John Warner is a writer and an adjunct writing instructor at College of Charleston. He used to live in Chicago, and we hung out in the same circles back then. He’s smart and funny. John has a regular column on Inside Higher Ed about life as an adjunct. Last week, he wrote two open letters, one to incoming freshmen and one to their parents.
Both are good reading in this back-to-school season. College tuition gets you entrance; it does not guarantee a degree, nor does it guarantee that you’ll get all you can out of the experience. (Likewise, you can pay to get into Cedar Point and watch the shows instead of riding the Gemini and Millennium Force. Or you can jump the line and get kicked out of the park. Either way, it’s your loss!) If you’re paying for college, make sure you get your money’s worth.