Recently, I have noticed the persistent controversy over the efficiency of a college education. The question I often hear posed by others is, “Has college simply become a silly, useless, overpriced notion in today’s society?” Really, think about it. This concept leads us to believe we no longer need higher education to electrify our intelligence and invigorate untouched fragments of our creativity.
While I agree that college can be pricey, I would like to raise the point that I have not heard anything more preposterous in my entire life.
As a matter of fact, my college education has taught me to challenge such a misconception. I believe college teaches you a variety of skills and ideas that go beyond those expected for any career. These skills help us take advantage of the numerous benefits that colleges offer us﹣something we have fallen short on for quite a while. College is not to blame for people believing that it is of no use. We are to blame.
Frank Bruni, author of “Demanding More From College” published by The New York Times, wants us to discuss something bigger and broader than the cost of college: our failure to take advantage of its many benefits. Bruni urges us to step outside of our comfort zones and relinquish our narrow habits of sticking to what we already know. It’s time we challenge our own beliefs and get uncomfortable. Let’s start here. I challenge you to challenge this.
Admittedly, students aren’t making the best use of their college education as they should, or could be. They don’t take advantage of the diversity that colleges have to offer because they stay in their own bubble, avoiding venturing out and exploring other subjects and ideas. They stagnantly go through their college education taking classes that align with their general interests or immersing themselves in subjects they already know plenty about. Bruni agrees when he writes, “They know tons about what they’re interested in, because they’ve burrowed, with the Internet’s help, into their passions. But burrows are small and often suffocating, and there are wide spaces between them.” In other words, college students tend to stick to what they know and repeat the same patterns they established prior to attending college. This is the factor that is hindering today’s college students from stepping outside of their comfort zone; this is what is preventing them from mastering intellectual growth. Students struggle to explore thoughts that differ from their own because sticking to what they already know feels safe and comfortable. Little do they know that this is the very route of the issue we are addressing here. My best word of advice is to utilize our soft skills to break the wall of comfort and convenience. A couple of examples are critical thinking and communication; two essential skills that help us coexist with others and integrate ourselves into a world with handfuls of differing cultures and beliefs. These skills allow us to break out of our comfort zones and experience new ideas.
Further, these skills that are taught through a college education pave the way to a versatile life. These skills are necessary to pop that “bubble of comfort” to propel students into a world of diversity. Let’s talk about communication: the basis of human interaction. Communication skills teach us to not only hear, but to listen. They teach us how to thoroughly express our own opinions and how to talk to people with differing beliefs. We must communicate effectively in order to convey our feelings and emotions. Sharpened communication skills allow us to connect with others and understand the basis of their thoughts and ideas. We communicate on a daily basis in school, at work, and at home with our friends and families. Practicing my communication skills has allowed me to engage in the perspectives and opinions of others and finally, to challenge them. I have encompassed myself in a broad spectrum of beliefs and ideas that range from politics, public affairs, and education to passion, culture and religion. The importance of intellectual discussion is ineffable. It is one of the greatest benefits to a higher education. Communicating helps us to engage in the “other side,” the grey between the black and white and the maybe between the yes and no.
In addition, another example of a soft skill is critical thinking, which coaches you to seek the truth in arguments and form a natural, mindful judgement. Critical thinking allows us to challenge not only other’s beliefs, but our own. For example, my Philosophy class taught me to break apart arguments and look for facts. I learned to scrutinize, catechize, and think on a greater scheme. If we pair critical thinking with communication, we see how both can be extremely important when we are faced with making major changes in life: voting or self-educating on politics, or buying a new home and running a business. These decisions affect us in a multitude of ways.
With this being the case, students are narrowing their sociability and essentially, their knowledge. This is where we fall short. We are simply too afraid of the unknown when we should feel quite the opposite. We must be curious, inquisitive and eager. Bruni states, “And college is the perfect chapter for diversifying friends and influences, rummaging around in fresh perspectives, bridging divides.” The purpose of a college education is to broaden your skills and creativity; the two most essential components in everyday life. College is meant to expose students to a world chock-full of diversified subject matters such as culture and religion, language, art, literature, and science. Why not take up German instead of continuing Spanish? Why not take Physics in Music instead of Biology? These opportunities that broaden students’ knowledge are right at our fingertips, yet we neglect to reach for them.
How do we formulate a solution to this issue that is flooding the minds of parents and students globally? The answer is simple: we must crush the cycle. We must urge students to get uncomfortable, to color their minds with a multiplex of unique interpretations and thoughts that stray from their own. Bruni complicates matters further when he writes, “Now more than ever, college needs to be an expansive adventure, yanking students toward unfamiliar horizons and untested identities rather than indulging and flattering who and where they already are. And students need to insist on that, taking control of all facets of their college experience and making it as eclectic as possible.” In making this comment, Bruni urges us to adjust our perception of a college experience. We must advise students to branch out and try unusual and unfamiliar things, as long as they differ from their general realm of interest. Our job as students ourselves is to do the same. If students start tasting the sweet variety of knowledge and gain insight to different cultures and subject matters, they would be preparing themselves with those skills that go beyond those expected for any career.
College is advantageous, to say the least. It is existent for the same reasons now as it was in the 17th century: to stuff our hungry brains with knowledge and skills that would later become universally constructive and favorable. Provided that we have what we need right in front of us, we must consume every bit of it. We must communicate with others outside of our social groups and think critically about our own arguments and those made by others. When I began my first semester of college, I forced myself to join clubs that I knew nothing about. I became a part of a bigger community and started conversations with students from different countries and backgrounds. These little conversations made an immeasurable impact on my outlook on college and left my brain hungry for more. I used my soft skills to delve deeper into the topics of these conversations, that ranged from environmental justice to gender equality. I learned about the flaws in our immigration system and learned how to communally support undocumented families in my city. As a result of becoming involved with things outside of my general realm of comfort and interest, I’ve watered the thirsty seed of knowledge in my brain that will never stop growing. It is our job, now, to train students to use these soft skills to investigate the unknown. Humans learn by experiencing the outside world. Let’s dive into the future with a hunger for diversity and an open mind.
Sources:
Bruni, Frank. “Demanding More From College.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Sept. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-demanding-more-from-college.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0.
Cover image sourced from the link above