College: Time for Passionate Pursuits

by Barbara Kelley, in The Christian Science Monitor (September 13, 2004)

In a recent article in The Christian Science Monitor, Barbara Kelley, a journalism professor at Santa Clara University in California, laments what she sees as the overwhelming "pressure to succeed" facing college students today. "Many students," she says, "come to college to get a job, rather than an education. For them, the university is not so much a place where they experience the joy of discovery, but simply a means to yet one more end."

Kelley suspects that such attitudes are partly the legacy of a "quarter century of competitive parenting." Many of today's students have never had the opportunity to explore, or even discover, their own passion, she says. These students--having been raised by parents who always pressured them to prepare for what comes next, be that a high school entrance exam, the SATs, or college itself--rarely see higher education as an opportunity to pursue their passions; instead, they focus on the grades they need to get a job afterward. Despite this trend, Kelley also finds cause for hope. A small but growing number of students at her university are becoming involved in social justice and community service, accepting internships, and taking risks to follow their dreams--pursuits which, she suggests, a good college education should inspire and support.

The full text of Barbara Kelley's commentary can be viewed on The Christian Science Monitor's Web site.