About a week ago, my little sister texted me to ask if I would answer a few questions for an assignment of hers. Of course I was willing to help my sister, but even more so because the assignment was a for a class I had taken in high school with the same teacher. College Writing is a class that helps high school seniors prepare for college in a few different ways. The class teaches advanced grammar and writing principles while helping students learn the proper way to cite sources, complete research, and write essays for scholarships and college admission. I ended up answering the questions my sister had but also believed that the answers I provided could be helpful to other young people interested in continuing in their education. I took the email that I sent my sister, did some remodeling, and posted it to my personal blog (I’m not a big blogger).
You see, college can be a great tool and experience for students if the students realize that college is just a tool and an experience, not a ticket. In my experience, as a college student who talks to who peers and also pays attention to those who I consider further along the career path than I, students generally have the idea that college is merely the gate to a career and nothing more. Sure, social life, dating, friends, and some stupid decisions are part of the time period, but the purpose of college is solely career oriented (for the most part). Students are being taught this before college even becomes a goal or an option in their minds. From College Writing teachers to their own parents, many students learn from an early age that college is the baptism to a “good” job.
My personal experience in college has lead me to believe that college isn’t about getting a job. However, I won’t say that “it’s soo much more that that” either. College simply is something different. No better no worse. I’d like to share my idea of what higher education (what college really is) really means and persuade only those who are pursuing higher education to consider focusing on that, and less on what college can do for their careers.
This is such a fundamental principle that I think many people miss out on while in college. I completely agree with you, that college is an experience, not a ticket. If more people saw it that way they would probably put more into their studies, because they know that the result is directly influenced by their efforts. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI've come to realize the same thing about college. In college, there is such a difference between what grades we achieve (which directly affects the jobs we get) and what we learn in education and life lessons. If we go through college without changing due to what we've learned, even if we learn all formulas and history dates, then we've gained very little.
ReplyDeleteI agree that college is an experience not a ticket, but I am still in college because I believe that this experience will improve my chances of a ticket to a successful career. I just need to realize that getting a job requires so much more than the core classes and straight A's.
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