Hellooo Steemians!
This is a quick opinion piece that dives into my personal thoughts on modern academic culture in the United States. Maybe some of you can relate. Maybe some of you will just be interested. Or maybe nobody will read this ;)
In May 2015, I completed my undergrad degree and got my B.S. in Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a school consistently ranked in the top 10 for engineering schools while simultaneously providing what I think of as the most stereotypical American "college experience". Think American Pie, Animal House, Accepted, etc. Having just been through the process, I am now at my first year in the "Real World", working as a Business Analyst at a financial company in downtown Chicago.
Before I begin, I want to say that this post is purely reflective. I am definitely not trying to condemn modern society or make blanket statements about the educational system. In fact, I had the time of my life in college. The benefits of a college education extend far beyond academic learning. What nobody tell you you'll learn are lessons in people. I learned more than I could have hoped to about friendships, comradery, relationships, and working together to achieve more than humanly possible alone.
My first week as a freshman I had stars in my eyes. Finally away from home, the world was at my fingertips. Being a stereotypical male at a stereotypical American college, I did what was expected and joined a fraternity. I’m now aware that many—and I mean a lot—of people with even a slightly different life experience have many preconceived notions of this. If you’re reading you may be thinking I have engaged in all sorts of disgusting and illicit behavior, as the media loves to point out. I’m not here to defend or attack the Greek system at universities, but I do ask that you do your best to but those notions aside for now. This is simply my experience that I am sharing with you.
I can honestly say that I never saw the types of evil debauchery depicted in the media during my time as a student. In fact, even the dreaded "hazing" was mild and entertaining to participate in. There was no point where I felt like I couldn’t get out if I wanted to, and why would I? In my fraternity, I met the best friends I could ever hope to meet. I have had experiences that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I have had support academically and emotionally. A year later, I still have some extremely tight bonds with a handful of people that I couldn’t have imagined making. I feel eternally grateful to have lived the life I have. I learned things outside the classroom that have morphed me into a better version of myself.
However, for all the fond memories and praise I have for the social aspect of college, there is a certain feeling of emptiness that I had after graduating in regards to direction, a career, and finding a purpose. I can’t help but feel that the original intentions of academia are lost in the modern public university. The funny thing is, I hear a slightly reversed version of my story when talking to friends that attended a private university. I think the idea that a state university can achieve "top" status in an academic region is becoming convoluted as those ratings are based on research done by professors and grad students while neglecting the needs of the undergrad students themselves. Ideally, it is these students who need the most attention. They are the ones who will grow up to perform the research and make the groundbreaking discoveries necessary to perpetuate the university and advance the knowledge of mankind.
I have had professors who would give lectures unrelated to course material and made themselves extremely difficult to find after-hours. I have had TA’s that honestly did not speak more than a few words of English attempting to explain difficult concepts and homework. I have had supervisors who were completely uninterested in my career path or any ideas about it, and more interested in signing off on my credit hours as fast as possible to get to their important research. I do not want to sound like I blame any of them for anything. I actually did pretty well with a 3.3 GPA thanks to a network of friends (and definitely some TA’s/some professors too) to help me through. Ultimately, the responsibility is on the individual as a student to make sure they get the most out of college.
It was as if there was a clear distance between the "work-hard-play-hard" mentality of the undergrad students and the administration/professors obsessed with their personal endeavors. Although it is easy to fall victim to a culture of alcohol abuse and partying, the students should also be held accountable (including me). While I do think that there are many lessons that must be learned by making your own mistakes, I have seen many students succumb to the vices of college life (not specific to Greek life—in fact it was equal throughout). There now exists an environment where it is possible, if one chooses, to spend your days destroying your mind while "sliding by" in school and getting your degree simply for "passing go". I think this is where we get the idea that these degrees are becoming overpriced and worthless. Of course, if you graduate and can’t subsequently walk the talk that your degree would assume, you won’t be fit to be a highly functioning/achieving member of society. You don’t really need a piece of paper to be successful, but like anything of value, a degree only has merit when it is backed by enough people’s belief in it.
This applies to me only in a minor way as there are times when I am left wondering; "what if I had focused on my purpose more and my social life less?". Looking back, I always come back to the conclusion that it wouldn’t have been as great if it had happened any other way. I think society has plenty of traps and distractions to keep you from finding direction, balance, and peace of mind. College is no different in that sense. Plus, I have been lucky enough to end up at a good job that actually gives me time to think about my next steps—how I really want to be spending my time and energy (although it sometimes feels like my ideas branch out in a million different directions). The only advice I would give to a college student now would be to never lose sight of the end goal—why you are here in the first place. If you haven’t formulated that yet, it’s never too early to start. I didn’t until after graduating.
I really hope that by writing this I don’t start some sort of controversy that ends up in a blame game for why things aren’t perfect in the modern public university. I think that overall college is an extraordinary place for great minds to evolve and tight bonds with other to emerge. My hope is we can all take a little more responsibility for our own actions (myself included) and think about the things we prioritize before getting swept up in a culture that will end up deteriorating the noble intentions of the modern university.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment!