The Educational Conversation

Attending an elite college like BC is seen as a crowning achievement in the lives of many graduates. The competition to get in is fierce and often demands a relentless devotion akin to that of an aspiring Olympian. For many high school seniors, getting into one of these schools is understood as a make-or-break moment, determining whether they will be 'successes' or 'failures.' And for the select few who receive that beautiful, oversized envelope in the mail, it all becomes worth it; you've made it! The next steps are simple: (1) take that perfect picture with your new school sweatshirt (for Instagram, obviously), (2) begin planning how you are going to land that perfect internship so you can then (3) land that perfect job.

Though brief, I think this roughly captures the essence of how many people approach college. Implicit in this view is an understanding that college is really about two things: (1) acquiring the skills, knowledge, and connections necessary to secure your dream job or lifestyle and (2) having a good time (not always in that order). In short, the main reason we attend college is that we believe it can help us get what we have already learned to want, value, and enjoy. This is undoubtedly a legitimate function of institutions of higher education, but what if it is just that – one function among others? If that's the case, and I think there are good reasons for thinking it might be, it raises the question: What could these other functions be, and how should we think about their significance? Furthermore, how might gaining clarity on these different functions impact the lives we choose to lead on campus?