How important are academics over the campus life at a college or university?
Will the whole "college experience" prepare you enough to be successful in the future?
With the prices of colleges continually rising, are we actually just paying for a good education?
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I think you might begin by looking at the data -- and there are plenty of data out there -- on the value of college in terms of future earnings, and the value of good grades. I mentioned a WSJ article in response to your revisions below. But there is lots more evidence that "just paying for a good education" (whatever that means) is inaccurate: you are making an investment of $1 for a $38 return on investment in future earnings, according to some sources. But you have to choose the right major (one that will require you to work hard), get good grades, and actually learn something for all of that to pay off. I have not seen studies, but I'd be interested if they have been done, of how those involved in partying at college are more likely to change majors to something less demanding, to the significant detriment of their future earnings.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you read to the end of the article I reference -- there is a great little tidbit:
ReplyDelete"What matters more [than the school you attended], it seems, is graduates' personal drive. In a surprising twist, a stronger predictor of income is the caliber of the schools that reject you. Researchers found students who applied to several elite schools but didn't attend them—presumably because many were rejected—are more likely to earn high incomes later than students who actually attended elite schools. In a summary of the findings, the Bureau says that "evidently, students' motivation, ambition and desire to learn have a much stronger effect on their subsequent success than average academic ability of their classmates."
This is a rather interesting study, and there may be other ways of interpreting the data (for instance, what might matter most is a sense of entitlement or belief in yourself that you deserve to get into Harvard even if Harvard doesn't think you do...). But it also points up that if you don't have that sort of ambition, and you engage in "student life" over academics, then you are not going to succeed. Also, the article suggests, any "gains" in social connections you might gain from going to parties are never going to equate with the measurable gains in income you will get from choosing the right major and working hard in school.