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Dan is a third-year student and entrepreneur at Ohio State University. He is a marketing major and co-founder of an online food ordering business that serves his fellow students.
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Dan is a third-year student and entrepreneur at Ohio State University. He is a marketing major and co-founder of an online food ordering business that serves his fellow students. He wrote a great piece on leadership and the real value of a college education. Oh yeah, he happens to be my little brother. Enjoy.
I never thought that I would question the value of a college education. I’m in a great business school at one of the largest universities in the nation, I came from out of state, not knowing anyone and I could not have been more excited to begin the next chapter in my life. However, in my third year of school, I cannot figure out what it is that some people do here.
During my freshman year, I realized that I was not doing much outside of school besides playing video games and attending the occasional party. I decided to get involved. It was the year of the presidential election, and I joined a group called the Vote Mob. This was an exciting experience and an exciting time, but it was short-lived. Once again, I found myself with little to do. I set out on a search for more. First, I joined a fraternity, but I still wanted more. By the end of my first year, I started my own business. I identified a problem and created a solution.
There was no comprehensive online food and entertainment guide on campus, so I went and found another motivated student to partner with and we capitalized. Together we bought software and developed a website aimed directly at our conveniently clustered target demographic – college students.
I now feel completely confident in my ability to run a business when I graduate or succeed in the corporate world if I so choose (though I doubt I will take that path). I wonder how prepared for the “real world�? I would be if I had not started my business…
In reality, I would probably not be prepared at all. I am shocked at the amount of people that do little or no extracurricular activities, and for one reason or another, stay in college for five years or more. I balance an executive board position in a fraternity, a marketing major and a life-consuming business. Yet I still make time to enjoy myself, and have a great social life.
My question is – which part of college actually prepares you for the real world? The classroom learning? Or the life skills gained from living by yourself and following your own path? And when managers today are hiring, do they put enough emphasis on the LEGITIMATE extracurricular achievements that a student experienced during his/her time in school?
Though many individuals are to blame, I feel the majority of the responsibility is in the hands of the university and the lack of effort in the system they provide. Don’t get me wrong, an attempt is made in some sense. The school provides money to student organizations for recruiting purposes and there is an involvement fair every year for incoming freshman. This is just not enough. Colleges must go further. Every time a student goes in to meet with his/her advisor, they should be asked one question before discussing what classes should be taken next semester:
“What extracurricular activities will you be involved in this coming year?�?
The business school should require students to participate in at least two organizations and students should be encouraged to hold one board position in an organization before graduating. If something is not done, there is little hope for successful managers in the near future. Instead, colleges will produce large numbers of order-taking employees, leaving only a select few to make decisions…but then again, maybe this is exactly what the corporate world wants.
I would like to finish on this note. To all of the older generations, parents, teachers, advisors and managers: Push your students, your children and your employees to get involved, make a difference in the community and learn to be leaders. Without this, the future of America will be filled with mechanical followers instead of the passionate leaders we need to succeed in this fast-paced, global society. Phone cards.
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I would definitely agree with this. I believe it was Einstein or Mark Twain (not sure) who is attributed with saying that he never let his schooling get in the way of his education. I firmly believe that, aside from some highly technical disciplines and some languages classes, college courses have little to no future value. The real value of your college education is the environment you get to spend four years trying things out in and the quality of the people you’re interacting with daily. Its part of the reason why you should almost always go to the best school you get into, the quality of the education may not be worth it but the quality of your peers will be.
Brad, it was Twain who said that. He was a vocal critic of standardized school-house education.
Let me assure you that the vast majority of corporations are desperate for people who are able and willing to make decisions and take responsibility for them. Even if they’re not managers, the employee who sees a need and fills it without being asked (and then reports it - don’t forget to get your due) is very valuable.
Not every company will have the cognizance to recognize these employees, but they are extremely valuable. If you are one, and you know a little about my industry (just a little), I’d like to recruit you.
Corporate America is _desperate_ for passionate employees. Everyone knows they’re the only ones who will ever help the company grow.
Ben,
I agree that Corporate America needs ambitious, young, smart employees to grow. However, my fear, and the fear of many people my age is whether or not the corporate world will allow employees to grow. Many of my friends (who are qualified) are staying away from corporate jobs because they are under the impression that they will be held back. Something needs to change in the corporate world, and it needs to start in the schools…
From an OSU alum, I see exactly what you’re saying. At least your in business school, where they may occasionally teach you something applicable to the real world. I have a political science degree, and though it was a lot of fun, almost all of my professors were too caught up in academia to be in touch with the reality of politics, and those who weren’t were so biased that I didn’t much care what they had to say anyway.
