Gen-Y Curiosity: Ending Apathy in the Classroom and Grooming the Next Generation for Success
President Obama recently implored governors to not cut state funding to higher education and job training. Senator and presidential candidate Santorum responded by calling him a “snob” for thinking that every student should get a classical education and suggested that many would be better served in an alternative classroom.
As a college student in the middle of the mess we call our higher education crisis, the problem I see is not the breadth of education and career pathways laid before us students. Many students now have plenty of choices.
The main problem I see is that by the time those students come across the fork in the road, they no longer possess the curiosity to explore the different pathways out there. They stick to the familiar, traditional pathway that thousands (maybe millions?) have walked before them. For example, some college students get so absorbed in getting good grades for their “education”, they forget to learn.
I have seen this time and time again with my peers who study “safe” majors and pursue guaranteed prestigious and well-compensated jobs without exploring other options. This risk-averse behavior breeds the apathy that leads many people down unsatisfying career paths.
