The day I left for college was probably the most thrilling moment of my life.
I was heading to the East Coast, a significant change for someone raised in Portland, Oregon, a nice, typical town.
I often think about my parents watching me board that plane back in 1979. I remember how excited I felt. There was a bittersweet quality to it that must have been comforting for them—my getting this fantastic opportunity.
Just thinking about being back east, close to Boston and New York! Living where winters brought snow and autumn turned the leaves vibrant colors.
People from the East Coast were smart, sophisticated. The men donned suits, women walked in high heels. And trains were a common sight, taking folks from city to city, just like in the films.
As a big music fan, I pictured myself hanging out at iconic places like CBGB or Newbury Comics in Boston.
Everything about the East seemed to have an air of intellect, fashion, and progress. I was really eager to experience it.
The Prestige
On top of that, the school I was attending was highly regarded! I imagined meeting brilliant, intriguing students from all over the nation. My hope was to keep up or at least not feel completely out of place.
However, when I arrived in 1979, it turned out that I wasn’t as fortunate as I’d expected. My college had adopted the pre-woke brand of “political correctness.”
The professors were all former radicals from the 1960s. Feminism was gaining ground, and many activist students reacted with outrage over even trivial matters. Anything that didn’t align with their views was deemed either “abhorrent” or “egregious.”
Classic American College
Luckily, not everyone there was so extreme. I got involved with a popular campus band during my freshman year, playing at various less annoying colleges for dances and parties.
Being that age and immersed in the East Coast collegiate culture was an incredible experience: discovering a more historical part of the country, meeting a diverse array of people, forging friendships.
They often say, “College is the best four years of your life.” Back then, it certainly felt that way to me.
The Anxiety of Higher Learning
Because of all this, come every summer, I find myself observing friends and acquaintances as they prepare to send off their kids to college.
Yet, I can’t help but notice that the excitement has shifted. The parents seem anxious. The kids appear hesitant. Everyone is grappling with rising tuition, loans, scholarships, and the looming question of future careers.
College isn’t the liberating, exhilarating experience it once promised to be—it’s now more of a calculated business decision, a balancing act of risk versus reward.
Strong and Wrong
In addition to being incredibly expensive, many universities have become bastions of leftist ideology, feminism, and DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) principles. Censorship is widespread, and everything woke is enforced with rigidity.
Today’s college environment seems focused on preventing “harm,” avoiding “trauma,” and ensuring “safe spaces.”
It’s no longer an opportunity for freedom and exploration. Instead, for most individuals, it serves as a stepping stone to a career.
For men, that often translates to engineering, computer science, or math—fields that lead to building things.
For women, it skews toward gender studies, sociology, or whatever the current ideological trend might be—often geared toward managing people.
98 Degrees
For many, college has become a tedious experience, something to be endured. The focus has shifted to earning “a degree,” with the ultimate aspiration being a better paycheck.
If you happen to be a white male, your college experience might involve being made to feel guilty about something. You’ll be pressured to acknowledge that guilt and show some form of contrition.
Furthermore, there’s an expectation to make room for disadvantaged groups as a way to atone for perceived past sins.
If you resist stepping aside, you’re likely to face backlash or even get reported.
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Demography is Destiny
Rapid demographic changes are reshaping the landscape of higher education as well. College no longer represents a gathering of young people with shared cultural backgrounds.
Now, students from virtually every corner of the globe populate the campuses, often outnumbering the locals.
At the same time, traditional values and courses focusing on Western civilization have lost value. Many now consider them problematic.
This has led several advisors to suggest that high school graduates think twice before pursuing a liberal arts degree, encouraging young men to explore trade schools or other specialized education.
Thank You, Mom and Dad!
Honestly, I’m not quite sure what I would do if I had a child preparing to graduate from high school.
I often reflect on my own parents, watching me board that flight in 1979, filled with excitement and a touch of bittersweet satisfaction—knowing I was on the brink of a wonderful opportunity.
But what does that scene look like now? Anxious parents. Overwhelmed kids. Increased pressure and diminished sense of adventure. It all feels quite heartbreaking.
