<p>I almost believed you until I read this:
""The only intellectuals on campus are burnt out ‘60s hippies-turned-professors and the girls not pretty enough to become trophy wives."
Now I know it's just you.</p>
<p>It's people like you who keep applying all of that windex to the glass ceiling.</p>
<p>Honesty=offensive, apparently.</p>
<p>Fratastic I think your right on the money. I agree 100%. Your just helping people realize the truth-- all successful males in America are being told to become Investment Bankers/Lawyers/Doctors/etcs. And women are being told to either try to get a high-powered job(see above jobs) or to become a trophy wife(read: high priced whore.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Fratastic I think your right on the money. I agree 100%. Your just helping people realize the truth-- all successful males in America are being told to become Investment Bankers/Lawyers/Doctors/etcs. And women are being told to either try to get a high-powered job(see above jobs) or to become a trophy wife(read: high priced whore.)
[/quote]
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're being ironic. If you're serious, then you need to get a grip on reality. </p>
<p>
[quote]
the only reason anyone goes to private school is to get the leg up on making more money one day. The amount of social networking people can do through their HIGH SCHOOLS is ridiculous.
[/quote]
Oh, I wouldn't say that. Most of the people I know are far more concerned about getting big papers written, problem sets done, or studying for exams- concerns about "networking" and employment don't seem to set in until junior year, if then.</p>
<p>Here in my city there is only one private school and it is religious. Everyone else goes to public schools and most attend the local state university where every incoming freshman english class this year was assigned the book "Affluenza". maybe the OP should read it - I mean really read it - before you build that third garage to store all the stuff you will be able to afford after you graduate and get that glorious job that will keep you happy forever.</p>
<p>Ignore the private school discussion at the end.</p>
<p>Respond to the original post. I'll admit I've heard some intelligent discussion regarding the election, but I stand by my original statement.</p>
<p>I must say, your open letter is rather limiting and naive... you are giving your perception at your school... do you not realize there are 14 million undergraduate students in America (assuming you attend an American institution), and well over 1,000 colleges? </p>
<p>To write an open letter to high school kids giving your very limited perspective of college life as if it's the universal experience everywhere is simply uneducated. I guess I would suggest holding your thoughts until you have investigated things a little further over a litte more time, and also looking at where some of these thoughts may be derived from--my guess is they are just your perspective among a small sample of students striving for similar educational ends. Just a simple suggestion mr. "most likely to succeed".</p>
<p>He, at least, has the courage to voice his opinions and stand by them. Sadly, there are cynics who criticize any honesty. The important thing to remember is that some people will disagree. And those who disagree do so in the most vociferous and vicious terms.</p>
<p>He, at least, has taken the time to write us a letter, and hopefully warn the overly-optimistic high school students of what they are facing, college or life. He is trying to help. He has good intentions.</p>
<p>He, at least, has made observations and is willing to share with the community. Before you criticize him, ask yourself, have I beliefs, or have I only dissents? If the latter, you, sir, are pathetic indeed.</p>
<p>innocentstalker1:</p>
<p>I criticize Fratastic because I believe there are flaws in his argument. I hardly find it pathetic to point out that he is making a statement that he cannot possibly support-- that all selective schools are dominated by materialistic students looking for a high salary, not an enlightening education. What else might one do? Stand passively by and let these potential errors go unchallenged? Let all colleges, experiences, and students be painted with the same blackened bursh? There is no other option but to dissent, especially when his statements are potentially misleading.</p>
<p>Of course, there is no place for personal insult and incivility. It would be wrong of me to claim that he is somehow less admirable a person for speaking his mind and it would be in bad taste to voice my own observations with undue sarcasm or agression. But at the same time, when someone tosses an idea into a public forum, debate and discussion should follow. It would be a disservice to any kid surfing this site to only see a chorus of unthinking "Amens!" to his post instead of others' actual opinions.</p>
<p>In short, Fratastic's point has some merit. It is widely agreed that materialism is common. However, he presented his experiences as Universal Truth, not just for his college, but for all colleges in this country. He cannot accurately take his own observations about his personal social circle in this one school and apply them to each of the other 2000 four-year colleges in the United States. That is not honesty. As this thread demonstrates, many people have had experiences that contradict his and high schoolers deserve to hear those peoples' perspectives as well. He may have good intentions, but that doesn't change the fact that other students' personal observations are equally valid in their particular environments.</p>
<p>I have the feeling many of my peers aspire to be Patrick Bateman.</p>
<p>And what's wrong with that?</p>
<p>you said,
[quote]
Whatever... I'd rather shotgun beers in the fraternity basement with other future leaders, than place a shotgun to my head
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think what you were groping for, is the old saying:</p>
<p>(author unkown - to me at least) I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.</p>
<p>Interesting quote. I've never heard it. Slightly different meaning, but good, still.</p>
<p>You do not have to follow the crowd and conform to the given environment, either. Stick to your own convictions, and you may find others who are like-minded. That is what leadership is about.</p>
<p>Fratastic (love the SN, by the way!)</p>
<p>Have you noticed some of the threads on here about CCers dream jobs, dream salaries, etc? They sound like they would fit right in at your school! The pool of true intellectuals is dwindling, and as a now college sophomore, prior intellectual, I would say the real world/college sucks a lot of it out of you!</p>
<p>Interesting post.</p>
<p>bump, read the first post</p>
<p>bump, reviving a dead one. Read the first post.</p>
<p>Thanks for the bump, I'm going to laugh when your "networking" doesn't work out and you don't get that GS job :). What goes around comes around, you sound like an ass in that post, no offense.</p>
<p>Your perception of college probably represents a good amount of students in college (and probably a large amount of people in the world) but to generalize the entire student body of your own college seems disgraceful. I would even venture to say that your comments are irresponsible considering the very impressionable audience you have directed your profound statement towards.</p>
<p>On the contrary, I feel like the just of the responders comments have been very well written and politically correct statements, providing much more helpful information than your initial "rant", so, even though your view on college was obnoxious, i commend you on producing some very productive responses.</p>
<p>PS i still think your a jerkoff.</p>
<p>I agree with you in principle Fratastic, but I don't agree with your delivery (I don't care if you're intoxicated). </p>
<p>College has never been, and will never be, a wonderland. My parents told me this the day I was accepted at Princeton, and it keeps ringing true all the time. But I don't care what other people do with their lives, whether they want to slave away in Merrill Lynch 20 hours a day or lie straight through their teeth into a microphone. I know that in my life, I will give everything I've got to do what I want to do, to make a difference in my community and elsewhere, and to live and work with dignity and integrity. Whether I succeed or fail in that aim is up to me, not to anyone else, and it will always remain that way so help me God.</p>