Oh, the higher education system: where the intelligent and wise frolic, where frat stars drown their liver, where boatloads of money are thrown away to the greedy hands of an institution, and where people are forced to go as a default of society's annoying standards.
Yes, I am in college like many of you. In fact, I attend one of the most overpriced, egotistical schools in the nation. I am extremely privileged to attend a university, however, I will not mistake my debt-backed college diploma for assumed greater knowledge.
You are told from a young age that the only way to achieve success is through a college education. Your parents consistently tell tall tales of what an impoverished, futile life you will have if you do not slave away at a university.
Of course if one aspires to be a dentist, surgeon or lawyer, an education is vital. However, college should not/ does not equate to success or intelligence. In fact, I think it breeds people to act entitled and "better than." Many college students see themselves as enlightened intellectuals because they read a book or two about the social constructs of this nation or some philosophical excerpts from Sigmund Freud or Michel Foucault. These may help you in a game of trivia or in a random conversation, but these facts do not make you any smarter than someone who decided not to attend college.
It is important to note that I do value my education. What college has provided me is an opportunity to find new interests and expand my mind on certain topics I find interesting. However, this is my doing, not college itself. I do not find myself any smarter than my siblings who decided to pursue other paths in their lives or my grandparents who have built their own successful business without the help of a college degree.
The higher education system is just another tactic to separate the "ins" from the "outs" of society. What I mean is that college is simply a dividing factor that furthers the gap in areas such as class and race. If you come from a somewhat poor area and receive "unsatisfactory" grades due to personal or educational circumstances, you most likely will not be able to attend a well-established university. If you are dyslexic or have any other learning disability, your chances of going to college also diminish. If you simply found high school a waste of time with unfair grading techniques yet you clearly are a "smart" individual, your low grades will still replace your actual intelligence when applying to college.
I think people need to realize that there are other forms of success. What represents success to some may not relate to the idea of success for another. Society needs to be more open to the idea that college is not the one-track route to prosperity. Parents need to allow their children to follow their dreams, even if that means making mistakes along the way. College students need to drop the pompous, scholar act and to realize that college may introduce you to new ideas and thoughts, but it does not make you better than anyone else.
I will be proud to receive my college diploma. I will be proud to graduate a Trojan. I will be proud to tell my mom I graduated from college. However, I vow to never let a piece of paper make me feel superior.
