The UW perception skewing effect
On Wednesday I gave a talk about university to a grade 11 CS class at my former high-school. I was astonished by the lack of ambition and focus I encountered. Only a handful of students intended to go on to college and fewer still were considering university. Mind you, when I was in grade 11 I had no idea which university I wanted to attend either but at least I knew I want to go to one. And I don't mean to imply that university/college is the only way to go because the trades are just as worthy of consideration. However, none of the students I spoke to had given any consideration to an apprenticeship either.
What surprised me the most was that not a single person in that classroom was taking the course because they wanted to. Some were in it because it was the least horrible course that fit into their schedule, others because they had been forced to take it by their parents, and a few had been thrust into it by their guidance counsellors without consent.
Spending 6 years at UW has clearly skewed my perception. It seems most people are rather apathetic in comparison to the typical UW crowd. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, actually. If it's possible to be satisfied with little then why is it better to be constantly driven to greater heights of accomplishment with no real end in sight?
What surprised me the most was that not a single person in that classroom was taking the course because they wanted to. Some were in it because it was the least horrible course that fit into their schedule, others because they had been forced to take it by their parents, and a few had been thrust into it by their guidance counsellors without consent.
Spending 6 years at UW has clearly skewed my perception. It seems most people are rather apathetic in comparison to the typical UW crowd. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, actually. If it's possible to be satisfied with little then why is it better to be constantly driven to greater heights of accomplishment with no real end in sight?