“Drop out of college.”

Some people need to be told this. Others already realize this on their own – but, of course, they never follow through. They would rather complain.

In light of recent articles on educational expectations and some brutal comments from educators on those pieces, the following needs to be said.

It seems that schools contain a myriad of complaining students. You hear complaints about the workload and the type of work in that load. You hear complaints about professors, teaching styles, TAs, PowerPoint presentations and unrelated subject matter that is assigned as homework.

Adding two and two together, it is only logical that college is not for the complainers. Right?

This is not an issue unique to the University of Wisconsin – a single retort that it is a research institution and that students attending UW should know better is unacceptable.

I have attended a community college, a technical college and now a Big Ten university. I have friends in Ivy League institutions, private colleges and religious academic establishments. No, I have not spoken to every student in the nation and yes, there are many students who are absolutely happy and do not complain about school. But we do not hear from them, do we?

I believe that I–and you?–have had enough of the complaints. It is time to make a couple of public service announcements regarding education.

The main response to those advocating for a new way for education (complaining) is that it is not the school’s or teacher’s responsibility to make class engaging, to convince you to pay attention and to get you to care.

While I disagree, I understand where peers and administrators are coming from, and, for the sake of argument, I am going to say that they are right – it is not the school’s responsibility. In fact, it is the responsibility of students!

The Choice Is Yours

I went to a community college because I chose to be in a dual credit program that allowed me to skip my junior and senior years of high school in order to pursue an associate degree.

I went to a technical college for a semester to save money on a couple of other gen-eds.

I came to Madison because I found they had a respectable journalism program. Yet, I am finding that my more brilliant work is created in spite of school rather than with its assistance.

To be blunt, students are terrible at choosing. In fact, it is the students’ sole responsibility to pick an educational institution that promotes things that they value. God, are students terrible at it. If you are complaining about school, maybe, just maybe, go somewhere else? 

There is a two-year institution located on a working cattle ranch and alfalfa farm in a remote valley in eastern California. Perhaps an online education through a MOOC would suit you best. The variety of educational institutions out there is ridiculous. Use the time spent complaining to search for something worth bragging about.

The Outliers

It would be indecent of me not to note the outliers, the students who are pursuing a specific degree that is absolutely required for the position they want. For instance, a degree in that field from a specific institution guaranteeing a high salary position after graduation – perhaps biomedical engineering, nursing, psychiatry or prescription pharmaceuticals. 

If you are majoring in such a subject and you absolutely need the degree and you are still complaining – either change your major, quit complaining or stop demoralizing those pursuing a more optional degree.

Then What?

You have complained and that solved nothing. You switched schools and still can’t find a place that fills you with gratitude. Then the last option is to do something about it – drop out.

Benjamin Goehing, fed up with the congested lecture halls, dropped out and joined Livefyre, a social-software company created and managed by other college dropouts. “Education isn’t a four-year program,” Goering says. “It’s a mind-set.” A mind-set that fewer and fewer students have.

Garth Beyer ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism.