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i think that reading through the thread is a much better answer to the op than anything anyone says in particular. is there a difference? not necessarily.
anyway, there's no way to answer the question, really.
the devil's in the details.
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one thing that i have learned wandering academicworld for something like 20 years, as an undergrad, a grad student and later as a teacher is that it seems more often than not that going to college when you're 18 is a bad idea.
it was for me: first time out, i majored in hallucinogens.
i went back to school when i was 24 to actually participate in classes.
if you dont know--or at least have an idea--of what you want and why you are there, you are wasting your time.
if you dont take control of your education when you get to university, you probably shouldnt be there yet.
if you see it as an extension of high school, so that classes are an affliction, you arent ready.
there are cheaper ways to get fucked up for a few years---30 grand on tuition and another 20 on board is a pretty high cover charge.
but this cover charge is an expression of class privilege--and the fact that when you're 18 the money being pissed away generally is mummy and daddys.
you'd be better off going out into the world and getting kicked around for a while.
figure out what you want.
then go.
i wonder sometimes if this is endemic, a function of the age group, and whether it'd make more sense to have a kind of national service requirement (not necessarily the military, but i suspect the conservative set would oppose state expenditures that are not directed to reinforcing state violence) for a couple years to effectively prevent 18 year olds from going straight from high school into university.
i dont think that 18 year olds would like this, but universities would be much different, and better, places to be were this the case.
i think it would damage the fraternity and sorority systems---but i dont see the downside of that.
and there are exceptions--i have run into alot of very directed kids--but far more are not. FAR more have no idea what they are doing.
i'll leave it at that.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
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