Parents, students, and employers often fuss about going to the best University or hiring employees from the top schools. There also has been a recent trend of parents trying to get their child to attend the best middle school and high school. Education is an important part of one’s life and the education one receives may impact their entire life. Going to the top schools usually implies having the best teachers, the best resources, and the best chances for success after graduation whether it be for high-level education, research, or career.
I have family who specifically bought a house at a good district just to have their children be able to study at the best middle and high school and be near the best cram schools in the country. A lot of families especially in Asia take out huge loans to give their children a better education whether that be funding their cram schools or study abroad. But what is the best school to attend? How do you define what is best or what is good? Most families look at the Universities with the top rankings within the country or in the world and try to get their children to attend them. There is also a huge influx of international students from Asia, especially from China, to study in Western countries. Frankly, because it is much easier to get accepted to Western Universities than the top Universities in their home country. Some countries in Asia are very bias in what school you come from and cause the students in the country to suffer long hours of studying before entering University.
Other questions that need to be addressed are how you define education and what is your motivation. A constant problem I am seeing is that many students are being forced to study programs that have good job prospects despite the student’s wishes. Many students chose to study certain majors solely for job prospects.
DEFINING WHAT THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION IS
In my previous blog, I have mentioned what the purpose of Universities is. The purpose and meaning have changed over time and every single person has their own motive and reasons to attend University. The original purpose of the University is to pursue and share knowledge regardless of what discipline you are studying. It was a place where intellectuals and academics gather to share their knowledge and investigate the “truth”. However, Universities have evolved to account for the demand of society. Universities have filled in the role of the increasingly sophisticated and complex society where many roles in the market and in society require a more educated population to function and progress. Universities have been seen also as a way to filter candidates to get the most qualified applicants. Hence why there are jobs in the current market that only requires a Bachelor’s Degree in any field. Many students tell me their reason for attending university is to get a job. Others tell me their parents forced them to attend University so that they can increase their career prospects. Many students are flooding to Universities and over saturating the market. There are many students also pursuing degrees that are valuable for the current job market because they wish to earn a lot of money. Although it is a fair reason to go to University, I myself do feel saddened about the reality of what University has become. If you have read in my blog about the reason why I chose to study a certain field at a certain school, I myself had no good reason either. I did not enter University because of the huge potential to earn a lot of money nor did I enter University for academia. I solely chose to enter University because I have no clue what I wish to do in the future. I am sure I am not alone in this.
I define education to be a process of improving one’s self and to be less ignorant of the world around you. The more you learn, the less ignorant you are and the more you realize how little you know. I read that this effect is often called the Dunning-Kruger effect but I could be wrong. Of course, it is not always the case that an educated population is more aware of their ignorance. There are highly educated humans who are very ignorant despite their large amount of years of learning. University is a place where you develop skills, find what you want to do in life, and learn. University is also a great place to find like-minded and interesting people from all over the world. I have met many students from all around the world during my time at University (At the time of writing this, I am still studying my Undergraduate) and learned a lot from them.
University has shaped a lot of who I am right now. I am now less ignorant of the world around me and realize how little I am in this vast yet interconnected world. Before entering University, I felt that I would not learn much about programming and I never understood the relation of Math and programming. I was naive and I still think I am ever after studying at the University for more than 3 years. I have learned a lot about the complexity of programs, new realms of Mathematics, and how diverse the field of Mathematics and Computer Science is. Despite taking many Computer Science courses, the more I learn the farther the goal seems. I no longer have any confidence in what I know and tell myself I need to push myself more. This is what the University should be in some sense. University should be a place where one seeks more and more of the truth and learn as much as they can.
The people I meet in University have taught me a lot not only in Mathematics and Computer Science but also how to socialize, aware of different cultures and political spheres, history, and being more sensitive to the world around me. University is a place of learning and sharing which is why I don’t like the unhealthy sense of competition that may exist within some universities or within some programs. A lot of my fellow peers are open to teaching, give feedback, and lend a helping hand to help other fellow cohorts, seniors, and juniors. I often help my cohorts understand concepts taught in class and in return they also help me as well based on their own experiences and abilities. Helping and sharing should come with no expectations of return. It would be nice for others to give back to the community and that’s how society is formed. I soon realized that I myself am not smart nor skilled so I need to interact with others to learn and survive in school.
MOTIVATIONS OF UNIVERSITY
I have interacted and observed many students throughout the years and each and every one of us has our own reason to study in University. Many students I have talked with either through online or in-person interaction state their purpose of going to University is to get a job. The sad reality of the workforce is that they require University as a prerequisite to apply. This forces the large population of young adults to pursue University. It is good that the mass of the workforce is educated but I am scared that the meaning of University has drastically changed. Students in University are no longer interested in learning but to graduate as soon as possible and get a job. University is a period of one’s life to cultivate and learn so it is saddening that many neglect their time in University to barely pass their courses and spend their time doing what interests them. We all have different priorities and motivations so there are a lot of clashing and conflicting tensions. Many University professors are interested in having students learn what they are passionate about yet the students have little care. Another source of motivation/reason to study in University is to find what to do during this buffer period of their life. I belong in this category. I have no clue what I wanted to do with my life and I still do not. Many students like me have no clue what we wish to do in life. We feel lost in the vastness of how society has become. There are so many options that it does not feel liberating but a restriction. Then there are the people who are interested in learning. Whether or not these groups of people have any idea what they want to do is not much of importance compared to their curiosity. This is a group of people that best defines what a student should be. A student who is curious to learn and are engaged with what they are learning. They are making the most of what the University can offer to the delights of the professors. There are many other motivations but that is too exhaustive to write and think of.
