Opinion
Three cheers for students starting college! They’ve heard doubts about whether it’s worthwhile; they’ve heard Silicon Valley’s claim that A.I. can feed them all the information (and misinformation) they could possibly want; they know college is expensive. Yet right around now, thousands and thousands of them are starting their undergraduate careers with enthusiasm.
TL;DR
- Thousands of students are starting college with enthusiasm, despite doubts about its worth, the rise of AI, and the expense.
- Families are investing resources to launch students into undergraduate careers across the country.
- First-year students, including those in community colleges, are pursuing both job-specific fields like nursing and IT, and popular liberal arts majors.
- Students aim to learn how to use AI tools while developing human capacities for discernment and critical thinking.
- Traditional liberal arts readings like Plato and Machiavelli remain widely assigned, indicating a continued focus on foundational knowledge.