The grammar lesson and the conversational exercises were finished and, with time left in the period, the Spanish professor, Sandrine Indalacio, showed her students a reproduction of Picasso's Guernica. She felt it was an opportunity for her students to learn a little bit about the history and culture of Spain. Sandrine asked about possible interpretations of the painting, but she was met with blank stares, except for one student who muttered "weird stuff," She explained what the painting was about, talked about the painter, about the town called Guernica, and its place in the history of Spain. Once her brief presentation was over, she asked if her students had any comments or questions. Promptly one student asked "is this going to be on the test?" This illustrates a missed opportunity for actual learning. The cultural presentation would be dismissed from the minds of the students, because they have been conditioned since grammar school, through high school, and into college about test taking. What is important is to do well on a test, not on learning.

An opposite experience, that of a learning situation, was experienced by then Student-Teacher James Quinn, who was on the way to complete the requirements for his High School Teaching Credential. He had been assigned to Mentor Teacher Gail Kellerman, who taught, in addition to four sections of Spanish, a course in Latin. This was a rarity for a public high school. Gail was well qualified to teach the subject, as she had minored in Latin at her alma mater. James did his practice teaching with the Spanish students, but was fascinated by observing the Latin students. They were extremely well behaved and totally engaged in the study of Latin. There was learning going on, and it was beautiful to see. James, as part of the journal he had to keep, began asking these students why they were taking Latin. None of them came up with what scholars would say about the benefits of studying this language. In general, it was simple curiosity. Some said it was 'cool', some preferred to be able to read another language rather than to speak it, and one students took it because he had a speech impediment. All of them had develop a strong interest in the subject; this, James learned, was the key element in the joy of learning.

Getting back to impediments to actual learning, we have bad study habits.. Students who do not study on a regular basis, and they begin to study only when a test is coming up. Cramming for an exam; in its the extreme version the so-called "all nitghter;" that is, studying all night for an exam. This practice is not enjoyable; it is a chore, something to get done within a limited amount of time. There will be limited retention of the material once the task at hand is over.

Picture this. It is finals week. The library is packed. The Student Center and the Cafeteria are almost empty. There are a few students having a cup of coffee, a hot chocolate, or a cold beverage, along with a snack. Meanwhile at the library, some students are studying, but others are putting together a "research paper." These papers constitute another chore to be completed in a short period of time. Same limited results as preparing for test the night before. Some students will say "I work better under pressure." Fine, there is learning going on, Learning to meet deadlines and completing a task. Not much of a research though. .Research papers used to be called Term papers. A paper to be worked on throughout the semester. Early selection of a topic in consultation with the instructor. A presentation to the rest of the class at midterm. A progress report, sharing with classmates what is being learned..This would be much more conducive to learning than a paper put together in the last days of a semester.

Another roadblock to actual learning is the existence of core requirements. They are part of the curriculum structure of all colleges and universities in the United States. There is less than a dozen institutions that have an open curriculum; that is, students build up their own majors. These colleges are concentrated in New York and Massachusetts, they are all private, and very expensive. Not a feasible solution to students who have problems with some core requirements. Some students have problems with foreign languages, others with mathematics and science. A few are terrified of basic Economics courses. The joy of learning is absent here. This creates stress, and even suffering. This is what is accomplished for the sake of a "well rounded education." But, for many, this is another unpleasant chore to be completed, an exercise in perseverance, a "character builder," some would say. . For others it may even be a barrier to graduation, for example the English major who cannot pass a Math requirement, and for any student who has a problem with dissecting a frog in Biology lab. Some institutions allow some substitutions, for example, instead of a year of a foreign language, two courses about the history and culture of a foreign country; but other institutions are inflexible, in which case the aforementioned English major would not be able to graduate.

There is a deeper problem than those already exposed. The possession of a bachelor's degree has become the gold standard of education in the United States. This is a democracy, right? and everybody has a right to an education. But everybody have different interests, different inclinations, different abilities, and different levels and kinds of intelligence. This gold standard has brought, in part, the proliferation of for-profit universities, the possession of useless degrees, and the existence of massive student loan debt. There is also a group of individuals who want to be the first in the family to have a college degree. These individuals may also be falling into the trap of student debt and a useless degree. Each individual needs to be aware of the increasing cost of higher education, and whether they are pursuing a degree to please others, or it is something that truly want to do for themselves. Another reality to consider is the fact that the possession of a college degree no longer gives assurance or a guarantee of advancement in our society,

The community colleges have always been suggested as a less expensive alternative, There are some valuable Associate degrees which are required as part of professional licensing, such as Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Radiation Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, and Radiologic & MRI Therapy. There are also 2-year degree programs to become an Air Traffic Controller or a Software Engineer. But while community colleges are indeed less expensive than 4-year colleges and universities, the fact is that the 2-year colleges are becoming more and more expensive, to the tune of several thousands of dollars. An even more economical option would be simply to get a certificate. There are quite a few in the health field, for example in Medical Records and for Medical Assistants. There are also Certificate programs in Accounting, Computer Science, and others depending on the specific needs of each community.

Obviously, all of this information is useless, unless a student knows what his or her interests are. To enter a university as an undecided major is not ideal. It would be preferable to have Career Guidance in high school. Due to budget constraints many high schools, particularly in the inner city, high schools do not have a sufficient number of counselors. So what happens to those undecided students? They may do poorly, drop out, flunk out, and in the best scenario get a degree in General Studies or Liberal Arts. This latter scenario may not be all bad. Law schools and Library Schools accept any undergraduate majors. Still the issue of affordability will be present..

What if you have specific interests in a subject and nothing else?. You can still build your own program of studies as a non-degree student. What? No degree? No diploma? No certificate? Yes,you can document your studies with your college transcript, and with an addendum to your resume. And what about that well-rounded education you would be missing with any of these alternatives? Well, you can become an autodidact, a self-taught person. For inspiration think about Steve Jobs and Bill Gates; both had some college, but they learned much more by themselves, because they were extremely interested in a particular field..

One thing the university cannot teach is how to be happy. That is something each person has to learn by himself or herself. The element of happiness is absent in the situations presented here; only suffering, stress, meaninglessness, and a waste of time and money. Learning should be an enjoyable activity. Think about all the people that get up in the morning, and have to go to a job they really hate. Don't be like them; what you learn, and what you do for a living, is part of your pursuit of happiness.