What’s the Point of College?
Instructor: Allison Alexy
Brooks Hall 207
alexy [at] virginia.edu
What is the point of college? Why are you (we) all here, doing this? What are we doing, exactly? Are we all doing the same thing? Should we be? Is there a right way or a wrong way to “do” college?
This seminar will be a semester-long discussion about the purposes, goals, importance, and possible usefulness of college. I intend the course’s title to be a broad but serious question, and one with answers that might keep changing. Together we will think through what could be the point(s) of college and I will ask you to consider your personal answers. Although we will have a number of visitors and hopefully have wide-ranging discussions, we will use the book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough as a springboard from which to discuss your experiences as you begin your college careers.
The book is available for you to purchase at the Bookstore but it is also available on reserve at Clemons library. I ask that you bring your book to our class meetings each time we discuss it. If you are reading the reserve copy and can’t get it from reserve in time for class, please let me know.