Tags: education, social media
Students, Take Responsibility For Your Own Education
Marc Hausman recently sparked a debate with his article Colleges Fail on Social Media, which was followed up by Auburn University Professor, Robert French, who stated Someone Claims: Colleges Fail on Social Media :: I Don't Agree.
Both make valid points. There are, in fact, some communications students who remain uninformed about what social media is really all about, but this broad generalization against college education is unfair. There are also are a number of professors taking amazing leaps forward to educate their students, and even more students who are taking it upon themselves to participate and learn first-hand (which is, by far, the best way to learn social media).
I started this blog to encourage students to take it upon themselves to learn through participation outside of the classroom. I've said it before, and I'll say it again—your college degree is not a free ticket to a valuable career. I didn't get my job at Edelman Digital because of the classes I took at Michigan State. In fact, I never took a single PR class in college. I got there because I participated, read blogs, listened to podcasts , started my own podcast, talked to professionals and read a lot of books.
There are thousands of free resources out there to learn social media. Students who choose not to learn have no one to blame but themselves.
Karen Russell
I think you’re absolutely right — it’s the responsibility of educators, many of whom are doing far more than Hausman bothered to find out about (thanks for linking to me), as well as the students, who should take charge of their own learning and careers.
Rachel .:. A Step Ahead
Although professors should be helping me learn, I think it’s my responsibility as a professional to keep up in the field. I agree with you. If a student isn’t taking the initiative to get ahead, they only have themselves to blame.
I started blogging last February because I thought it would be a good way to improve my writing skills and interact with other professionals. I joined Twitter for the same reason. I had the desire to learn more about blogging, social media and Web site design, and I took the initiative to learn.
If you’re not willing to take the initiative outside of class, will you be willing to do so once you get your first PR job?
Jun Loayza
I use very little of what I learned in class in my career. I am currently the Co-Founder of Future Delivery, and the only time I remember Economics coming in handy was to understand market supply and demand and about economies of scale. I have never ever used terms like “marginal rate of technical substitution.”
I really had to take it upon myself to learn about business, entrepreneurship, and social media. I had to read business books while I was sitting in class, start organizations that the university wanted to shut down, and start a company as an undergrad to really understand what business is like. I went to UCLA, and they DO NOT teach anything applicable; they’re all about theory.
I completely support you when you write that undergraduates must take it upon themselves to learn beyond the classroom. In some cases, your degree is a ticket to a job in consulting, banking, or accounting, but if you want to get into the social media world, you need to live and breath the new media.
- Jun Loayza
Allie Osmar
Unfortunately, it’s possible that the three of you may still be exceptions to the rule in the amount of initiative you have taken.
What do you think it takes to motivate people to take that initiative if they haven’t already?
Rachel Esterline .:. A Step Ahead
For me, the motivation was the be the best I could be in my profession.
After the fact, I have discovered that people now recognize my name. A student from New York introduced himself to me at the 2008 PRSSA National Conference when he read my name tag. He told me he was following me on Twitter and read my blog. Social media is a great way to network and get your name out. I think some people are just now realizing this.
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