Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Opinion

College a time for social development, too

Dante Eglin
Opinion Columnist

One of the most important times in a student's life is the college experience, as it serves to bridge the gap between the first chapter of life under parental guidance and the point of independence, when a student steps out to make a name for his or herself and branch out into new territory.

The college years are the launch pad for students to further discover personal responsibility, time management and long-term planning. 

Students must be ready to manage all aspects of their lives by the time they enter the "real" world. Setting short- and long-term goals and maintaining high personal standards will gain them the practical wisdom to complement the paper knowledge absorbed in the course of earning a degree.

It is important for college students to maximize the opportunities afforded to them while in school, as such an investment reaps unbelievable dividends in the future. However, many students are caught playing catch-up with the essentials society expects them to already possess from their highschool years, preventing them from advancing in present-day terms.

Many of us have held part-time jobs during our high school years, working in fast food restaurants, retail chains, grocery stores, etc. 

For the most part, young adults earning their own money from a legal job are praised by society. The problem is, however, a large percentage of us watched our whole paycheck go to Foot Locker, Express, Aeropostale and other retailers. For many teenagers, it's deemed perfectly acceptable to spend all their money on apparel, electronics or other non-essential items, as long as the funds come from their own pockets.

The rationale makes sense; if you earned it, you deserve to spend it. While this may be somewhat true, it is also true that a person's actions in the present usually determine or influence his or her actions in the future. It is essential for parents or guardians to devise a strategic financial plan for their children, as the importance of establishing such a plan can prevent years of financial woes and calls from collection agencies and creditors. 

A $500 deposit as a college junior is the same currency value as a $500 deposit into a high school junior's account. Being that most high school juniors aren't burdened with rent, textbooks or utility bills, the practical value of such a deposit is highly contrasted between the two.

Financial advice is only one of many aspects that need to be solidified prior to the college years. Too many of us know one classmate who just "turned out" once they hit the college scene. We've seen it before; it may be the quiet, studious individual, or perhaps the persistent scholar that can never miss a study session. 

Often, students new to the college lifestyle may endure a sort of "culture shock" from the variation of their old and new lives, with the end result being the party animal that seems allergic to going to class, or possibly that former classmate that seems to be the bizarro version of the person you knew in high school.

The college experience is as much about day-to-day life events as it is about obtaining an education. Parents who fail to adjust their children for the transition from high school to college risk handicapping their ability smoothly change over between the two levels. Having a fresh-off-the-lot Lamborghini is useless if you can't drive a standard transmission; likewise, what good is it for students to have a 4.0 grade-point average, but lack the ability to interact properly with others in their surroundings?

The college experience helps one prepare to embark on the journey known as life, but it's much easier to begin at the start line than the warm-up area. Our society needs to put more emphasis on the intangibles and overlooked essentials associated with the transition from high school to college in order to better equip the following generations for the road to life. The buck stops with solid parenting.

Eglin, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at texasgamebreaker@yahoo.com