A College education
A student asked me: “Why some universities are so difficult, and require students to work very hard when others are much easier? In the end, they all graduate and receive the same bachelor degree.”
Answer: There are good universities and not so good universities. There are top universities as well as non-accredited universities. Top universities are very selective, each year they have hundred thousands of applicants but they only accept few thousands. On the contrary, non-accredited universities have to advertise all over the places to get students to apply. Almost anyone who has ability to pay will get accepted. The difference is in the quality of education not in the degree that they issue. A bachelor degree from top schools is not the same a bachelor degree from non-accredited schools. No one would hire graduates from non-accredited schools as their degrees are worthless.
Education is an investment of your time, efforts and money. As students, you make your choice to select where do you want to be educated. You decide on where to go, what university to attend, and which fields to study. These are serious decisions and you must be careful because it affects your future and your lives. You must ask why so many students want to go to top schools? The answer is simple; they want to receive the best education possible. They understand the value of education. They know about the qualification of top professors and the quality of the training programs. Top universities are difficult to get in because they only select the best students. On the average, for 20 to 30 applicants, only one gets accepted. Even when get in, students have to work hard because the training programs are designed to challenge them to reach their highest performance possible. However, by the time they graduate, many companies want to hire them because they want the best employees possible.
Some students prefer “Easy schools” because they do not have to study hard. If they want to enjoy four years in an easy situation without efforts then how do they deal with the reality of life after graduate? College can help students broaden knowledge, develop skills and improve character. College helps them to think independently and solve problem logically. College helps them to make the right decisions, to open their minds to new ideas. College helps them to develop a “mind set” to face challenges, no matter what they are, no matter how much difficulty. What students learn and how much they learn in school will influence their future.
All college students are similar. A student in Shanghai has many similar things with a student in San Francisco. They all go to classes, they all make friends, and they all go to movies or coffee shops and enjoy college friendships. Many have dreams and wishes. Some have big dreams, some just have simple dreams. Some want to be famous movie stars; some just want good jobs. Some want to be rich like Bill Gates, some just want to get married and have children. In every college, students are equal and there is no difference in what they think and what they dream. However there is a big difference afterward. After they graduate, many are facing the reality of life. Some have good jobs when other does not. Some eventually become famous when others are nobody. Some are rich when others are poor. Some travel the world when other never leaves their city. Some become owners of business when others are looking for jobs. Yet, they all have college degrees but have you ever ask why such a difference?
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
