The Debunked College Experience

The standard way of thinking about college has it that students enroll to get a degree and learn to be independent. You would think that this idea resonates in every college student today but unfortunately that is not the case. A number of college support groups have recently suggested that some college students face several fundamental problems.

For example, Consumeraffairs.com observes, a fundamental problem is that freshman students get an "F" in personal finance. Although I should know better by now, I agree with that statement because my experience confirms it. It only been eight days since I arrived at Stevens and I caught myself falling into the proclivities of the freshman consumer base. Whereas I was able to identify this problem before things got out of control, the same cannot be said for the majority of college students that like to entertain their impulsive spending habits. Of course, many will probably label me frugal but I argue that regardless of financial situation, it is wiser to budget vs. spending impulsively. In other words, you can get your Starbucks fix twice a day but just make sure you set aside specific funds to entertain your habit.

Along the same lines of financial management, the whole growing up idea is a bit debunked. When I asked some college students if they felt they are growing up, the majority of replies were the opposite, no. One student put bluntly that college is almost like an extension of high school. At first glance, students appear to be mature and independent. But only closer inspection, classes have become easier, professors are less strict, and RA's make dorms feel like a playground. Consequently, college students have less responsibilities and freshman year has the appeal of being 13th grade.

As Charles Murray of Forbes magazine puts it, "Once upon a time college was a halfway house for practicing how to be a grown-up. Students couldn't count on the dean of students to make allowances for adolescent misbehavior. If they wanted to avoid getting kicked out, they had to weigh the potential consequences of their actions, just as in adult life. The student-teacher relationship was more distant and less nurturing than in high school, and more like the employee-supervisor relationship awaiting them after graduation. Students had to accept that they no longer got hugs for trying hard. If they didn't get the job done, they were flunked with as little ceremony as they would be fired by an employer. This apprenticeship in adulthood has been gutted." What Murray means by this is that when he attended college, it was less fuzzy and warm.

Here many students may want to dispute the claim that college has become a joke. In response, I add that not all colleges are tendentious to this view. What is more important is that there is a benefit from college. For instance, anyone familiar with the college experience will tell you that networking is the key to success. One student believes that "college only useful for networking". Admittedly this view may be a bit parochial, but if you talk with different people and get involved, history shows that you will go far.

So with all this said, what advice does a parent give to their child in college? To put it succinctly, if parents want their kids to be properly equipped, I recommend they prepare them to get wasted, only attend class to get by, and spend all their money. Ultimately, it should come as no surprise when we reach the day my college degrees will be up for sale on Ebay. Until that day comes, I will continue to give a "sober” analysis of the matters involving college students.