Parents pressuring sister to major in "something useful".

compmom
Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:42:38 +0000

Obviously the perceived goal of college has changed in the last decade or two. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that more diverse groups are attending, and the fact that people are going broke paying for it (and have loans).

However, just to say it again: the original goal of college was to get a broad education, combined with some knowledge of one area in depth. It was not to prepare for a career, but to broaden perspectives, encourage skepticism, and to prepare students to educate themselves throughout life. One college said their education was to “make students’ minds a comfortable place to live for the rest of their lives.”

Many schools are now pandering to the careerism that parents and students expect, and I think that employers, at least at the low to middle levels, may start looking for more vocationally prepared students.

But the best preparation, at least in my old-fashioned view, is that more general preparation that does not focus on a future job, but on learning and growth. Maybe when the recession eases, some students will again feel comfortable majoring in, say, anthropology or comparative literature, and worry about supporting themselves once they graduate. A BA will gain entrance to many kinds of work, as well as further schooling.