Students

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

I came across this video from an email I received. I found it kind of interesting since I guess I'm in that in between period where I'm no longer a student, but I don't quite feel like a working person since I'm only about 3 years out from school.

At first, I agreed with the video, but after thinking a little bit, I kind of felt like they were complaining. I know that I'm guilty of it as well, but I think that there will always be a generation gap. I accused my parents of not understanding, especially since they grew up in Taiwan and I grew up in the USA. However, as I grew older and had more responsibilities, I began to understand that its not really a generation gap or a technological gap, its more of a maturity gap.

Maybe some of the points brought up in the video are valid and that maybe we are on the cusp of an educational revolution with the technology we have today. However, given that that technology is still not readily available or accessible to students across the country like paper and pens/pencils, I don't think there is really any gap at all. If there were to be a gap, its in the eyes of the students. Maybe the students at Kansas State University feel this way (I'm sorry, but 200 edits by 350+ collaborators does not really impress me and does not speak for the vast majority of students), but there are plenty of students who cannot afford to spend the money on technology like laptops, etc. Even when the day comes where laptops are seen as commonly as paper and pens, I don't think that will solve what these students think is the problem. I think it will allow for easier access to resources and possibly bring about a new kind of informational revolution.

The problem isn't the lack of technology. It's a lack of perspective. The students perceive the classes they attend, the books they buy, etc. to be relevant. True, maybe the actual content of the classes may not be relevant 5 years later, but basic concepts and foundations are built there. I probably don't remember more than 10-20% of what I learned in pharmacy school, but I do know the basic studying, learning and concepts were learned during that period. I am thankful for the education that I received. Maybe I spent too much time in the library. I would be lying if I said I didn't do well at school (at least later on). But I don't think that high GPAs translate to success since success is defined by yourself.

One of the things I learned after school and after residency is that the amount of things that need to be done in a day does not diminish because I was done with school or residency. In fact, you could say there was more that I had to get done. The only difference was, I was equipped with the tools and skills necessary to get it done.

I can bet you that 50 years from now, students will still be complaining of irrelevance or of a technological gap. Technology will always be updated. Relevance and success is in the eyes of the beholder. Higher education is not a requirement. Your college education is a privilege. You can choose to attend.