This past weekend we all got the latest issue of Cabrini Magazine. The main topic was the value of a Cabrini education. Loquitur editors discussed what the value of the Cabrini education is that we are receiving. This question is especially relevant in these hard economic times we are now experiencing.
Around campus many students are often quick to bring up some negative things about Cabrini. Frequent complaints are that, on weekends, many students quickly retreat from campus, the food is not good and admission standards are too low.
However, when these complaints are pushed aside, the editors believe we are truly receiving one of the greatest educations a college student could receive. This small school that no one seems to know about is truly doing big things academically and professionally.
What is the basis for this contention? Granted, some classes are the same as we’d receive at any college. However, some aspects of our education are truly exceptional, and it is up to us to capitalize on those aspects.
Social justice is a huge part of who we are as a school. During our time here, we have the opportunity to aid disadvantaged countries and help raise awareness for issues like food security and fair trade.
With a degree from this college we are gaining more than just knowledge from a textbook that our friends at Penn State and Temple are receiving. We are gaining lifelong lessons and experiences from each other and our professors who care and push us to our potential. Are all of us taking advantage of these opportunities to get the most value out of our Cabrini education?
An education that engages students in his or her learning is what we can receive at Cabrini. Have you gotten truly involved in your own education?
Like the students pictured in the magazine, we need to find those courses and experiences that push us and engage us. Whether it is an ECG or SEM 300 class, a research project with a professor, running a major activity on campus, or really standing out at an internship, these are the opportunities we have in abundance at Cabrini, if we participate in them.
Ninety-five percent of Cabrini graduates have jobs or are in graduate or professional school within 10 months of graduating and three in four are working in a job related to his or her major. These numbers show that Cabrini is doing something right. Even in this economy and job market our graduates are getting jobs because of the education and real life experience they have gained.
Cabrini gives us a competitive edge in the job market. In all majors we learn from real-life experience instead of just reading about life. We are able to deal with real-world problems not just talk about them. It’s an education that gives us skills to last a lifetime. But, are we all using this unique curriculum that we have?
Many of us question if all of this is worth it. Is all the money spent on education worth it? Is all the stress spent in class and preparing for tests worth it? Is all the time put into all the organizations we are involved in going to pay off in the end?
As we register for classes, we have to remember to choose those classes and experiences that open doors to exceptional opportunities, and not just fulfill requirements with the least hassle. Are we participating in something each semester that gets us involved?
We may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. We can’t see the fortunes that we may make in our bank accounts and we can’t see the happy lives that we may live after these four years just yet. We need to stop and remember that we need to be here and we need to make the sacrifices and to seize the opportunities to get where we want to be in our lives. We are truly getting a very valuable education.
