<p>It seems that the perspective, and reasoning for going to college is always changing. Is college a time to:</p>
<p>(a) grow, learn, and expand your horizons?</p>
<p>or </p>
<p>(b) to prepare you for a " set" career path (i.e. Suzie wants to be a doctor so spends all 4 years doing everything science related?)</p>
<p>Or something different? I’m just curious to see what other parents feel. Because I personally, as a student, have no idea.</p>
<p>Oh, that was an easy one. Of course, the answer is (a).</p>
<p>I will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall, a school which is all about theory and doesn’t care about practice. I agree with that. College, for me at least, is about becoming well-educated and exploring different disciplines. My job will come later. College should not be a stepping stone to some specific job; it should be a foundation that prepares one for a miriad of jobs, as well as teaches one to think and analyze.</p>
<p>One of the best articles I have read about what college is for, it reflects my point of view far better than I can articulate it:</p>
<p><a href=“http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml[/url]”>http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml</a></p>
<p>Note that two Chicago supporters answered first. ;)</p>
<p>Ideally, college should be a good mix of both. The American college system has changed for the better since the early days of preparing lads for the ministry, and education has become increasingly interdisciplinary, with study abroad and community interaction being more popular than ever. I value a balanced education and believe a solid grounding in both the humanities and the sciences is key to a good education. I do not think that students should be entirely insulated from reality, however, and some idea of career placement should be considered. That is why colleges require you to have a major- if the only goal of college was to expand your horizons, there would be no need for a major. A major channels your interests into something that is directly applicable to the world. I think colleges like Warren Wilson, Brown’s PLME, and COA have the right of it- give the students access to a broad education, but at the same time enable them to see directly how it applies to the real world. Theory is all well and good, but it should not be the only part of a college education. Premed students should take organic chemistry, anatomy, and do research. However, nothing prevents them from also learning about Plato and Thoreau.</p>
<p>In four years you should have time to do both.</p>
<p>As a liberal arts advocate, I say emphatically “a.” After all, the most impressive adults later in life are those that can speak with authority on several different topics. Also, when these people hit an obstacle such as a dying field, they are better able to adapt and find a new career direction.</p>
<p>As a parent, however, I’d like my d. to take enough courses to prepare her for grad school or a possible career. A balance between sampling a variety of courses and concentrating on something more practical is ideal.</p>
<p>So . . . mostly “a” with some “b.”</p>
<p>College is for providing a place where parents can leave their children to age for a few years, like fine wine and cheese, before they are unleashed out into the world.</p>
<p>Just kidding. ;)</p>
<p>Of the options given by the OP, I’d say “A.”</p>
<p>It’s easier to achieve B as an outgrowth of A than vice-versa.</p>
<p>However, the classic that I’ve heard is:</p>
<p>College provides:</p>
<p>a) research for the faculty
b) jobs for the administrators
c) bragging rights for the parents
d) sex for the students.</p>
<p>I thought it was parking for the faculty, winning football for the alumni, and sex for the students. Nobody cared about the parents.</p>
<p>We figured that after 17-18 years of training you that you would have figured it out. But you haven’t and we don’t have the patience anymore. Better to pay someone than increase our frustration level. </p>
<p>Personally, unless you are going into a professional (baker, plumber, MD, engineer, athletic, politics) arena, college is otherwise a waste of time. You already know what you need to know, you just have to either expand this or apply it</p>
<p>idad,</p>
<p>Good article/speech. I printed it out and read it, and I especially enjoyed the part about sex. Just kidding. But it is a good analogy for the younger generation. :)</p>
<p>I view the 4 college years as an opportunity to mature and grow up, away from the ever watchful parental eyes and rules…decide who you are and want to be…make a lot of acquaintenances, make some new, close friends (lucky if they are lifetime friends like mine)…an opportunity to make mistakes that are recoverable (good friends help with that, watch out for one another)…college is truly one of those rare times in life when you can realign who you are…rarely are kids going to school with others that already know them…so, it really is a great chance to enhance or highlight who you are…once we have an adult life, with all the day to day responsibilities, it is very hard to jettison others expectations of you. </p>
<p>And then, at the same time the above is happening, you get to broaden your mind…take courses you should, take courses you want, take a few for fun (the class I have used the most was one entitled Social Dance, used at every wedding I have attended since college!!) </p>
<p>Because of the cost of school today, every kid should take all the costs of a semester, add them up and determine the cost of each classroom instruction hour…to get a sense of the value of each classroom hour. So, if the cost is $200/hr, you will pay attention at a level that respects and reflects that cost. Put it in perspective, if you have a summer job that pays $10/hr, then it will take you 20 hrs or 1/2 of a week of work to pay for the cost of an hour of college. Definitely try and get to know some professors…try on new roles, responsibilities, stretch yourself because college is a perfect environment to do just that. Your costs are fixed, meals are prepared for you, you don’t have to do the dishes…at most you have to change sheets and do laundry. Gosh, today, the washing machines dispense their own laundry detergent… pretty cushy, no?? I don’t want to dismiss the entire competitive world of graduate school, but college is a means to an end itself…</p>
<p>Quantifying the value of what I was getting helped me…and I think it will help any kid today realize that they are there to learn…anything and everything…so they can become a contributing member of American or International society.</p>
<p>I was once told by a very wise woman, that children, specifically boys, lose their brain matter, replaced of course by hormones, at the age of 12. From that age till the time they hit approximately age 21 to 22, they of course, think that their parents are stupid. She told me not to fret though, and guaranteed that his brain would return and there would come a day when he call and verbally admit that “Mom and Dad” were not quite as stupid as he believed.</p>
<p>I’ve tested this theory. And I can without hesitation say, that so far…she’s hit the nail on the head! That first summer home from college was a nightmare, and we couldn’t wait for him to return to his “holding pen” where he seemed happy, and we were happy for him. Each year to 21 has gotten increasingly better. And now…I’m happy to report…his brain is returning. So perhaps college is just that…a place for their “brains” to return. LOL :)</p>