The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-08-14


Mrs Henry sat in the midst of
open catalogues, a look OF bewiid-
erment on her face.
Luke" she said, ITS just the
same old thing. When Art went
to college ]. got these same cata-
iogues. And It was like making
out a chinese puzzle. I don't
know what all these courses mean.
And thees rows Of required units
and credits and what-nots may as
well be stock exchange figures. I
don't know what they're all about"
"You don't need to-" said Luke.
Professor Hall knows. He says
I can get into" Luke named over
three or four colleges.
But that doesn't help me. !
don't even know what to make out
Of you. What do you want to be?
o doctor, or an engineer, or o
business man? Maybe you would
like to study agriculture or forestry
What do you think? We have to
decide soon.''
Choosing q Career.
II can't tell yet. You see you
just have to go and start in like
the rest for a couple Of years and
LnGH< IOu UIdACh W. AANs v
to get your general education first. "
but, my dear, you have that.
You've gone through grade school
and high school and you've had a
year of prep. Now you're nine
teen and you say you have to get
more general education before you
learn something by which you can
live. Boys used to marry at 20,
1t seems silly to me not even to
begin to think of ling unit
you are past your early manhood
Art came in. IT didn't get that
job. They gave 1t to John. He
knew al labout generators. only
know what I've picked up"
II knew you wouldn't" sighed
his mother. II wanted you to go
in for one special kind of training,
but once you got off to college, you
knew 1t all. You went in for some
kinds of economics and political
law and nothing your father or /
could say would change your mind
after your first year there. You
got over-enthusiastic about 1t.
wish you'd gotten as enthusiastic
about raising sheep or book-keep-
ing, or brick-making, or anything
that would get you job"
"But mother, I've got grand
education. I can talk to anyone"
Simplifying College Problems.
Eyes, Art, but the trouble with
talk IL that 1t goes out of your
mouth, not in. We all need bread
and to know how to get 1t. want
Luke here not to waste time. We
can afford it. I want to start him
right now on some direct path
to give him real purpose before
he starts to college. These cata-
logues are all Greek to me. wish
they would talk plain English and
tell us parents what's what. We
can't go motoring to all these
schools to find out. 1t costs mon
ey and we are poor. think too
many people make mistakes with
their children because they don't
know what it's all about. And
children themselves don't know.
either-not in time, anyway. Pro-
lessor Hall Is SO buried in his
academic viewpoint he can't see
my side of it. Culture is all right
but 1t isn't everything. Sometimes
I wish there were's anything but
trades schools - or professional
ones. I wish the catalogues were
palmer and simpler. think we
need a new deal on this college
problem"
How many of US agree with
her? know do. We waste years
before the real -spreparation be-
cause we have to grope our way.
There should be a celaring house
between college and parent to iron
out thees puzzling problems.