DEFINING WHAT IS BEST
How do we define what is the ‘best’ university to study? This sort of reminds me of my algorithm course where we have to define what is ‘optimal’ and this largely depends on the problem you are trying to solve. Similar thing, the ‘best’ university largely depends on the individual. Your interests, skills, motivations, reasons to study, what you study, and where and what you plan to do will form the definition of what ‘best’ is. I am going to start off stating rankings should be of great criteria for where you should study. I have seen many students at my University on any campus who live off the superiority complex of their University’s ranking just to avoid the problems they have in their academic career. There is no lie that studying at a higher rank University comes with its own perks such as great connections, studying under highly qualified professors, and having that prestige in your CV. However, many students are not utilizing their potential by studying at the top Universities. At least in Canada, where you study is not great importance. Studying at any middle-tier University is the same as studying at the top Universities in Canada such as McGill and the University of Toronto. We will all end up working with similar positions and salaries. Furthermore, from my observations what you learn in University is largely the same as any other Universities.
Of course, there are different emphasis on what you learn, the depth, and when you learn but the fundamentals are never different. To illustrate, a student at CarletonU will learn as many algorithms as my University (UofT) I believe. However, the difference I see between the two is that UofT teaches a good chunk of algorithms taught at Carleton between the first year and 2nd year of University while Carleton likes to teach algorithms a bit later and into smaller parts. In the end, we all learn the same thing but a typical UofT student will have learned it much earlier in their academic career. The depth and difficulty largely depend on the professors themselves but from what I have heard, the content taught at my University is much more rigorous and tough. Whether or not this is true is not relevant and for me, it makes sense that the statement is true. The University of Toronto is a highly acclaimed academic research institution whose purpose is to produce students who want to pursue academia so having the content be more rigorous and in-depth makes sense. The education at CarletonU is sufficient with the industry demands so there is not much advantage from studying at my University compared to CarletonU. There are some bias employers may have but since it varies a lot by interviewers and not the company, I don’t think it is an important factor to consider. I have worked with students from many different Universities such as YorkU, CarletonU, Waterloo, McMaster, UofT, Windsor, Ryerson, OntarioTech, McMaster, and etc. The rankings of the University vary yet we all get paid the same. The director of the campus I worked at is from Brock University which is often mocked about. He’s the director of a large campus for a large company overseeing over 3000 tech workers.
I once heard a great quote from someone (possibly Elon Musk) that it is not where you study that is important but what you do during your study. I have seen great and bright students from other Universities taking the most of their situation. Meanwhile, I see many students at my University wasting their potential and their time. I recall watching a youtube video a few months ago about why a student chose to study at Laurier University over UofT and I was proud of the student’s decision. I have seen classmates and friends are in limbo whether or not to leave the University because of the prestige of the University. This situation irks me because the students I know personally are students who are not doing well and are only remaining at the University or program because of the expectations of their friends and families and not because they wish to. Expectations are a big motivation to do well in University but it also the cause of anxiety and depression when it overcomes you.
Every student is suited for different environments just like plants. Some plants thrive in harsh conditions, others in sunny pastures, and some in dark areas. Students need to know what is best for them and choose the university that will allow them to grow as a person and in academia. There needs to be a balance between one’s goal, progress, and mental health. There are too many students who are being crippled from the pressure of the environment and situation they are in. It is hard for humans to make the right (optimal) decision but at the very least we humans should be able to make reasonable decisions based on what we know such as our abilities and skills.
The best University is a place that meets all your criteria and yet still maintains the property that you are being challenged and learning. Learning is a challenge and life is full of challenges. We need to choose challenges that can make us thrive and not cripple us from despair or in comfort. Learning is a life skill that will always be needed at any stage of your life. Therefore it is important that you learn as much as you can during your time in University.
I have conflicting feelings about my decision to study at the university I chose to study at. I have grown a lot and become aware of many things in life from moving away from my family. However, the cost and workload have been crippling my mental state. Throughout the years I would panic whether or not I have enough money to fund my education, whether or not I can pass or even cope with the workload. I am not a mentally strong person and I have thought of dropping out of University many times especially when the workloads have exponentially increased. But I am not sure if I would have been appreciated of what I am learning if I have not come to the University and have chosen to study at a local University. The professors who taught me were all amazing in their own ways. Some made me appreciate the field, others have my respect for their passion and some were great people to talk with and seek advice and help. I do not think I can get this experience elsewhere if I studied at a local University. I believe it is through the passion and challenges I have encountered that made me want to learn even if I am not particularly interested in the subject just to learn. The flip side is that since I have been challenged beyond my abilities, I have skimmed over my foundations and only able to do the work without a great understanding of how it works. Which is why I wish to study at a local University and learn things properly. I feel that I am ready to learn from scratch and absorb the information properly without skipping corners and utilize my abilities to help others and pursue academia.