across the universe

[extemporanea]

You know, I meant to rant about students and adolescent narcissism and what have you, but in fact I think this is just about people. Why is it that you can spend fifteen minutes patiently explaining to someone that the system does not permit them to have what they want, and have them ask at the end, "But can I have what I want?" Humanity's sense of

Comments

"But can I have what I want?"

[veratiny]

I think it might have to do with the idea that the customer is always right. If you are paying to be at university (or mum and dad are) it puts the dear little student in the frame of mind of consumer and as consumer the little dear feels as if they have an entitlement to service regardless of there capabilities....just a thought

Re: "But can I have what I want?"

[extemporanea]

Yes, you're right, of course it's consumerism. They can't get it into their heads that they haven't purchased an education, they've purchased a chance to acquire one. "Two-way contract" is my favourite phrase in curriculum advice: they give us money, we give them a chance to prove that they're up to our standards.

The scary thing is that it's a mere matter of time before the consumerist paradigm takes over higher education until we're obliged to give out the degree regardless of performance. And then high marks regardless of performance. And then, mark my words, civilisation is over.