentUser.reply_count')
 
   newUserEducationVisible: (->
-    return 'collapsed' unless @get('educationContents')
-    return 'collapsed' unless @get('content.composeState') is Discourse.Composer.OPEN
-    return 'collapsed' unless @present('content.reply')
-    return 'collapsed' if @get('educationClosed')
+    return false unless @get('educationContents')
+    return false unless @get('content.composeState') is Discourse.Composer.OPEN
+    return false unless @present('content.reply')
+    return false if @get('educationClosed')
 
-    return 'visible'
+    true
   ).property('content.composeState', 'content.reply', 'educationClosed', 'educationContents')
 
+  newUserEducationVisibilityChanged: (->
+    $panel = $('#new-user-education')
+    if @get('newUserEducationVisible')
+      $panel.slideDown('fast')
+    else
+      $panel.slideUp('fast')
+  ).observes('newUserEducationVisible')
+
   moveNewUserEducation: (sizePx) ->
     $('#new-user-education').css('bottom', sizePx)
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/application/compose.css.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/application/compose.css.scss
index dd4a438a6db..07f42193449 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/application/compose.css.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/application/compose.css.scss
@@ -6,15 +6,7 @@
 
 #new-user-education {
 
-  &.collapsed {
-    max-height: 0;
-    visibility: hidden;
-  }
-
-  &.visible {
-    max-height: 1000px;
-    visibility: visible;
-  }
+  @include box-shadow(3px 3px 3px rgba($black, 0.14));
 
   p {
     margin: 0 0 10px 0;
diff --git a/app/serializers/current_user_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/current_user_serializer.rb
index 018915d9d42..48de537e16b 100644
--- a/app/serializers/current_user_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/current_user_serializer.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ class CurrentUserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
              :notification_channel_position, 
              :site_flagged_posts_count,
              :moderator?,
-             :post_count
+             :reply_count,
+             :topic_count
 
   # we probably want to move this into site, but that json is cached so hanging it off current user seems okish
 
@@ -15,8 +16,12 @@ class CurrentUserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
     object.admin
   end
 
-  def post_count
-    object.posts.count
+  def topic_count
+    object.topics.count
+  end
+
+  def reply_count
+    object.posts.where("post_number > 1").count
   end
 
   def moderator?
@@ -26,4 +31,5 @@ class CurrentUserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
   def site_flagged_posts_count
     PostAction.flagged_posts_count
   end
+
 end