<p>I posted this in a thread on the Parent's Forum, and some one asked me if I would put it here, so here's my feelings about why I sent my kids to college, in case it proves useful to anyone:</p>
<p>I want my kids to develop their abilities to reason as much as possible, getting as stretched as they can. I want them to be immersed in an experience of learning for its own sake, surrounded by a high percentage of peers who feel the same way, and taught by instructors who also feel that this is important.</p>
<p>I want them to become good citizens, which means learning how to question, how to evaluate, how to ultimately judge what's right and wrong, what makes sense and what doesn't, what's going right, and what should be different.</p>
<p>I want them to always be forming new questions they don't have an answer to, and to acquire a few tools to help them find those answers.</p>
<p>I'd like them to be exposed to the best minds from throughout history, so that they'll have an idea of what's been thought about, what conclusions other brilliant minds have offered, and be able to have independent thoughts about those ideas they encounter.</p>
<p>I'd like them to read a lot of good books. </p>
<p>I'd like them to have a lot of off-the-cuff, serendipitous experiences with their fellow students, whether it's traveling, exploring different foods or music or arts, having late night "philosophical" conversations about the meaning of life, or playing late night tag across a snow-covered quad.</p>
<p>I hope that as they go on from college, they have a better idea of who they are, what's important to them, and maybe, but not definitely, have an idea where they might be going next. I do expect them to support themselves, but since they've both been imbued with an ability to get by on little, I don't see that as problematical.</p>
<p>I hope they make some good friends.</p>
<p>And most of all, I hope that they have a ton of fun in the process, and allow themselves to be a little bit goofy at every opportunity.</p>