Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education

The main goal of the essay is to change the way the general public views college. In the essay, Sanders argues that college is not about acquiring specific job skills. Learning specific skills is by no means superfluous when it comes to choosing one's major, but those specific skills are not the most important lessons one gains from the college experience. College is about developing one's ability to think critically, which means not taking information at face value. College learners must research, finds supporting information, considers that information, and arrive at a conclusion that is based on multiple perspectives. Furthermore, college offers opportunities for students to hone their communication skills by interacting with fellow students, professors, and other college staff. For example, most students must deal with someone from the financial aid department in one way or another. These interactions will better prepare someone later on in life should they need to deal with loan officers, for example, because they are similar situations. Thus, learning how to professionally communicate in a manner that is respectful, polite, but also wherein one can express their needs and wants effectively, will provide the student with an advantage over those who have never learned how to properly manage such conversations.