College students and their parents can attest that the price of education is ridiculously high throughout the country. Whether they go to a public or private institution, they will most likely say that the cost of their education was a factor when deciding which college to attend. The real question is whether or not the cost of education justifies what we are learning in the classroom. While teachers may think they are teaching us valuable information, they do not realize that their students are primarily concerned with getting the A because it will give them the advantage in the job market.
This approach to learning is sweeping institutions across the nation. Instead of college being about opening your mind and embracing new ways of thinking, students are afraid to push themselves to their limits because there is a possibility of failure. The idea of failing is too scary to comprehend due to the expectations students place on themselves. The conception of perfection is engrained in everyone's mind, taking up the room that lets them express their creativity.
While perfection is a good goal to strive for, it is impossible. No one is meant to be perfect because we have to learn from our mistakes to grow. In a college environment, students feel as if their mistakes make a huge impact on their transcript, which transfers to their future job. To get rid of this problem with college, teachers should encourage their students to focus less on their grades and more of their experience at college.
College used to be about challenging the preconceived notions students had before they arrived. This experience led them to become more creative, experienced and intellectual beings. Now, with their refusal to explore unknown territories or question their beliefs, the college experience is not as worthwhile as it should be.
To fix this issue and to justify paying thousands of dollars for our education, students need to learn that failing is completely natural. Take that extra class, join that club, or try out for that team. You might get cut or not get the A you hoped to see, but now you can say that you've learned something about yourself. Less students are able to say that they took full advantage of their college experience over their four years, simply because they did not put themselves out their comfort zone. Yes, getting a job is definitely one of the perks of getting a college degree, but it's not the most important one.
Make college more than a place where you got a 3.5 GPA and partied a few times. Make it a place where you can confidently say that you learned from your mistakes, discovered your passions, and had the best years of your life.
