The College Check in the Box
Apr/12/11 06:48 AM
Anyone who has spoken with me about education knows I believe that college is useless for many, if not a majority, of Americans who attend it these days. The relaxation of standards for admissions and overall performance has made college a mere check in the box for most students. This is so much so that in order to appeal to many businesses today you need to have obtained your masters or MBA just to stand out from the competition. In addition to college itself having become a check in the box, college classes focused around liberal arts have also become so. Students are forced to take classes throughout their four years that don’t appeal to their personal or professional aspirations and end up dejected about higher learning in general or taking away from the experiences of those students who are interested in those subjects.
So, what should be done?
Students should be encouraged to take classes that develop their strengths and inspire them. The brainiacs can stick to mathematics and sciences, the B students can invest their class time in entrepreneurship or other classes that appeal to them. Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic piece, tells his awesome story of discovering entrepreneurship in an article worth reading in the WSJ a few days ago, titled “How to Get a Real Education at College”. He blatantly states, “Why do we make B students sit through these classes? It’s like trying to train your cat to do your taxes- a waste of time and money”.
Speaking from personal experience, Entrepreneurship was undoubtedly the most valuable class I took in college. Forget Calculus 101. I learned skills that I use on a daily basis and will continue to use throughout my life, no matter what sector I find myself in the future. These include speaking and presentation skills, time management and prioritization, and dealing with failure. I’m grateful for these skills almost every day.
It is my hope that people continue to discover the value in thinking outside the box with both education and in the real world, and encourage those disenchanted with their classes or career to move beyond striving for that check in the box.
So, what should be done?
Students should be encouraged to take classes that develop their strengths and inspire them. The brainiacs can stick to mathematics and sciences, the B students can invest their class time in entrepreneurship or other classes that appeal to them. Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic piece, tells his awesome story of discovering entrepreneurship in an article worth reading in the WSJ a few days ago, titled “How to Get a Real Education at College”. He blatantly states, “Why do we make B students sit through these classes? It’s like trying to train your cat to do your taxes- a waste of time and money”.
Speaking from personal experience, Entrepreneurship was undoubtedly the most valuable class I took in college. Forget Calculus 101. I learned skills that I use on a daily basis and will continue to use throughout my life, no matter what sector I find myself in the future. These include speaking and presentation skills, time management and prioritization, and dealing with failure. I’m grateful for these skills almost every day.
It is my hope that people continue to discover the value in thinking outside the box with both education and in the real world, and encourage those disenchanted with their classes or career to move beyond striving for that check in the box.
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