Many brains, one mind

I talked this week with the President of our local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at the Cambridge Campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Tony Tong. While we discussed various grading methods and our opinions of their validity, a dicussion for another time, and the PSEO students present on our campus, I wondered what he thought was on the mind of all the students at the college. We kid about what the PSEO students have on their minds, I was one at UMD so I am allowed. Tony, my husband, and myself all being married with kids, we kid about what is on our minds. I asked Tony what he thought were the major concerns on the minds of all the various kinds of students attracted to the community college.

His response surprised me. I thought he would respond with parking or the spending of funds for campus improvements. These were both complaints I have heard made by students recently. He said, "I think they don't know what to do." I wondered what he meant. He went on to say that he thought that some were worried about the idea that they might be back in school again in five years and then again later. "The PSEO students just don't know what to do," Tony continued. He thinks that careers have taken a decided turn away from the path they were on in my grandfather's time. "You can't pick a career and retire on it." He also went on to say that a lot of students are finding that the career path they chose at the beginning will be low on jobs by the time they have completed their degrees.

It is true, I believe. I have noticed, more often than not, students lack conviction when they announce their major. They say it like a question. Science? I have changed my major three times. Each change has been prompted by the fear that when I finished I wouldn't have any job prospects and fail to pay my loans back. It is a pretty high pressure situation without kids to support and a house hold to run. It makes me wonder how much of the real work world is actually making into the high school class room. It makes me wonder if improvements in national standardized test scores and higher enrollment in college would really mean anything tangible for students.