It’s easy to complain about the high sticker price of colleges. Good books have been written about why some are so expensive, but one reason is because many people are so willing to pay for them. Another reason is that state university systems are not adequately supported by their legislatures. At the University of South Carolina, where Prof. Frey teaches, annual tuition is close the national average, but 96% of frosh receive financial aid. Many, like Professor Frey, are still wondering whether it’s worth it. I agree with her that the more interesting question is “what is college for,” although I’m surprised she says nobody is asking this question. Here are excerpts from an essay of mine called “What College is For.”
Students should get three things from college. The first is the opportunity to discover what they love to do. Many smart high school students arrive at college thinking that they will continue to pursue those subjects in which they have already performed well. Wrong. College is a time to experiment with new fields of knowledge and new methodologies of discovery. Whether it’s the science lover exploring music or the would-be economics major trying out classes in literature, the undergraduate years offer the possibility of discovering what one finds fulfilling. It’s not just about the reward of good grades or a prospective paycheck. It’s about thriving – especially about thriving through meaningful work.
The second thing one should get from college is the chance, even the imperative, to get much better at the things one loves to do. It’s not enough to “discover one’s passion.” After discovering what one finds rewarding, one should use the resources of the school to get much better at it.
Students, regardless of what college they attend, build resources for lifelong learning if they discover what they love to do and get better at it. There’s one more thing. They should learn how to share what they’ve gotten better at with others. This means developing the skills to show others that the work one finds rewarding also has value for them. Students who get the most out of college are able to translate what they’ve learned on campus so that people beyond its borders understand how graduates can add value to an organization, a team or a company.
When I talk to graduates from schools of all kinds, I find that it matters little how expensive your college was or how difficult it was to get into, and that it matters a great deal how hard you worked while attending it. You can waste your college years regardless of how much your school cost, or you can turn your education into a resource that empowers you for the rest of your life. College is for discovering what you love to do, practicing getting better at it, and learning how to share it with others. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, if you put your heart into it.