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 Why do people go to college? What is the underlying reason that causes millions of kids around the country to voluntarily enroll in a minimum of four additional years of boring reading, impossible midterms, and arrogant professors?
Sure, the parties are amazing, but are a few more social outlets worth the forty-five thousand dollars that some colleges ask for tuition, housing, food, books and more? What are college students actually paying for? In reality, there are three things gained at college that are completely unavailable anywhere else: networking, diverse experience, and credibility.But Adam! Exclusive knowledge that can’t be found anywhere else is also gained at college! No, insolent yagboys, that is not true. The books used in college courses can be bought on Amazon or Ebay or even that shitty Craigslist website. The same information that a college student learns in a Calculus 3 class taught by Dr. Yikoshishami could just as well be learned in a room, alone, without paying forty grand and having to decipher a language dialect comparable to that of the words in “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Seriously Kurt, what the hell are you even singing about? But back to the main point, college offers three things that are exclusive to college. The first thing, networking, is absolutely essential. If creating an expansive network of as many people as possible isn’t your number one priority in college, GTFO. Save the money, move home, and starting sending in articles to TCM, because you are wasting your time. Take advantage of the other 2,000, 10,000, or 30,000 talented individuals who also attend your university and make some friends. Don’t be a hermit. Don’t be a dorm dweller. Don’t not be tan. Go outside, meet people, and make an impression. You never know which one of those friends you carried home one night from a party will end up being the guy who is willing to invest in your ideas. Networking is related to the diversity of experience available only on college campuses. Universities make a legitimate effort to create a student body that is as unique, diverse, and quirky as possible. Everybody at your school has something to offer that is exclusive to that person. So go out there and meet these people, and then use them in the future to achieve your goals. The other reason you are at college is to gain credibility. A college degree, regardless of whether it’s a business degree, an engineering degree, or an Egyptology degree (Yeah it’s real, Wikipedia that shit), is nothing more than a piece of paper that serves as proof to an employer that you are not society’s number one douche rocket. No employer that I have ever heard of will ask you for your GPA or a list of the classes you took (although graduate schools probably will). Employers look for leadership experience, involvement, and originality. So basically, the quick and simple answer to “Why College?” has three components: networking, diverse experience, and credibility. Don’t forget these things, and I bet you’ll get your money’s worth out of college. |