How do I know? Because I was working in politics through my entire tenure at OSU. And because of that, I was not involved in a single school related extra-cirricular activity. I didn’t have time. And I figured if I had to choose between clubs that might teach me how to do a job and actually doing it, I’d rather be doing it.
I don’t think it’s the university’s responsibility to make sure you’re leaving prepared for the real world. They’re job is to teach you the theories and history and whatever of what you want to do, and OSU, in particular, does a great job at it. But because you’ve started a business and taken the time to be involved, and because I gained real-world experience in addition to classroom instruction, we both have a huge leg up in the job search world, and, trust me, when the time comes, you’ll take every advantage you can get.
I always looked at earning my degree as a technicality. Just one of those things I had to do before I could do what I really wanted. But having the university require me to be involved in other ways would really have gotten in the way of those goals.
All that aside, you’re right - college is not much preparation for “the real world” but those of us who realize that and do something about it will be the most successful.
(Go Bucks!)
Dan,
Any change initiated in schools will take an entire generation to filter through the corporate ranks. Corporations manage risk, which means they resist rapid change.
The main dilemma I’ve seen is that in large companies, the executes know the dire need for passionate employees, but the middle-management and HR recruiters don’t. When you’re filtering through hundreds of identical resumes per day, and you have a quota of employees to hire, it’s infeasible to hire for passion. Your first boss manages you according to the project’s situation, not the corporate need. Because you’re cheap compared to everyone else, you’ll get the most time consuming (read: boring) tasks. This does prevent growth.
Look for the following key words when searching for jobs:
-evaluated according to success profiles
-mentorship program
Also, take a look at a company’s size and rate of growth. If it’s growing, you’re much more likely to see more interesting challenges, and sooner.
Last, but not least, remember that every adventure has dull moments. Can you imagine how freaking boring it was for Frodo and Sam 98% of the time? Just walking through forests and fields for weeks upon end? If you find meaning in work, the drudgery is easier to put up with.
This is somewhat tangential, but this post made me think. So while I’m a student leader myself, I’ve seen so much student apathy that I think that there will always only be a small percentage of leaders in the student body.
I’m always intrigued when it’s suggested that people should be more active leaders. I’m a believer in the theory that a certain percentage of people are “wired” to be leaders, some grow into leaders, and the great majority of people really not willing to be any kind of leader whatsoever.
www.elatable.com/blog/?p=5 …sort of depicts what I’m saying.
I wonder whether we can “tell” people to go out and be leaders, because I think students have to just want it from within.
..or be relentless resume polishers.
Dan,
Thanks for the thoughts in this post and I understand your frustration. However, I believe that your school’s current approach of funding the student groups and providing facilities is the appropriate level support. Let me explain why.
I think it is safe to assume that those of us who actively participate in this blog (contributions, comments, etc.) are likely to be active leaders in some way. It is easy for us to say that everyone should be involved somehow or contribute in some way. It is natural for us to want to take an active role in organizations, but this is not the way everyone is.
Some people just don’t want to participate in extra-curricular activities. Some people just want to do what is required. I work with many people that simply want to collect a paycheck and not do anything outside their job description. As much as that baffles and frustrates me, I know it’s absolutely acceptable and necessary. The world needs both kinds of people (and all the ones in between).
Some people are born with the abilities to be a leader with the drive and motivation to do great things and those people will naturally seek opportunities to fulfill those talents. Thus a school should provide opportunity for students with such desires and talents to use them. I think forcing participation in a group can sour the meaning and purpose of the experience while also diluting the purpose of the group.
The great thing about the US is that you have to option to pursue your passions, whether that be charitable work or Playstation. You cannot force people to be leaders or to do something they don’t want to in hopes of a positive outcome – they have to want it for themselves.
Jaerid,
Thank you for the comment, and I agree with a lot of what you are saying. However, I feel that if people are going to take the initiative to go to college and pursue a degree, and on top of that, apply to a competitive business school then they have leadership qualities in them that can come out. Maybe it has something to do with the way they were raised, or the atmosphere of the high school they went to, but I feel that it is necessary to try an identify some leaders in a cluster of people that seem to want to just get by, without that, then the system is doing the student and their future a great disservice.
Dan,
I think that there was a point in time when people who chose to attend college inherently had leadership qualities. But now, people go to school because it’s expected, or because Mom and Dad said so. Nearly every campus is, on the majority, made up of followers. And that’s okay. If most of us were leaders, we wouldn’t have teams to follow us and accomplish anything. The world (especially the business world) needs all kinds.
Dan,
I know what you are saying but I believe that natural leaders will seek out and take advantage of opportunities. By the time someone gets to college it is up to them to forge their own path. As long as the school facilitates the opportunity, it is up to each student to take advantage.