Now that we're well into September and the first day of fall is rapidly approaching (in a matter of minutes, actually) it's becoming more and more obvious to me that I am not in college anymore. I knew I graduated, I have a diploma and the 3,000 family photos to prove it, but it definitely took a while for it to really sink in that I'm not going back to school this fall.
I find myself still categorizing time in terms of "semesters" and the "school year" even though both those things are completely irrelevant to me now. I think lots of people underestimate the enormity of the change from college to post-college life. In fact, it's not really even a matter of being in college or not, it's all school. I've been in school since I was three years old which means I haven't missed a "first day" in September in nineteen years! I don't remember a whole lot from before I was three, so I can honestly say that I know nothing of a life that doesn't revolve around school.
The purpose of school is to prepare us for the workforce (you can argue against that, but on a basic level it's true). Are we really prepared, though?
Let's start with high school. One of the basic purposes of high school is to prepare us for college (hence the term "prep" school for many private institutions). We take classes and tests that will develop and gauge our knowledge so that we can move on to the next step.
College is the "go-between" between high school and the Real World (yes I need it to be bold and capitalized to make it look scary) and, as such, it should get us ready for the next, next step. Does it, though? For me, college was an all-inclusive resort. Yes, I had to do work and I absolutely learned a lot from the courses I took, but everything I could possibly need was provided for me right at my fingertips.
I had a room to live in and someone came by every morning to clean the bathroom in my hall and vacuum the floors. To start the day, I'd stumble out of bed to walk across the street where I could swipe a card and eat "free" breakfast that had been cooked for me. I would then make my way through the rest of the day taking advantage of all sorts of "free" stuff that was provided for me at my every turn. My school had a dining hall, two "restaurants," a movie theater, a gigantic library, a shuttle service, a general store, an enormous yard (the "quad") -- what more could I really need?
Is this really how we get prepared for the real world?
The philosopher José Ortega y Gasset once said,
He who wants to teach a truth should place us in the position to discover it ourselves.
I suppose that's how we all have to learn what life is and what it really entails, by discovering it ourselves. One question I'd like to ask people on our upcoming road trip is how they discovered their paths and made this enormous transition.
Until then, I guess I'll have to continue learning the hard way, just like everyone else.
The purpose of school is to prepare us for the workforce (you can argue against that, but on a basic level it's true). Are we really prepared, though?
Let's start with high school. One of the basic purposes of high school is to prepare us for college (hence the term "prep" school for many private institutions). We take classes and tests that will develop and gauge our knowledge so that we can move on to the next step.
College is the "go-between" between high school and the Real World (yes I need it to be bold and capitalized to make it look scary) and, as such, it should get us ready for the next, next step. Does it, though? For me, college was an all-inclusive resort. Yes, I had to do work and I absolutely learned a lot from the courses I took, but everything I could possibly need was provided for me right at my fingertips.
I had a room to live in and someone came by every morning to clean the bathroom in my hall and vacuum the floors. To start the day, I'd stumble out of bed to walk across the street where I could swipe a card and eat "free" breakfast that had been cooked for me. I would then make my way through the rest of the day taking advantage of all sorts of "free" stuff that was provided for me at my every turn. My school had a dining hall, two "restaurants," a movie theater, a gigantic library, a shuttle service, a general store, an enormous yard (the "quad") -- what more could I really need?
Is this really how we get prepared for the real world?
The philosopher José Ortega y Gasset once said,
He who wants to teach a truth should place us in the position to discover it ourselves.
I suppose that's how we all have to learn what life is and what it really entails, by discovering it ourselves. One question I'd like to ask people on our upcoming road trip is how they discovered their paths and made this enormous transition.
Until then, I guess I'll have to continue learning the hard way, just like everyone else.
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1 comment:
My goodness... I'm so glad that you put EXACTLY how I've been feeling into blog format. I definitely agree with you about college being closer to an all-inclusive resort than to life as an "adult".
"What?! I have to make my own pancakes now?" Outrageous!
I think that we should challenge ourselves on the road to do one "grown-up" thing a day.
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