Upon receiving my diploma in May, I will finally breathe a sigh of relief and take pleasure in knowing that I am ready to enter a world in which I am entirely qualified to scoop ice cream, flip burgers or even mix potato salad at a local deli. My academic career at Penn State has been rigorous and intense, but through a stubborn determination and a burning desire to succeed, I have acquired the impressive credentials necessary to convince any would-be employers to immediately entrust me with such esteemed positions as burger chief, head ticket-stub checker or janitorial assistant's first helper. Am I on the road to success or what?

In reality, despite a political science degree, some biology courses and a few arts, science and humanities classes, I am trained to do very little of practical value in the real world. Surprisingly, I do not find this set of circumstances to be disillusioning. Nor do I feel Penn State has provided an inadequate education. On the contrary, I think the educational opportunities at Penn State are exemplary and the academic path that I chose was perfect for me. Yet I am an expert in nothing and trained to do even less. So what's the deal with the apparent contradiction?

Put simply, my college education has me trained to be trained. I am not ready to operate on patients, design space shuttles or sell corporate bonds, but I am ready and able to learn. And I have my college education to thank for placing me in this unrestrained position of unbounded opportunity.

College is not intended to prepare us for a trade. College is designed to prepare us for all trades. The hope is that upon completion of our time at this university, we will be functional, flexible, adaptive, free-thinking individuals with the confidence and independence to excel in the career of our choice. If we embark upon a career path and realize that we have taken a wrong direction, we are able to re-direct our ambitions and succeed in a new field because our minds are not confined to a narrow mode of mechanical thought. The power and marketability of a creative, innovative and healthy mind is so extensively appealing that it dissolves professional boundaries and expands well beyond the limits of a particular vocation.

As with everything else in life, college students must find that balance between a focus on career training and the universally applicable development of a sharp and ready mind. It is a tug-of-war between the philosopher and the accountant. In other words, I would not encourage any student to enroll in four years of accounting courses in preparation for the profession, nor would I encourage a student to enroll in four years of philosophy courses in the attempt to empower the mind. The well-educated college student must not allow either side to pull the other too far over.

Some jobs have undergraduate course requirements that should undoubtedly be satisfied if a student intends to pursue that occupation. This can, on some level, be considered vocational training. Yet, even the student who is certain of his or her career choice is insufficiently equipped to enter the field if the undergraduate experience was too narrowly tailored to this trade. The result would be a student unable to respond to a real life environment full of uncertainty and change. On the other hand, the student with no practical training may lack the bare minimum of requirements necessary to get a foot in the door to the real world in which money and work is somewhat of a necessity.

There is no formula for creating an ideal curriculum or schedule of courses. Every student takes an individual academic path. I have found that a liberal arts education is an excellent way to find that balance between vocational training and the diverse subject exposure necessary for an adaptive and functional mind. Most majors, however, allow for a degree of flexibility with respect to course options.

Take advantage of these opportunities. Expose yourself to a wide range of topics. Remember, Penn State should not be training us to be successful workers. Penn State should be training us to be successful people.

Work is only one aspect of this greater end.