THE Beatles had a song that was a hit on US college campuses, back in the 60s, that went like this: "They say the best things in life are free, but you can keep them for the birds and bees. Now give me money. That’s what I want."
That may have been almost 40 years ago, but those words are still true for some students today, according to a survey of student attitudes.
The American Freshman Survey of more than 267,000 students at 413 colleges and universities nationwide showed more than 50 per cent of them saying they went to college for "financial well-being in the future". Fewer than 40 per cent saw higher education as a way of developing a meaningful philosophy of life.
University of California education professor Linda Sax, the director of the survey, said this reflects a longstanding tension between material rewards and the value of education, something that has intensified in recent years.
"Students are also increasingly preoccupied with prestige and college rankings, making them more concerned about where they go to school than why they’re going," Sax said.
Dustin Grant, a University of Southern California freshman, said the survey results matched his views on what students think about as they leave high school.
Grant, who is a business major, thinks the high costs of college fuel this materialism.
"This is a major investment ? like US$40,000 in one year. When you’re putting so much in, you’re going to expect to get something out of it," he said.
But, the 20-year-old adds: "Required courses in humanities and the intellectual life on campus can encourage students to think critically about their values and beliefs. College surely opens up new perspectives. Seniors probably express a greater concern for finding meaning in life."
That may have been almost 40 years ago, but those words are still true for some students today, according to a survey of student attitudes.
The American Freshman Survey of more than 267,000 students at 413 colleges and universities nationwide showed more than 50 per cent of them saying they went to college for "financial well-being in the future". Fewer than 40 per cent saw higher education as a way of developing a meaningful philosophy of life.
University of California education professor Linda Sax, the director of the survey, said this reflects a longstanding tension between material rewards and the value of education, something that has intensified in recent years.
"Students are also increasingly preoccupied with prestige and college rankings, making them more concerned about where they go to school than why they’re going," Sax said.
Dustin Grant, a University of Southern California freshman, said the survey results matched his views on what students think about as they leave high school.
Grant, who is a business major, thinks the high costs of college fuel this materialism.
"This is a major investment ? like US$40,000 in one year. When you’re putting so much in, you’re going to expect to get something out of it," he said.
But, the 20-year-old adds: "Required courses in humanities and the intellectual life on campus can encourage students to think critically about their values and beliefs. College surely opens up new perspectives. Seniors probably express a greater concern for finding meaning in life."
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