A PARTY SCHOOL?

The Santa Barbara News Press recently reported the Princeton Review’s publication that UC Santa Barbara is ranked second in the nation (up from eighth last year) as a party school.  The party ranking is one of 62 categories ranked by the Review.  Searching for Princeton Review on the internet, I found that it is a privately-held company providing test preparation and admissions consultation—not affiliated with the prestigious Princeton University as I had thought.  I couldn’t find a list of the 62 categories, but dozens of newspaper articles telling of the party rating.

That emphasis on party rating without a reference to other attributes disturbs me—perhaps offends me.  I might be considered an elderly curmudgeon, but I do acknowledge the need for students to relax between periods of stress and to sometimes “whoop it up.”  But I see the division between two different ideas:

           

“I want to party whenever I can.”

            “I want to make major achievements.”

Now, ask 17 or 18-year-old college applicants which of the two is more important, and we are likely to hear “both.”   Such is the unbridled enthusiasm of youth.  But as college days progress, the split between the two ideas will become more apparent.  Some will follow the party icon too rigidly and fail.  But others will follow the achievement icon and will be our future.  We hope that college students in our lives will be more drawn to the achievement icon.

I give credit to the News Press for including in the article something that most of us locals know, that UCSB has a world class standing in research and has received excellence awards for its academic programs.