My hu sba nd jo kes about college being the best seven years of his life despite the fact that he graduated in four years. And, while he and I strongly advocate for liberal arts college education and are the proud parent of two college graduates with a third on his way, there is much to be said about the Uncollege social movement founded by Dale Stephens and recently posted by CNN: (http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/03/stephens.college/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn)
In the article, Stevens makes the following points:
Dale Stephens advocates "taking education beyond the classroom through self directed learning with real world experience and self-designed projects:
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Father Guido Sarducci similarly advocated the "Five Minute University" - to simply teach what the average 1970's or 1980's graduate knows five years after graduation... all in five minutes.
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All joking aside:
While in college I learned about myself and what I could accomplish, I learned to live on my own, and I learned about Rousseau, Lincoln, Stalin, Machiavelli, Victor Hugo, Margaret Mead, Jean Piaget and Modest Mussorgsky - all of whom I have incorporated into 3-8 grade curricula and I am grateful to all those who believed in me.
MY ULTIMATE SUGGESTION:
Most high school seniors are not ready for college. They are still figuring out who and what they are, many have little direction, and many are burned out from the pressure of high school and looming college acceptance. MY ALTERNATIVE: mandatory one or two year "community service" BEFORE college that would enable those with entrepreneurial skills to work at developing them while other young adults can gain personal growth and direction by building, clerking, interning, volunteering in community and/or private institutions, hospitals, museums, courts. With this real life experience and growth opportunities they can then more clearly decide whether college is right for them, and if it is, they can more maturely approach the application and the learning processes college offers.
Those are my two-cents... what are yours? Is college for everyone? Did you/do you find a benefit to a liberal arts college education?