:-(

I've finished grading a stack of papers written by first year college students and the only thing I have to say is...:-(.

The students were asked to respond to one of the assigned essays we read in class.  Most of them chose "College Pressures" by William Zinsser and "How to Choose a Career That Will Not Get You Rich No Matter What Anyone Tells You" by Robert Sullivan.  The students' responses followed two tracks.

Those who responded to Zinsser are petrified of the economy and feel coerced into choosing professions that are safe and don't want to "waste their time" studying things that are outside of those safe zones.  They see these four years as a career training ground and not a truly educational environment.  They want us to impart to them the exact skills necessary for them to make the most amount of money in the least amount of time so they will never have to face financial stress.  I don't blame them.  I'd take that class.  What makes me sad about this response is that their passions are so subverted and subsumed to the desire to be financially stable that they don't realize that creativity is the key to their success.  They need to "think outside the box" because economies are turning on a dime, technology is ever evolving, and financial security is going to be reserved for those who are flexible and can change with the times.  See Ken Robinson's talk from the Ted conference here.  It is just one reason for the sad face emoticon.

The second set of responses came from the Sullivan piece.  The piece is a biting piece of satire that plays on our social expectations of wealth, education, and the things we personally value. The problem is that most of the students read it as "straight".  They thought Sullivan was actually giving advice on how to select careers.  I got the most earnest replies in support of his idea that people should be practical over every other concern.  Let me repeat that...OVER EVERY OTHER CONCERN.  I had students professing to majoring in subjects they hated because of the overall practicality of the major. Money and financial security, again, was the driving force for these students in selecting their major.  Almost every single one of them has cited the medical profession as their end destination.  I don't know what we are telling our children, but if every student I have is going into the medical profession in some capacity, then we better drum up some sick people and some money to pay for it.

I had one student profess to wanting to be a photographer, but even she said she was thinking about changing her mind because she couldn't handle the thought of struggling financially.  It breaks my heart to think that we may have a generation of young people who feel so controlled by financial forces that they can't see the potential in learning about the humanities, in using their creativity, in practicing critical discourse, in wanting to volunteer, or to change the world.

Again, :-(.