College Worries

I'm reflecting on education today. More specifically, college education. I've been aware for a while that a friend of mine, someone very close to me, is unhappy at their university, and it seems to me that a large part of it stems from a general disinterest in their field of study (and education in general).

I was once taught, in the alternative high school I attended my junior and senior years, that education must be seen as an end, not a means. College should be about learning: choosing a field of study that truly interests you, engaging with fellow students and professors, and working hard because you want to achieve something for yourself--not for someone else's approval or employment.

Of course, now more than ever, a college degree is necessary to obtain a well-paying job. I think this causes most people to see that as its only purpose. But what are you really gaining if you're spending four years (or more, in the current state of things) taking classes in subjects you don't care about, only to yes, get a good job, but then spend the rest of your life in that same field? Making money can be very important, depending on the life you want to live (I want to make money so I can give my children the opportunities they deserve someday; I couldn't care less about having a luxurious lifestyle for myself). Contrary to that popular saying, I believe money can indeed help to buy happiness in the form of comfort. But I see no good reason to work in a field you are not at all interested in for the sole purpose of supporting a comfortable lifestyle. Chances are, you won't stick with it for very long if it's that uninteresting to you. That is, after all, the number one reason students drop out of school, and probably also why employees quiet their jobs: disinterest.

Enter my (hypothetical, for the sake of privacy) friend. Majoring in business, taking classes in accounting and speech-giving, to someday make a lot of money making high-end business deals (or at least that's the idea). First of all, I don't believe in undergraduate business degrees for a number of different reasons, but if you're really passionate about strategic human interaction in a lucrative environment, go for it. If you've found your calling, do it. But this hypothetical friend doesn't enjoy his/her classes; he/she doesn't seem to find them interesting at all. Nor do they have any kind of idea in mind of how this hard work will make them happy after graduation. It looks to me like they are following a dull and stressful path with no end. It's just business, business, business.

I can see that he/she isn't happy with their educational situation (other aspects of their life are just fine, for now). I want to help without seeming like I am above them ("I've found my passion, now let me help you find yours since you obviously can't do it yourself"), and I'm scared to try, because I don't want to lose them. All I want is for them to be happy.