Hello. I recently became a member of ECOLOG after a suggestion from my adviser. This is my first post.
As a graduate of one of Newsweek's 20 public "elite" high schools of the United States (link) <http://www.newsweek.com/id/137421/page/3>, and a current undergraduate studying both biology and environmental/natural resources at Clemson University, I would first like to say that I am immensely pleased to find this conversation on ECOLOG. I must confess some relief and excitement in finding many professors who are concerned about current education standards, as it is a subject I have given some thought. Growing up in an average (or below average) public education system in rural South Carolina, I found the role of high school guidance counselors somewhat strange. They were downright pushy with students. They wanted all of us to have a long term plan, even at a fairly young age. Their job seemed to be putting as many people in college as they could manage. At this stage, there was no discrimination based on "whether or not the student belongs in college." Here I am referring to your average public high school, not the one I ended up graduating from. >From my somewhat unique high school experience, I know what it is like to be surrounded by a stellar group of advanced students who are truly interested in everything the professor tells them. Academically, it is an incredibly friendly environment. My classmates and I were told that our classes would prepare us well for college, and some of the more challenging courses would be on par with those we would encounter in the future. These days, at a fairly large state school, I have found that my classes aren't nearly as difficult (or rewarding) as what I was told to expect. I have also noticed that, among my peers, the interest level between classes varies greatly based on *expected career choice.* Folks who plan on going to medical school don't give a rip about field botany, and people who wouldn't set foot in med school suffer through animal physiology. Although I don't have any long term first-hand experience as to whether or not the standards are what they used to be in colleges and universities, my concept is that they have changed for the worse for the following reasons. Generally speaking, older professors are stricter, seem to care less about being liked by their students, and care more about their students' educations. Older professors cancel class less. Fewer older profs tend to care more about seeming "cool" and wanting to be friends with students. Of course there are plenty of exceptions to this, and many young professors are great, but go figure. My take on active learning is as follows. Taking classes/"getting an education" does two spectacular things. The first is that it teaches me things. Facts, ideas, laws, trends, scientific processes, etc. Secondly, and more importantly, I am being taught how to use my brain for myself. Call this what you will: active learning, critical thinking, whatever. I call it how to learn, or how to think. As an example, some of us may have heard the familiar question "How is the quadratic equation *really* going to help me in my life?" Well, the chances that it will (or anything more advanced than it) are pretty slim. However, learning the quadratic equation, calculus, animal physiology, field botany, or anything else teaches you HOW TO LEARN, which is incredibly valuable. Lastly, in an attempt to add validity to these ideas, I live with three other guys who have the exact academic background I do. Between the four of us, we are in touch with many old high school classmates that attend big-name universities across the country. Since we're all nerds, one thing we all love to talk about is school. I can tell you that reports similar to mine, of oddly easy classes, and being surrounded by students who don't seem to care much about participating are common. I just read this letter to my roommates, and they agree with it wholeheartedly. Just thought I'd give an *actual* student's perspective, Niles Brinton
