Cole Sessums FRINQ: Portland 10/12/2013

Education is Knowledge

Many people, young and old alike, choose university schooling in an attempt to expand their possibilities of finding gainful employment. With a degree in hand, many graduates do succeed in doing this and find work in a field that is both better-paying and more fitting to their individual strengths and ideals. But is there more to college and secondary schooling than simply preparing one for a field of work? Scholar and author, William Cronon, believes that educated individuals have been, liberated by their education to explore and fulfill the promise of their own highest talents (Cronon 2). In Cronons article, Only Connect, he goes on to explain that education, liberal education in particular, is much more than just learning a field; it unleashes the potential of the individual, making them not only more well-rounded but more successful. Education, as a whole, is a way to expand ones individual thinking, understanding, and ideals in a way that allows the scholar to think, act, and decide in a logic-based, confident manner. As an individual goes through their schooling, a lot of different information is given to them; information they are expected to retain. Many people would say that the better one could retain this knowledge the more successful they will be. But what aspect of college really defines its success? The amount of papers one writes or the grades one achieves? Or does the salary earned in ones post college career merit how successful

they were? In the end, there is a lot more to college and the university experience than these aspects. Most college students tend to be around the age of 18-25. Young adults tend to go through stifling mental development during these years and the college experience can really benefit a person during this time of their life. As young people begin to make the transition into full individuality and adulthood they tend to realize that being on their own requires a lot more self reliance and responsibility, among countless other things. Many college students that undergo this change while in school often find the transition to be smoother, as they are surrounded by other people their age going through the same changes. The idea of growing up is a prevalent theme among college students as they venture out on their own for, at least for most, the first time. Colleges and universities understand that for most students the transition from high school to college can be difficult for a variety of reasons. A heavier workload, longer papers, and intense lecture classes can take a strain on students. Teachers and faculty alike understand this and realize that the young people enrolled in their university are at a crucial turning point in their life, befuddled with transitions and changes. Focus is put on this idea so students know that the university understands what they may be going through and simultaneously offers aide and guidance to students during their time at the institution. This can be extremely beneficial to young students, not only in their academic careers but in their mental and moral development as well. Students find themselves surrounded by other young people experiencing the same situations and struggles as themselves; which is extremely beneficial in itself, even outside the help offered by the university staff and faculty.

The college experience does vary drastically from university to university but the core ideals remain the same. Each college or universitys goal is to prepare its students for careers in the world and to mold its students into moral and valuable members of society. Students attending schools in large cities, like Portland State University for example, tend to feel a stronger focus on the business, professional aspect of college and its initial end results. But also in a city like Portland, there is a strong sense of community; that the members of the city really must work together to keep the city the way it is and maintain its image of business professionalism and individuality. When immersed in a city with a culture as such, impressionable young students often find themselves becoming a part of this movement as they venture out into the world freshly educated. The idea of a life fully immersed in both professionalism and individuality is attractive to many people, especially students of this generation. For this reason many students choose schools like Portland State. As students learn about the city in which they are growing and developing, they spread their roots and become a part of the city themselves, which is a beautiful aspect of university education. Not only does the university teach its students, the students influence and immerse themselves in the city. As students become immersed in this new culture they have transitioned into, they continue to develop in a unique and individual way. Their education and individual experiences mold together to create a sense of self-reliance and confidence that cannot be achieved elsewhere. This is why every student from every university all over the world is important; scholars have unique ideals and ideas to offer the world and the people around them. When Cronon says that educated students have the ability to, fulfill the promise of their own highest talents (Cronon 2), he says this because the experiences and

education that a university experience offers provides its students with a mindset of confidence and mental stability that is hard to come by any other way. Students learn how to think critically and problem solve in their everyday lives, instead of just in an academic fashion. They know how to make moral, wise decisions on a professional level and a personal level because students are not taught just ideas and concepts in college but understanding and ethics as well. There is a reason why students leave college ready to take on the challenge of the professional world; they have been groomed by their education and experience. Students have the confidence and mental fortitude to take on the challenges the world may offer because they have not just read about the world, they have experienced it.