I’ve been a university professor for the past 46 years—the past 26 here at the University of Utah, and nothing gives me more pleasure than teaching. So here are some suggestions about how to approach your college experience—since starting college is both an exciting and a confusing time in your life.
First, whatever else other people may tell you, the real purpose of going to college is NOT just to learn an employable skill or to prepare you for a career. Those things you will get later–in graduate school, vocational programs, and so on. The unique opportunity in going to college is, rather, to EXPAND YOUR MIND. This is your chance to explore a range of subjects, even if just for fun. Such opportunities are much rarer later in life. Indeed, you might find that a course you take for fun will actually make you want to major or minor in that field.
Nor should you let yourself be pressured into a particular degree path right away; you should take your time choosing a major that really suits you, because you want it to be the right one. Choosing a major that ends up not being what you want—and then having to change majors—may actually cost you an extra year of college, more time and money. When I was an undergraduate, I explored five different majors before settling on the right one.
The two most important skills, to my mind, that you want to work on during your college career are:
- Critical thinking (being able to understand and analyze, not just absorb)
- Writing clearly and well
Neither can be learned with AI. These two skills go hand in hand, and they are always in high demand. They are what graduate schools and most employers look for in candidates.
Finally, college is also an important place to meet lots of different people of varied backgrounds, to make good friends, and–of course–to have fun, too.