Today’s Anxious Freshmen Declare Majors Far Faster Than Their Elders – WSJ.
But they need advice. I wrote.
I am a former professor who taught at Washington University in St. Louis. With honest advice these earnest students will do well. Unfortunately, they cannot count on college officials to always give them that honest advice.
In the words of David Riesman from 1980,
“..advantage can..be taken of [students] by unscrupulous instructors and institutions..the student estate often does not grasp its own interests, and those who speak in its name are not always its friends..”
Students need to understand that many colleges see them as naïve “consumers”, not as students.
That is why I posted “A Tale Out of School” on my blog, inside-higher-ed . It documents the real goals of Chairs and Deans. Deans want retention; chairs don’t want to lose big [lucrative] courses to other depts.- and the battle often fits the description of Prof. Riesman.
My advice? Go online, look at tests and requirements at legitimate schools. Complain if they don’t get a similar education. Don’t get fooled.
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