[CharTalk]

Whenever you start a sentence with "All people should . . . " you should probably stop. Very little in life is for everyone.

Personally, I think the reason for college goes far beyond career preparation. My father always told me, "College is not a trade school." I truly believe he was right. He was one of the brightest, most well read, thoughtful people I ever knew even though he only had an 8th grade education. He was born in 1894 - a time when a college degree was rare - and had to quit school to work to help support his mother and sisters. Not having a chance for a college education was his biggest regret in life and he planned for mine from the day I was born. Consequently, I grew up with a high regard for college and ended up being a college professor.

For me - college opened my mind and taught me to see the world from many different perspectives. I am a lifelong learner and even in retirement try to learn at least three new things a day. This has kept me young, and still feel a sense of wonder when I experience the world around me.

I am so grateful for my college education.

Is it for everyone? Of course, not. There are many kinds of intelligence. College primarily caters to people with high verbal and mathematical intelligence. I have those, but I can't carry a tune, paint a picture, design a building or find my car in the Publix parking lot. Those talents require a different way of thinking and often can be nurtured in institutions other than higher education.

From my experiencing teaching at the college level, any student of at least average intelligence with the right motivation can succeed in college if they pick the right college and the right major. It isn't always the brightest students who graduate at the top of their class. And it's not always the Harvard Valedictorians who succeeds in life.

No one should feel pressured into going, but everyone who wants the experience deserves the chance to have it.