Watkins Glen High School - Senecan Oracle Yearbook (Watkins Glen, NY)

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THE PEPPER POT 1 Shall I Go to College? Shall I go to college is a question that faces most of the high school pupils, especially the Seniors. The baffling question of what shall I do when I am through school, what shall be my occupation in life is closely associated with the one, whether to go to college. For years it has been conceeded, by most people, that to be successful in the professions of law, medicine and the ministry a college education was very desirable if not almost essential. Gradually either professions and occupations have been added to this list. But there are many occupations for which there is considerable debate as to whether a college education would be advantageous or not. The purpose of a college education is usually given as: (1) cultured value or (2) practical value or the preparation of the student for his future life work. There are a large number of colleges of different types some emphasizing the cultural value and building curriculums designed for that purpose. Some go to the other extreme as our business, trade or vocational schools preparing definitely for some particular business or vocation. Then there are many colleges varying between these two So a person must consider the kind of college when he is debating whether to go to college or not. For persons expecting to enter professions or vocations where special training is necessary, such as law, medicine, engineering or teaching I think there s little question. Hes hould go to a college or school especially designed to prepare him for that work. It is for persons entering occupations for which specific training is not so necessary, for which schools are not so definitely designed, and the schools which he would attend place more emphasis upon cultural training that the debate arises; whether time could more profitably be spent in college or in the occupation itself.