COLLEGE IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY

 

[This letter was sent in response to an article in BUWHEELOCK, the alumni magazine of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development at Boston University. I graduated from BU in 1978 with a Master of Education degree.]

 

Concerning the recent 2023 issue of BUWHEELOCK I applaud the efforts of Anthony Abraham Jack to improve college access and culture for first generation students as he brings passion and commitment to the task.  Nevertheless, I am concerned about the title highlighted on the front cover- College Is For Everybody. I frankly disagree for several reasons.

First, some high school graduates do not possess the intellectual wherewithal to glean the benefits of the college experience. They are not dumb, rather they are unable or unwilling to assume the “life of the mind” to read, write, and think across the disciplines. They perhaps are more suited for vocational schools where they can be trained in high-paying skills and work with their hands. America needs skilled farmers, plumbers, electricians, etc. in which a traditional four-year college degree may or may not be applicable for success.

Granted, some students need lived life experiences before assuming the collegiate experience. For example, Vice President JD Vance served in the US Marine Corps before entering college and law school. Others enter the civilian workforce as one of my high school classmates did. After working in a factory for several years he decided college was for him and upon graduation, became a teacher and coach and later a school administrator before retiring.

And yet others go directly to college from high school without a plan, major in “insane” subjects, do not learn from the things that matter, run up ridiculous debts, and eventually drop out. Family and peer pressures often contribute to a warped sense of what the “good life” looks like for everyone.

Second, if the meaning of college in the article is the traditional brick-and-mortar school like BU, then college is definitely NOT for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed studying for my master’s degree at BU. (Confession- I did my BU graduate studies in Europe while I was serving in the US Army.} But to go to Boston directly from a small farm town in Oklahoma would have been a disaster for me.

Many students need better options than traditional universities. Some would benefit greatly from community college and then a traditional university or an online platform. I have been an instructor on two online platforms. Contrary to what many critics think, online schools have academic standards, often rigorous ones.

 

 

I have been an instructor on two online platforms. Contrary to what many critics think, online schools have academic standards, often rigorous ones. For example, my son attended community college and then enrolled at a state university but left without a degree. Well into adulthood he entered Colorado State University Global Campus and once his online studies had concluded, he received an excellent job offer which he accepted. The graduation ceremony in the Denver area drew over 1.000 students, many of whom lived and worked well beyond Colorado.

That being said, I believe that traditional universities like BU have a moral obligation to assist first generational or others generally considered non-traditional students to be successful once those students are admitted to the university. This moral obligation makes the efforts of Anthony Abraham Jacks vital for both BU and its students.

In closing, I have an idea to propose to BU’s leadership. Create a preparatory academy for those students seeking admission into BU, but data shows they have the propensity to drop out before they complete their courses of study. The prep academy could be a natural extension of the work currently done by the Newbury Center. The mission of such a prep academy to is to place these students into a rigorous academic university setting and provide them with wrap-around services like academic counseling and testing to help ensure these students are a good fit for BU and if not, offer them entry into a partner community college for delayed admission into BU. Granted, attendance at the prep academy would extend their BU experience by an extra year, but BU could offer scholarships and other incentives to help make the prep academy worthwhile for the students needing this academic structure.