SAU Honors College

The SAU Honors College was founded in 2003 by Dr. David Rankin, president of SAU. Dr. Lynne Belcher served as founding director and is retired from SAU. The Honors College seeks and admits qualified students who seek to pursue a serious academic program with equally gifted peers and committed teachers. Honors classes are small and provide academically enriching opportunities for students and the faculty who teach them. Currently, SAU enrolls nearly 170 honors students and graduates about 66% of admitees in four years or less. Anyone interested in applying to the Honors College or seeking further information should contact the director, Dr. Edward P. Kardas at epkardas@saumag.edu or at 870 904-8897.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Lamb, Allie: Paglia


Don’t Go to College If You Want to Have a Trade

People go to college for various reasons.   One reason could be because everyone else in their family went, or maybe it’s the opposite; no one in their family went and they want to be different.  Very seldom do students decide to go to college because they feel they need an education in order to be successful.  The reason for going to college is often misunderstood.  College is generally defined as “an institution of higher learning, especially one providing a general or liberal arts education rather than technical or professional training.”  An enormous amount of people mistake college as a place to learn specialized skills and trades, when in reality, it is simply a setting where students gain basic knowledge about many subjects and specific knowledge about a particular field of study.

My roommate complains everyday that she hates this place and wonders, “Why they call it college, when something like ‘torture’ would suit it better.”  I usually respond with something not so encouraging such as, “Why don’t you just drop out so I don’t have to hear you whine all the time?”  Although I know she’s mostly joking, and isn’t really considering dropping out, her constant complaints remind me that many people do seriously feel the way she does.  So, why do those people choose to attend college?  If it’s truly a waste of time, then withdraw from the institute.  If the education that they’re receiving isn’t worth the money, they should stop wasting it.

Other students complain that college isn’t really preparing them for the real world.  Well, what exactly are they planning on doing in the “real world?”  The traditional four-year universities’ jobs are to educate students in basic studies in whatever particular degree they choose, whether that be medicine, law, engineering, or even coaching.  However, if the goal in their life is to learn to weld or work on automobiles, then college isn’t the right setting.  Vocational schools are better suited for offering instruction for skilled occupations.  In trade schools students actually participate in “hands on” learning.  They get to work on airplanes, or they get to build with raw materials.  This kind of situation is not only unavailable in colleges, but it is also not necessary for the learning of general knowledge. 

Some people go to college to earn a degree for personal reasons.  My father has a master’s degree in English, but he works everyday at a drafting firm.  He doesn’t use a bit of the knowledge he gained while earning that degree in his everyday job, but it sure means a lot to him that he has that degree.  However, if a trade school is indeed more suitable for the kind of job some people know they want, they should keep in mind that it is generally a whole lot cheaper than a university.  So if they are sure that working on airplane engines is what they want to do for the rest of his life, why waste his time and money on a useless degree from a university?  The training and understanding they need for that trade will be offered and taught by highly-trained experts at a trade school.

Many people don’t realize that college really isn’t for everyone.  In today’s world, college isn’t the only route for success; it may even be a less than ideal means for preparing for particular occupations. Before spending time and money on a college degree, one should seriously consider- is this right for me?  The answer to that question will help shape the correct path for anyone willing to ask.

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