The title is a bit pessimistic. Not all students are "unteachable," but too many are: Meetings about bad grades are uncomfortable not merely because it is unpleasant to wound feelings unaccustomed to the sting. Too often, such meetings are exercises in futility. I have spent hours explaining an essay’s grammatical, stylistic, and logical weaknesses in the wearying certainty that the student was unable, both intellectually and emotionally, to comprehend what I was saying or to act on my advice. It is rare for such students to be genuinely desirous and capable of learning how to improve. Most … [Read more...] about The Unteachables: A Generation that Cannot Learn
Thriving at College
Revenge of the Liberal Arts Major
You've probably heard that liberal arts majors are a dime a dozen and that they struggle to find employment. Perhaps not. A new survey of 225 employers conducted by Millennial Branding and Experience Inc. found that "soft skills" (like communication and teamwork) are vitally important. An excerpt from J. Jennings Moss's report: … [Read more...] about Revenge of the Liberal Arts Major
Redeemed Reader Interview on Thriving at College
The good folks at Redeemed Reader have posted an interview with me on Thriving at College. They asked: 1. What do you think is the most important thing for a student entering college to know? 2. How would you advise students to deal with new-found freedoms and an unending stream of social activities? 3. And in particular, the freedom, and perhaps pressure, to access alcohol? 4. What is the best way for students to make friends on campus? 5. Many college students struggle with feelings of loneliness, how should a student deal with loneliness or depression? Check it out. … [Read more...] about Redeemed Reader Interview on Thriving at College
Thriving at College Parent-Child Discussion Guide
Last week, Focus on the Family aired a two-part interview I recorded with them earlier this spring. In anticipation of the broadcast, I wrote a short parent-child discussion guide. It is designed as a "conversation starter" between a parent and a child about the important step of heading off to college. Many parents wonder: Will my child’s Christian faith be strong enough to withstand the tests of college—the party scene, the atheistic professors seeking to brainwash freshmen? Will they manage their time well, or be overwhelmed with the amount of freedom that awaits them? Will they make … [Read more...] about Thriving at College Parent-Child Discussion Guide
Dropping out: Is college worth the cost?
Tonight, 60 Minutes featured a story I reported on a year ago: Peter Thiel, a billionaire venture capitalist who co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, has become a major critic of traditional higher education. He started a contest for budding entrepreneurs called 20 under 20. If you're finishing high school, or you've done some college, but are still less than 20 years old, and you have a great idea for a technological innovation that could benefit society in a major way, you can apply for a chance to win $100,000 to drop out of college and pursue your innovation. Twenty … [Read more...] about Dropping out: Is college worth the cost?
How to Thrive in College
My guest post at the Desiring God blog: College should be a temporary season of academic preparation and personal growth to propel a lifetime of effective service to God and neighbor. It should be a launching pad into all that goes with responsible Christian adulthood. Yet for some it’s a time when they abandon the Christian faith, displaying that they never really belonged to Christ (1 John 2:19). For others, their faith remains intact, but they waste their college years with video games, partying, and other frivolities — an expensive vacation funded by Mom, Dad, and (often) debilitating … [Read more...] about How to Thrive in College