The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-10-23
WHY SOME COLLEGE MEN FAIL.

advantages JudL q CO1IGSO SuuGdIAOn
bestows fail in life, asks a writer in
Extension" I am now referring to
failures in the absolute sense-the men
who did not measure up to the eX-
pectations of friends, parents or teach
ers; who buried their talents; who, in
the parlance of the day, did not make
good" There are some men who are
not accounted as successes" by the
world, in that they have not acquired
wealth or achieved distinction. Yet
we can not say that they failed, for
they remained men of character-men
who scorned to sacrifice principle;
who refused to compromise with their
conscience In the book of the record
ing angel these men are not listed as
failures" whatever the world may
say of them.
The failures of which | speak are
the men who have only themselves to
blame. OF course one must not over
look the influences that helped to
make the failure-the wrong kind OF
associations, and sometimes the wrong
home surroundings. But, whatever the
causes, the results are visible and re-
grettable.
In my own class there were young
men who had greater advantages than
l, and better opportunities; they were
brighter than l was, and their pros
poets were roster than mine-yet they
have accomplished little or nothing in
life; in fact, some of them deserve to
be classified as failures.
Take the case of Joe. His father
was wealthy manufacturer who had
succeeded in spite of most meager
education. He determined that his son
should have the best. So Joe went
to college. What he wanted was to
be out of the classroom and in the
factory. But to please his father, he
studied just enough to save himself
from expulsion. The remainder OF his
time he "fiddle-faddled." When he
graduated he was adept in. wasting
time. Nor has he since made an hour
count.
Then there is Charlie. He is fail
ure, too, but the blame must largely be
laid on the shoulders of his parents.
They were wealthy and had notions of
q certain social standing that they
must maintain. Charles must, of
course, be educated, for all men of his
class were. SO Charles academic
classes went side by side with his
dancing classes. Soon his social life
assumed greater Importance i'll his
eyes than his student life. He passed
his examinations-jus passed-and
went out into the world. Were you to
meet him you would surely judge him
successful. There is not more fash
ionably dressed alumnus among US
He holds a minor post in his fathers
firm. Some day he may be the nomi-
nal, but never the real, head if the
concern.
Jim was another failure. All his
days he lacked initiative. When he
was told what to do, and just how
to do it, he could and did do as he
was told If the professor asked
us to write an essay and the choice
of a subject was left to us, Jim
would be at sea. Yet he slipped
through year after year and finally
graduated. But employers soon
grew tired of telling Jim when and
what and how to work. He succeeded
in holding various positions only a
short time. He has already held a
dozen jobs, and is looking for another
now.
Oscars failure was, however, the
biggest surprise. And l think that
everybody contributed to it, even the
college. All his student days he was
a medal-winner. This won him I'M
stinted praise. Soon he became a
gourmand for swallowing compliment
tary remarks. He expected everybody
to pay tribute to him. When he grad
uated he imagined that some great
concern would call him to the presi-
dency. He waited until such call
did come. Now he is president of a
fake real estate firm.
| have observed that those lads who
start their courses with a fixed object
in view usually succeed. Phil never
had one. One day he dreamed of be-
coming a lawyer, the next a doctor,
then a musician, and finally an en-
gineer. The most of his college days
were spent in dreaming what he would
do when they we're over. After he re-
ceived his diploma he started studying
engineering. Two years later he
changed to law. His next school was
a medical college. Finally he decided
that he was too old for any profess
sion. The last time / heard of him
he was playing a piano in a motion
picture theater.
Bills father was politician. When
the boy graduated he secured for him
a political "soft-snap" in the City
Hall. This meant short hours, no re-
sponsibilities and big pay. A change
in administration eight years later
threw Bill out of work. The long
years of Incidence unsuited him for
any real position. Now he is waiting
for his party to win out again.
Yes, these are some failures, not, of
course, all amorg my classmates;
some preceded me, some followed me
out of college. But they are men with
whom / have managed to keep in
touch. OF course they are the loudest
in condemning a college education.
But, to my mind, they are not the men
whose advice we should seek, or
whose opinion is worth anything.
Rather, we should profit by their ex-
pprienpp