I cannot believe it’s April! As many of you are probably thinking about your future home, I thought it would be nice to share some of my thoughts on “Why college?” After all, to pick the best college or university for yourself, it’s important to understand why one may want to go to college in the first place.
In fact, it’s such a huge question to me that I took a gap year to answer it. Right after high school, I felt like going to college was just something “everyone else was doing” and the “obvious thing to do.” But why? Being the first person in my family to go to college, I felt like the only reason to be in college was to make more money and move up the social ladder. But I didn’t want to believe that was it. Why would I be here at Amherst, a place that “prepares students to make a difference in the world,” if all I cared about was a college degree that could prove my worth?
I couldn’t get a definite answer during my gap year, so I carried this question into my first year. In the first few weeks of class, I even asked this question to all of my professors! Now, after almost a year at Amherst, I’ve found some pretty good answers. Here is what I realized:
“Learning doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires engaging in conversations with others.”
The biggest thing I realized was how transformative it is to learn with others. One of my main arguments for why college was overrated was the fact that one can learn anything on the Internet these days. Why do I have to sit in my Intro CS lectures when I can also watch a series of YouTube videos on these topics? However, at Amherst, either my class is a discussion class (where people want to be there, thanks to the Open Curriculum) or it has professors who are extremely approachable during Office Hours. If I had learned the things I’m learning right now by myself, I wouldn’t have had as deep insights as I currently have by talking to my peers and professors. In fact, in my writing classes, I love reading works my classmates have written as much as reading the assigned texts.
Another thing I realized was that you actually cannot learn anything you want on the Internet. Last semester, I took a Religion class called The Story of the Buddha, where we delved into biographies of the man who founded Buddhism, the Buddha. While his biographies are everywhere online, not many are primary texts, which were the main ones our class worked with. Also, I neglected how difficult it was to pick the best learning resources. I thought the Internet was the solution to everything, but the Internet couldn’t offer me advice on where to start and what exercises to practice. These things were masterfully crafted by my professor and condensed into a one-semester syllabus, something I wouldn’t have been able to access outside of college.
Not to mention, being in college means you will get feedback and support. Back to my example earlier, my Religion professor always had such insightful and critical comments on my writing assignments. I learned that learning didn’t stop the moment you hit “submit.” It’s a continuing process where you have to respond to feedback and keep improving. At Amherst especially, professors know you and can guide you directly. Every professor I know at Amherst is passionate about teaching and is willing to help you succeed, which may not be the same as large research universities where professors may prioritize doing their own research or guiding PhD students.
Last, academia is cool! I didn’t understand academia until I arrived at Amherst and saw it in action by myself. I get to do research (yes, as a first-year student!) and understand what it’s all about. I get to talk to professors about their journeys and ask them for advice. I get to attend all sorts of campus lectures every week to grasp just how vast the world’s knowledge is. All of these things have been extremely accessible to me at Amherst. Other colleges may be more competitive, or they don’t offer as many resources to first-year students, making my “academic discovery journey” more difficult if I had gone somewhere else.
In the end, I’m very grateful I chose Amherst because it taught me what a true college education is all about. If I can help you in your decision process in any way, feel free to reach out to me at thuhoang28@amherst.edu or any other bloggers. I would love to see you next fall!