>
> I guess you and I just disagree on the responsibility we put on college
> students. I mentioned my 22-year-old, war-hero cousin. He's not *just*
> learning to function in the world. I've also run into several former
> students around 22 or so who had more than one child. They better not
> be *just* learning to function in the world. Maybe we need to make
> college something different than a second round of high school with
> booze and dorms. I don't know. I know when I was graduating college at
> 23 I was a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force Reserve (though I don't have
> the medals my young cousin wears) and considered myself a grown adult
> with the same responsibilities my father and grandfather had.
>
I agree with this 100%, and maybe that's really where the problem is
coming from, that perhaps college is somewhat failing to make students
into well-informed, fuctioning adults? Its a problems out of our hand,
and I also agree that everyone is responsible for planning their own
careers...

Unfortunately 5 years ago I didn't realize how bad it was - again there
was little info out there and people weren't talking about it. I
probably would have changed majors, even in my last year. But what
really surprises me is that students STILL don't know how bad it is
until they walk the graduation line. I have several accquaintences I
talk to online (one of whom I have known for years) who are complaining
every day about how they wasted their money and can't find a job. One of
them I KNOW should have known, as I knew this person before I even
graduated and they have been privy to my job searches and moving and
frustrations for the past 5+ years....so yeah, I know people who SHOULD
have known better. But some people honestly seemed to "not get the memo"
so to speak, lol!

My personal opinion - as well as reason for brining up this topic - is
simply this - we need to get our students better educated about their
college majors and future careers (esp. if we ever want Michigan to turn
around). Many will dream of being teachers and will stick to it and that
fine...but many might be looking at several career options and if they
have access to more information they might make a better decision for
their future and that of our state (for example if I had became a nurse
five years ago instead of a teacher I would be better off supporting
myself and contributing to our state economy). I say this too because
though I've seen stories on our local news about how people going into
trucking won't find jobs, etc...few people are telling the story of the
teachers and since the colleges aren't telling it, its not getting to the
students...so hopefully if we talk about it here, it will change a life
and make an impact, however small, on the sad state of affairs we are in.

Share This Post | Report This Post

Next Post >>

Posts on this thread, including this one