Make the most of college process By Emily Ford - September 3, 2006

Generally, we as a society concede that, apart from professional athletes and Hollywood entertainers, a college education is necessary.

However, as an instructor at a community college in Memphis, I do not always see attitudes from students that reflect this. Many simply squander their college experience. I am not sure who to blame. But I think it would be helpful to address some common misconceptions that seem to hinder students.

I would like to address this as an open letter to students entering college:

Congratulations! You are about to take one of the most important steps to securing a better future for yourself and your family. Here's what you need to know:

College is a process. Activities that include deciding to go to college, finding financial aid, registering for classes, actually attending those classes and doing necessary work in them are all part of the process. There will be things that you find unnecessary or tedious or just plain boring. But I assure you that there is a method to the madness.

People more knowledgeable than you about the purpose of the college experience designed the classes that you must take to fulfill your major. Even though you may not get it now, there are reasons that business majors have to take not just business classes but fine arts as well. So keep an open mind. Don't miss the chance to experience something that may not normally appeal to you, like critiquing an art exhibit or reading poetry.

If you have the attitude that the purpose of college is to teach you one marketable skill, you will miss the point of what it is to have a college education. In our instant-gratification society, many of us want to take the shortest and quickest route possible to every goal -- from picking up fast food to getting our oil changed to earning a college degree. But you need to see college as a chance to develop as a person, not just in knowledge specific to your field of study but in a variety of areas.

You must go to class. Many of you arriving at college from high school are giddy with the power to decide whether to show up for class, since Mom is no longer yelling at you to get up every morning. And, no, I'm not going to call and ask where you were last Tuesday. You have a choice whether to come to my class or not, but do not for a moment think there will not be consequences for failing to attend. I will know your name and where you sit and therefore I will miss you when you are absent. And, you'll be missing an important part of the process. You cannot be fully engaged as a student if you are not in class. Please don't let your college experience be sacrificed on the altar of laziness, busy-ness or apathy. Decide to make it a priority -- and remember, fitting college into your life generally becomes more difficult the longer you put it off.

Know why you are here. Some of you have known from an early age that you will attend college and you even know what you want to study. Good for you; you are likely to succeed. But keep an open mind as to what career would be a good fit for you in terms of ability, not just salary. And those of you who are "undecided"? That's OK, too.

College is a good place to get exposure to lots of different subjects to determine a potential career. But I caution you not to flounder too long. You need to have a goal. If you are going to college only to please your parents or you really have no desire to study anything, even if you are otherwise bright yours will be an uphill struggle. Because there are going to be things about college that you dislike, you have to be able to see the bigger picture.

Let's imagine that bigger picture. Instead of being just a piece of paper, your college degree will represent the time, money and effort you invested. You will be a different person on the other side of this process, confident that you can handle a variety of experiences, armed with a sense of accomplishment and ready to contribute to the world. Although you may train for a specific career, these are the reasons that becoming a college graduate will always provide more opportunities for you to go above and beyond even that goal. Good luck.

Emily Ford of Bartlett is an adjunct instructor in English composition at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

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