What Book Rocked Your World?

Over the years, college costs have risen and Pell Grants and other Federal funding followed suit.  Banks were happy to give students government guaranteed loans as well as regular loans, sure that the loans were an investment to a lucrative career for the loanee and a sure payback - with interest! - for the banks.  But college doesn't always lead to a job that pays a lot of money.  It appears as if some folks forgot that.

When was the last time you saw a vertebrate paleontologist driving around in a souped up gold Porsche, or a journalist trying to decide what diamond bracelet to wear, or a social worker packing for this year's world cruise vacation.  Come to think of it, most professors have not made it to Forbes list of millionaires yet either.  Darn!

College is a great path for a rewarding career, but not necessarily a path to a millionaire's salary.

While faculty have been searching ways in which to educate the growing numbers of students in classes there were always murmurs of discontent as students arrived, fresh faced, passport in hand, ready to read parts of a textbook to get  that car, big screen television. and world cruise.  Why do more than 50% of college students drop out before graduation?  Because many students do not have a reason or passion for being in college beyond the promise of a high paying job.

There are many aspects to college that we cannot control:  over zealous college recruiters, loan officers who think students with a degree in theater education will be able to pay back $70,000, college administrators that believe the more students the more money we make and high schools graduating too many students unprepared to challenge college. Oh, and don't forget what college is portrayed by the movies.  That certainly helps students understand what they need to do.

This  is a suggestion for faculty that are teaching large classes but still want to instill to each student a reason for completing college:

On your syllabus, blog, profile, Facebook and even with assignments, give students a list of your favorite or relevant books that they can read on their own.  No, they are not all going to immediately get off Facebook and open up their Kindle, (Bet you thought I was going to write - run to the nearest bookstore!) but some will for sure.   I am always pleasantly uninterrupted when a student shyly comes up after class, eager to talk about the book they choose.

You will accomplish two things:

1.  You show them that you didn't learn everything you know by reading a textbook.   Sigh.  Yes. I have met students who believed everything they needed to know was in the textbook.  You probably have also.

2.  Textbooks are encyclopedias.  Yawn.  When was the last time you had a student have their life turned around by reading a textbook?  Not as often as when we hear students discuss The Song of the DoDo, Guns Germs and Steel, Words that Work, and Jane Eyre?  What book gave you your first direction and passion for what you are doing?

Books that opened our world will open their's also.