This topic is a very hard one to think about.  I am so used to being at school all these years, and so used to the way colleges are set up, I never really second guessed it much.  It is hard to think about it differently.  Honestly, for all the general education requirements and pluralism and diversity requirements I have taken, I have not really been FORCED to take a class.  The core requirements have been very kind to me.  Four years seems like a good time to get a degree, and two semesters a year works out very nicely.

Upon first reading this, I thought to myself  “Crap… I would not change anything”.  This was bad, what could I possibly write about?

Then I thought, we could change a few things.  I got one idea, so I started a list hoping that it would be longer than two changes long.  Lets see how it works!

1) How to be an Adult

This is the new class required for every single student who wants to graduate.  While college teaches students and prepares them for their area of study and for their job, often students graduate with no knowledge of some very real situations.  I imagine it would be taught as a seminar type class, meeting once a week for approximately two hours.  In this class, every week (or two weeks i some cases) there would be a new topic taught.  These topics would range wide, all things that you would not have a chance to learn in the college curriculum, but are important to survival in the “real world”.  For example, kids need to learn how to fill out job applications and resumés, to prepare for job interviews, and proper job etiquette.  They need to know how to do basic taxes, and be able to manage a household budget.  The students would learn about different healthcare options, and how to choose them.  They need to learn about building credit, and avoid getting pulled into bad situations (essentially, avoid being ripped off).  Even things such as changing a tire, and basic upkeep could be a topic for a week.  Maybe one week they can talk about basic childcare, and one week could be learning CPR and other emergency situations.  Recycling and other easy environmental solutions, personal fitness, and the workings of the stock market should also become more common knowledge.

A class like this would be helpful for all students, as they move on to live their lives past college, many of them who are so educated and well-read lack in these areas.  A failure to know how to balance a budget or choose a healthcare plan could ruin even the brightest student.

I’m torn between whether to make this a two part seminar course spanning two semesters, or to leave it as a one semester.  I guess it would depend on how many more ideas I (or someone else more qualified to think of these) could garner and put on a list.  With roughly fifteen classes a semester, a class like this could really help prepare students for the future outside their specific area of study.

2) COMPUTERS COMPUTERS COMPUTERS!

There are many general education requirements, and none of which I have any major problems with.  I do have one giant problem with an area not required to learn.  Can you guess what that it is? (Waits for an answer…) COMPUTERS!  You got it, how did you guess that?!? (Awkwardly notices the capitalized headline). Oh, right.  I am never going to be required to learn how to use computers and the Internet sufficiently.  Thank the heavens I have seen the light, and am self-educating as much as I can.  However, plenty of students are going to be stuck in the old way of doing things, and they will be unqualified for many jobs that seemingly should not be above them.  One could have a Ph.D. in journalism and all the experience in the world, but some jobs just require people who are computer competent.  Looking through a list of internships just a few weeks ago, every single one required knowledge of computers.  Mastery of PowerPoint, Excel, Spreadsheet, Photoshop, and other programs are often minimum requirements for entry level jobs.  Other entry level jobs require excellent web design skills, for people to create websites, design pages and backgrounds and exhibit professional looking web pages for business.

Everyone needs to know this.  Bar none.  It is only a matter of time before everyone will need to have expertise in using all of these programs, for every job imaginable.

3) Schedules

I was not sure if I wanted to include this, but my first two ideas were really true to what I think and I could not find many more.  But this is one I feel moderately strong about.  I believe that colleges (especially colleges in the same general area) need to get on the same schedule.  I am sick of having half of our friends having spring break one week for CUNY’s break, when two weeks prior one of my close friends flew in from Buffalo for his spring break and I barely got to say hello to him.  There is absolutely no reason for this.  He goes to a SUNY school.  At least Catholic schools have the excuse of Catholic holidays! Maybe it is fine and dandy to have their individual days off, but spring, winter, and summer breaks need to be choreographed better.  If my friend is only in New York City one week per semester, I should at least be able to see him once or twice.

(Also, why is it so hard to choreograph college schedules with high schools.  My girlfriend goes to St. John’s, and her two siblings go to Catholic high schools.  Their vacations are totally different.  So when her family all goes down to visit her grandmother in Florida, she is left behind because the vacations are inexplicably different.)

Three things, that is as long as the list is.  Could have been worse, I was not even sure I could get that far.  Other notes– I think that academic advisors are a little lacking sometimes, the semesters are always about a week and a half too long (that is just me complaining), and I am sure there is more than just that.

Overall, my qualms with the school system in college is minimal.  In CUNY we are given plenty of choices, and plenty of support to reach our goals.  If people want to graduate early, it is possible so no reason to bother with the four years.  The two semesters (with optional winters and summers) seems like the best way to do it.  Ultimately, there is not much to change.  However, the seminar and computer requirements I mentioned are necessary, and the scheduling getting on the same page?  Well, that is just something on the wish-list.