A few months ago, William Deresiewicz came to talk about his recent book, “Excellent Sheep: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education.” In it, he talks about how the Ivy League and other schools of similar “elite” status manufacture students who are — surprise, surprise — “excellent sheep”: people who have no great sense of purpose in their lives, people who are unable to think critically.
I’ve read countless pieces crucifying Mr. Deresiewicz for his opinion, and many others praising him for his insight. I’m going to do neither, and diverge into my own tangent.
Here at Princeton, students have an intimidating workload. Impossible? I think not. But I do find myself constantly agreeing with this Deresiewicz quote: “The classroom is the grain of sand; it’s up to you to make the pearl” (82). In my own experience, I agree with the general premise of the quote; most of my learning does indeed come out of the classroom. That’s not to say that lectures and precepts are useless — far from it. Instead, these lectures and precepts are mere jumping off points, sessions that I find galvanize my interest in a topic and cause me to furiously give chase thereafter. But I must admit that the constant exposure to all these different resources and fields of knowledge is a cruel reminder of sorts.