When I joined the Rose Scholars this past Thursday, I was able to participate in an interactive experience that allowed me to reassess my priorities, in a sense. We were asked what kind of activities we participate in, and almost everyone’s answers involved some form of academic inquiry or career step. What was your learning experience? Working in a hospital, a technology conference, an internship, a business shadowing experience, etc. This says a lot for the state of mind of the Cornell student. There is obviously nothing wrong with wanting to further your career or learn more about the facets of your major, but I found it interesting how almost no one (myself included) mentioned an experience that wavered from something that could be mentioned in a job interview, or be a step in a five year plan.
As Cornell students, we all seem to prioritize our future selves over our present selves. When we were split up into groups to look at what kinds of learning we were most invested in, almost everyone went to “academic inquiry.” A few students including myself looked at health and wellness, but the overwhelming majority wanted to look towards that future, that goal. This is by no means a critique of that attitude, just an observation. I wonder what kind of responses this activity would receive in a different university, maybe one more focused on art? Or maybe a high school? Either way it was a really interesting event and helped me learn a lot about myself and how I prioritize learning.