"At many universities, student who are academically weak and disengaged are in the majority, enjoying themselves at the expense of their parents and taxpayers."
George Leef, "No Work, All Play, No Job"
This quote is part of a series of articles about how lacking a college education now-a-days apparently is. Reading all of these, for one who has been in college for all of one week is incredibly disheartening. Leef is essentially saying that the majority of the people I meet here, and most likely myself, are apathetic students, and are here to party and enjoy all of the facilities and events on campus.
Naturally, he has offended me a bit, so I want to rip his argument to pieces. But, as I'm thinking of refutations, I realize that he has a point. Sort of the "Inconvient Truth" to the dream that is college. If it is up to me, I would rather go to parties than sit through a Gen-Ed class; it is always easier to skate through life under the pretense that you know it all.
My studying goal is to get the assignment done as fast as possible so that I can feel accomplished and be done with it, and long readings, instead of really thinking about them, I just try to remember as much as I can so the professor knows I actually read it (except this blog, I really am enjoying it).
Though he has put his finger on the main point, he also misses the fact that many students are obsessive multi-taskers. We are not just at college to study one area, and to only study. Many of us want to cultivate interests that range across all academics and many that are athletic, or simply hobbies. My generation is, by nature, multitaskers; we can carry on three conversations at a time, two via text messages, and one over our food in the dining halls.
So, as much as I would like to be able to say that Mr. Leef is completely wrong, he raises a very valid point. Well played, sir.
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