By Mitch Barnes ' eprinted from the Martlet by Canadian University Press

0t ,since the late ’605 have Canada’s post-secondary itutions experienced such a surge in enrolment as happened fall. Even full-time university enrolment, in slow decline -e 1976, jumped a startling 6.5 per cent.

hat’s behind this sudden widespread desire to return to . ses? Why have so many people decided to pay rising tuition , shoehorn themselves into crowded classes and‘Volun- ly take themselves out of the workforce?

- fter talking with several University of Victoria students, I a variety of disciplines and at all stages in their programs, cture of the motivation behind the numbers emerges.

he most common statement from first-year students was the dismal employment, situation — almost 20 per cent dent unemploymentjn July I982 — made them feel they had rung to lose by coming to university. For many it was a ‘ of facing the dubious possibilities of finding employ-

ld better their chances of getting a job.

Look, I’m seventeen, the only work experience I’ve got I MacDonald’s and delivering newspaers, and my family » got zero connections. What kind of job do you think I’d if I stayed out there?” said one bitter undergrad. As a It of this kind of career-oriented desperation, courses as Computer Science, Physics and Chemistry are ed with those hoping to grab onto the brass ring of ging technology. For these single—minded students, high es in a few key courses~is everything; those who have able to achieve this apprbach the subject of future ctations with an extraordinary amount of confidence and smugness. '

y contrast, those who have decided to pursue interests istory, Philosophy, or English seem almost embarrassed ut the fact that they have decided to dedicate several ‘ s to an area that does not readily convert into a career. Yeah, I’m thinking of going into English. (I) don’t know I I’m going to do with it. Maybe I should have paid more i tion in my math classes in high school,” admitted a btful eighteen year old. “I mean, you look in the news- rs and you see page after page of ads screaming for puter scientists, but how many people want guys with A. in English? But I think I’ll still go into English. Why? don’t know. Iguess I’m on drugs.” .

e Overall effect that this desire for career—oriented pro- 5 will have onthe structure of university courses remains e seen. But it became clearer, through the course of views, that students are beginning 'to see university as a ' to get professional training and not as a learning tute.

der students and those closer to nearing graduation reflect fferent attitude. Many of these people reveal distinct ' gs of disillusionment with the whole university system.

ya] that she and others felt when considering future ects.

’m feeling pretty disillusioned. It all comes out of spend- our or five years completely wrapped up in a cocoon of es; surrounded by profs and other students who are also leter wrapped» up in this cocoon, and you never get any c f what it might be like in the real world.” -

u—uu-u

I he only work peri‘eHCe I’ve got is MacDonald’s...”

. tudent Unemployment: e have no jobs

t or coming here in hopes that post-secondary training -

e fourth-year Fine Arts major summed up the feeling of .

expectation of gaining career training was an attitude any of the newer students and most of the older, i118 ones felt. For the older students, those who have back to finish their degrees after a few years in the force, the motivation was rarely a positive one of g toward a specific goal. Instead, the drive to return’ - to stem from a negative source that has returnees g to avoid current “outside” conditions.

uit after my second year and I worked at a pretty good ’ the Past couple of years. Then the economy went tits i I got laid off. So here I am. It seems like a good time

to be at school; I mean, I’m sure not missing any golden opportunities out there.” ‘ ‘

Of course, there are those who are here without really knowing the reasons why'. These people don’t seem to have any particular long range goals but are content to fill up the winter months with classes and effectively hide from “the real world.” This type of student has always made up a certain proportion of the university population. For them, in this year as in the past, university is a convenient place to put their lives in a holding pattern until they decide what they really want to do.

From this percentage of the UVic student body come the terminal partyers, those looking for mates, and others who are merely carrying out their parents’ expectations. It is difficult to estimate just how big a chunk of the student body is made up of these people as reasons such as those given here are seldom admitted. Instead, this category of students will often profess the most idealistic of reasons for being here, only to admit near the end of the interview that they are just killing time.

However, the greatest confusion seems to come from those students who are nearing the end of their program. For these

' people the almost universal response to the question of why

they are here was, “To finish my degree." Yet, the purpose behind doing this was not clear in the minds of many.

“It seems like the thing to do.”

“There is not much you can do with three quarters of a degree.” ”

“Hell, ifI know.”

Many of these students seemed to feel that once they had started on the degree merry-go-round, the only thing to do was to keep riding until they earned their diploma. What they were getting from the diploma was often unknown.

This is not to say that the upcoming graduating classes consist of nothing but a crowd of aimless intellectuals. There were some, especially those in the sciences, who felt that they knew exactly what direction their lives were taking. Yet even among those highly confident students a certain amount of fear and ruthlessness has crept into their career plans. These people are finding themselves in a position where they feel that they have to compromise and even abandon certain ideals in order to get ahead in the working world. '

“Screw ecology,” said"one.fourth-year physics student, “i just want to get a high paying job with an oil company. What do I care if they‘rape the landscape.”

This abandonment of what some have termed “luxury ideals” has come about as a result of the new economic reality. While many students were not openly stating the new “any- thing for a job” tactics, most indicated that they would probably take a job offer» in an organization, even if the company’s’policies went against their own ideals.

An interesting aspect of this eagerness for employment was the differéncebetween students who are about to graduate and

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those who still have more years to go before they get their degree. Those nearing graduation were very career-conscious while the majority of first, second, and third-year students were more concerned with getting a job in the coming summer than their long term career prospects.

“I figure that I’ll worry about applying my degree to some- thing after I have it,” said one third year psychology major. “Right now, I’m mainly worried about what I’m going to do after this year. If I can’t find some work this next summer, I’m

‘ ‘HOW many people want guys with a BA in English? ”

not going to be able to come back here and graduate at all.”

So what do all these things tell us about this year’s students? For most of the serious students their attitude can be said to be dominated by fear; the fear of not finding a place in the work force. The younger students are fearful of not finding summer employment and the graduating class fears that their studies will prove useless in the outside world.

As a result many students seem to have developed a greater sense of competitiveness and even ruthlessness in order to further their career opportunities. In the fight for success some have even abandoned the burden of ideals which. they feel, stand in the way of their corporate climb.

Other students are leaving their interests in the arts and; humanities and concentrating on the sciences. Even though many of these people expressed regret about not pursuing their interests, they still felt that it was better for their future if they studied in an area that promised greater employment opportu— nities.

But possibly the greatest change taking place on campus is the student’s attitude toward the university itself. Instead of seeing this university as a place to expand one’s horizons. today’s classes seem filled with people who think of the university as a training ground for a career. While it is true that certain university programs open the doors to particular vocations, current student attitudes coupled with the social pressures for a career are Creating students with single- emphasis academic records. What this means is that while this institution might turn our people who are well versed in the sciences, these students will know nothing about hum... art, literature, or languages. '

Today’s students seem to know what they want and how to get it, but will they know what to do with it when they haw it?

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