If we thought that coming to college was a dose of the real world, just wait until you actually graduate. Your “A” in Art 101 won’t get you too far.
The bubble of college is actually the least realistic world that you can live in. Days filled with perfectly budgeted food, little or no income, sleeping in with constant naps, partying Thursday through Saturday, and saving all of your important priorities for Sunday is the furthest from reality.
I remember my senior year of high school when my teachers always said, “you’re going to the real world next year,” or “next year you’re not going to have any help.”
It’s really not that true.
Granted, there is more independence in college, and along with that comes more responsibility without our parents present to solve all of our problems.
I came here to become a journalist, so please tell me why I’m taking art and nutrition? And why is my nursing major roommate taking a classical music class? There really seems to be no reason.
College is supposed to make you ready for the professional world, but with required courses that are the furthest thing from our majors, there’s only hope that we’ll come close to being prepared for what’s to come our futures careers.
As a sophomore my frustration is increased because over the summer I was actually in the “real world” for two months as an intern for a local newspaper. I was in an open office with stressed, middle-aged journalists each furiously typing away at their computers, trying to meet their deadlines. That was my world for two months. I lived in the “real world,” and it was probably one of the most valuable “classes” I’ve ever taken.
From this experience, I learned what it was like to be an adult with responsibilities and with other people counting on you.
Is there a class for that in school? I don’t think so.
I understand that general education courses are required to produce “well-rounded” students and are intended for us to appreciate subjects other than our major, but it’s difficult. I don’t have patience for art when I know I have a journalism assignment due.
Getting around these requirements is the only thing that will help you gradually emerge into the “real world.” Obviously it’s required that we have to take these menial and time-consuming classes but we just have to have bigger plans.
Internships and networking are key.
So after you’re done studying for your Sewing 101 midterm, create a résumé, talk to employers and become a professional; it’s the only way that you’ll be able to become an active member in the “real world,” otherwise known as the “career world.”
Anonymous • Feb 9, 2011 at 3:34 pm
First of all, you really cannot make the comment you did in the first line of this article without actually graduating from college and experiencing this first-hand. Keep in mind that you’re only a Sophomore. In a lot of majors at Quinnipiac, the programs are structured so that you get your core classes completed (or mostly completed) within your first two years in college. In this case, the second two years really focus on your major.
Also, I do agree that college has a “bubble-like atmosphere.” It is like this because it serves as a transition from being a kid to becoming an adult. You have the rest of your life to be an adult; enjoy this time while you can.
I graduated from Quinnipiac just about two years ago and I have been working in the real world ever since I graduated. Even though being “well-rounded” might not seem important to you now, trust me, it does make a difference in the true real world. You need ways to differentiate yourself from everyone else. Taking these other classes (i.e. art) makes you better able to provide cutting insight and bring a new perspective to the table, especially for someone in journalism.
Lastly, to answer your question: Yes, there are plenty of courses at Quinnipiac in which you are treated like “an adult with responsibilties and people counting on you.” I took numerous classes of this sort at Quinnipiac, and I learned just how important it is to work well in a team and have people count on you.
Please appreciate the education you are receiving at Quinnipiac. Also, you need to put forth an effort yourself if you expect to get something out of it. Make the most of it while you can.
anon • Nov 5, 2010 at 11:44 pm
It’s pretty clear that, despite your brief exposure to “the real world,” you actually don’t have a good grasp on what it is that journalists actually do, if you really think that electives will not help you to succeed.
Like the other commenter said, if you can’t appreciate a university education, then go to a vo-tech. There are people out there who would love to take your spot, which you don’t seem to appreciate.
Ricky Williams' Bong • Oct 31, 2010 at 8:18 am
go to a vo-tech school then…QU is a liberal arts institution. well roundedness and independent thinking are much more integral than you lead on. sure, my job as a sous-chef over the summer put me into a “real life” situation where i had constant deadlines and real responsibility day in and day out, but my philosophy 300 class on human rights in theory and practice will serve me much better on near every aspect i can think of, besides short term income.