Liu, Simin. (2009). Views on Reform in Higher Education

Why do students attend colleges? For diplomas. Why diplomas? This is because to most students gaining a diploma through a college education is nearly the only way to prove their ability. Few can find other ways to prove themselves in ways sanctioned by society. However, on who did was Bill Gates who successfully proved himself by starting his own company. Without the Harvard diploma (which was finally granted by Harvard 32 years after he dropped out), Bill Gates brought about the rapid growth of a new industry, enriched computer science, and changed the world through philanthropy. Therefore, college education is not the only determinant of future development. It is instead an avenue to experience new views, both in academics and in life. As Gates said in his speech at the Harvard graduation ceremony, “I was transformed by my years at Harvard, the friendships I made, and the ideas I worked on.” To me, these are the best things a college education can offer; knowledge is just a small portion of college education. It is the values we form, the direction we find, the inspiration we draw, and personality we shape that matter.

Oddly, undergraduate majors add little to education. Students should not expect much from their undergraduate majors, because they are often far from their future careers. Instead, students should keep learning, either by themselves, through work, or by going to a graduate school. That’s my concept of college education.

I like the present American college educational system. General studies in the first two years provides students basic knowledge in the main aspects of education, which benefits their entire career, and helps form comprehensive views about problems. The American system is very different from the Chinese educational system, where students are divided into two groups, arts and science students, from the 11th grade on. Arts students won’t study physics, biology and chemistry in the 12th grade and science students won’t study history and geography. Although the contents of Chinese courses are much more difficult and focus on either arts or science, specialization lessens students’ academic burden. However, it is sad to give up studying either aspect. Second, I like the freer educational atmosphere in the U.S. It allows for interdisciplinary study, double majors, or combinations of majors and minors which are hardly available in China. In the U.S., I can choose majors freely according to my interests and strengths, and build up my knowledge system as I wish. Third, courses here encourage critical thinking which improves students’ abilities in analysis, evaluation, and persuasion which are less emphasized in China. Although critical thinking is independent of any major, it forms the basis of the type of thinking which is crucial to problem solving. Therefore, there is no need to change in the US college education; if anything, the depth of instruction should be improved.

As far as I am concerned, most people calling for reform in higher education are simply parroting the educator’s point of view and not the students’. Some, however, are advocates for developing majors depending on actual needs. But, as new problems keep emerging, the speed of creating majors can never keep up with that of the problems emerging, which leads to a lag that goes against the nature of this change—to solve problems in time. Also, based on the fact that many seemingly different problems overlap in their nature, if a water issue can be established as a major (according to Mark C. Taylor’s article), there will be numerous majors that study basically the same thing but different segments. The addition of subjects but reduction of depth in study will lead to students studying everything but actually studying nothing.

To sum up, the current education system is good enough to both educate students and cultivate their abilities and interest. Most importantly, based on the current financial status, it’s not the right time and there is no need to make any kind of reform in college education. Furthermore, forms of education are not important; it’s actually the experience of attending a college that carries through in our entire life.