In contemporary American society, college has become a right of passage, a means to an end. Each year, tens of thousands of students graduate from their respective universities hoping that their four years of study will, in the end, provide employment or admission into a graduate program of their choosing.
As America’s economy has shifted, large industries that once employed the majority of workers have faltered, greatly decreasing the number of blue-collar jobs. Due to this shift, a larger number of white-collar jobs has been created, and to gain employment at such a job, one must possess a college degree. Therefore, acquiring a college degree, something once reserved for society’s elite, has become somewhat of a common occurrence.
Simple economics demonstrate that by investing in ourselves through education, we increase the value of our own human capital. Thus, by obtaining a college degree, each student increases his or her worth to potential employers and graduate schools. As a result, the idea that college functions as a means to an end has become popular.
This shift in attitude is disturbing and threatens to harm the true goal of every college to educate its students. Yet, when one examines the circumstances that this attitude has evolved in, it is not surprising that this view has developed.
Currently, students are asked to absorb an extremely large amount of information. This results in students cramming and cheating to make deadlines and prepare for tests. Because students don’t truly understand the studied content, they are left with an empty grade.
A person might ask why many students feel the need to engage in irrational and sometimes unethical behavior. The answer is simple: the culture that we live in has evolved into a place where a person is not judged by his character or actions, but by his grade-point average. It seems natural that individuals compete with each other; however, this competition may actually harm one’s ability to learn.
Striving to do well in school is admirable. If one obtains a high GPA in this quest it certainly is praiseworthy. Yet, if one takes easy courses in an attempt to get high marks and boost their resume, this person is undermining both him or herself and the educational system.
I admit, I have not always taken the moral high road and, at times, have sought to pad my grades. However, it seems that the entire point of college, and therefore of learning, is to challenge one’s self in the hopes that these this adversity will, in the end, better one’s self in some way.
For this reason, it seems that one must step outside his or her boundaries and challenge him or herself, regardless of what effect this might have on his GPA or resume. After all, everyone must remember, learning in and of itself is fulfilling.
Ethan Flack is a contributor for the Voice. He can be reached for comment at EFlack14@wooster.edu.