The benefits of a college education?
In May, I’ll be speaking to students at Hesperia Junior High School about the benefits of a college education. While I have some ideas (it opens a lot of doors career-wise, broadens your worldview, gives you a taste of independence with a safety net and, of course, you can meet a lot of new girls), I’m curious what other people feel are the benefits.
While my book-reading at Topaz Elementary School went well, I’m still haunted by Career Day at Hesperia High School last year, where I think students actually fell into a coma listening to me, so I’d appreciate any input.
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Tell them that they should try to be honest with themselves when deciding what to study and what career path to take. They should focus on what they truly enjoy doing AND what they are good at. When I was young, I think I was too influenced by TV, etc. and thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I started the law school path immediately in college, but the more I talked to actual lawyers(towards the end of my degree) I realized it was not the thing for me. Too many friends I had hated it and there was definitly too much research to be done.
I then got into computer science because I liked programming and I was good at it. Not much glammer, but the pay is good.
This brings up another point to tell the guys which is once you hit your mid 20s, chicks really start to care about what kind of job you have and how much money you make. You could be a really big geek in high school, but if you start to make some cash (Dr, Lawyer, Corrupt Politician aka Tad Honeycutt etc), you got the world on a string. You can buy XBox360 no problem as long as the wife says it’s cool.
Unless of course the rightious FBI takes your ass to prision for fraud!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Henry Hesperia — April 26, 2006 @ 17:54
University is a good chance to figure out things that interest you. It’s a great opportunity to try new things out, make friends, and learn a lot in a (relatively) safe environment. If you make a mistake, it won’t cost you your job.
The one thing that most beginning college students don’t realize, I’d wager, is that you only get one shot at it. In other words, you’re probably only going to get one shot at getting your first Bachelor’s Degree, one shot at graduating Sum Cum Laude, one shot at making a first impression with a great company with a great first internship, one shot at having the time to attempt great things while still operating under a net.
You can still experiment, make impressions, have a great career, et cetera, if you don’t make the most of the time you have when you’re in University. University study is often a time of many firsts–and with all things, you can only do something the first time once. Once you’re done, the time is gone. It’s best to treat it as a precious commodity.
The main thing is that if they’ve ever seen, or think they’ll see, any movies or TV shows about University life, they have to understand that their college life will be nothing like that crap. You’re not going to get chased off the campus by the Dean (Animal House), or have the entire campus on your side if you’re going to get kicked out for bad grades (Van Wilder), or throw some wild party that saves your house from being condemned (PCU), or fill a house with popcorn and shoot it with a giant laser beam (Real Genius).
If they do it right, it’ll be better than any of that. The trick is to make the most of the time they have. Still, that kind of thing sounds like old people talk, so it might not penetrate. In fact, I remmeber someone saying something similiar to me when I was in university. Not that I wasted my time–I just spent it on other things (basically, everything BUT going to class–I was that guy).
Comment by f. chong rutherford — April 26, 2006 @ 18:56
I joined the marines at age 18 and served one term earning an honorable discharge. The experience taught me a lot about real life and myself.
I enrolled in college in my thirties. College certainly raised more questions for me than it ever answered—but I believe that is inherent in the experience.
My college experience, however, equipped me with the tools to deal with the newly raised questions because that is where I learned how to learn.
I have used the learning skills that the college experience provided to me every day since I graduated and that, for me, is its true legacy.
My early marine corps and later college experiences both taught me how I ought to live my life. I am grateful for both.
CSUSB ’04; BA in History (that and two dollars will get me a starbucks coffee)
Comment by Chris B. — April 26, 2006 @ 19:09
My recommendation would be to study a subject you enjoy, not for the job after. In many areas just having a degree is enough to open a door. My own personal experience at University was fantastic, it was the first time I’d lived away from my parents home and the sense of personal responsibilty was amazing.
I was brought up being told (by parents) I was going to university. This in hindsight was not nice. Especially as I was made to give up a pro-soccer career to do so 🙂 Within 3 hours of arriving on campus my life changed & I knew this was the right thing. But my parents were never happy with my choice of degree.
Comment by Tony — April 27, 2006 @ 1:15
Take Photography, take Basket-Weaving, take Children’s Literature, take anything that sounds like fun or interesting. Those things will serve you far more in real life (whatever that is) than anything “career related”. You will pick a major, they make you. You will study it and get internships and prepare for a “job”; and if your lucky, a “job” that leads to a “career” that you don’t actually end up hating. But frankly, any certification program can do that for you. Going to college offers you that gorgeous buffet of courses that have zero financial payback but enable you to play at being an artist/musician/astronomer/geologist/whatever. The fact of the matter is, once you graduate you will never have the money and/or the time to take those fun courses again. The best time spent in college is the time you “waste”; the time you waste playing at things and meeting people with whom you may never have crossed paths with otherwise. The time you waste may just make you a more interesting person.
At worst if they are not asleep they may just catch “wasted time is cool� (insert Beavus laugh here heh heh hehehhehheh), and if so, at best – the school never invites you to make this tired “benefits of a college education� speech again.
And if none of it resonates, just quote the statistic that college educated people make more money. Period. And if they don’t think that money is going to matter to them, remind them that their looks will fade (far faster than expected) and they will be left without the material things that make old people happy or the ability to pay for plastic surgery that make old people look young again. Old, fat, and poor is unpopular for a reason.
~so sayeth the kris
Comment by K. — April 27, 2006 @ 12:41
Here’s the bio I was asked to submit for the symposium:
Comment by Beau — April 28, 2006 @ 11:18
That right there is a pretty convincing argument.
Comment by Stephen — April 28, 2006 @ 16:51