There's an impending revolution to the college/university world--and it may affect you.
In my grandmother's era, college was practically unheard of. This was College 1.0.
In my mother's generation, college was reserved for the elite. This was College 2.0.
Today, college is like the 13th grade. It is necessary. It is part of the status quo. A diploma is no longer a differentiating factor; it's a requirement. College is no longer special. Welcome to College 3.0.
College 3.0 teaches students to do one thing: follow the rules. Like sheep herded from their pastures into their pens, students are taught to follow the path of least resistance--do well on your exams, find a stable job, and work in that career for the rest of your life, minding your own business and doing as you're told.
Tomorrow will nurture a new form of higher education. The next generation of higher education, College 4.0, will be independent scholars--those students who take initiative to learn from and teach one another. They will create their own college experiences. They will challenge the status quo. They will think for themselves, versus blindly following the road signs that lead them into uninspiring careers. They will rewrite the rules to fit their lives, rather than living by the rules they're told they have to follow.
I am a product of College 3.5. I didn't know it going in, but college didn't turn out to be a series of lectures and credit hours. Instead, college enabled what would become some of the most awesome experiences of my life. I've played music with (somewhat) famous bands. I've led two bowling teams to first place seasons. I've directed, produced, and starred in two seasons of my own TV show. I directed a short film that screened at my favorite film festival. I've taken hundreds of photos that have appeared in print publications.
None of this would have been possible without college.
My message isn't "don't bother with college." My message is that college is a safe haven for rewriting the rules, finding what you love, and paving the way for a fulfilling life. Challenge the status quo. Write your own rules. Better yourself.
Did you follow the path of least resistance? Or did you forge your own college experience? How did you challenge and improve yourself outside of the classroom?
One last question: even if you've graduated from college, are you going to participate in College 4.0?
