College: Your First Business
“I have a check for you for $500,000,” I unexpectedly found myself saying to a high school senior recently. That conversation spooled into a whole new perspective on introducing kids to college — one that I think will truly pay strong dividend$ in a time when every college dollar needs to count.
“To receive this check, your job is to earn a bachelor’s degree with a 3.5 GPA,” I went on to explain. “Knowing that this check is waiting for you, how would you go about accomplishing this so that you get to claim it?”
Silence. And then, finally, “I guess I’d work harder.”
“Work harder… hmmmm. What does that actually mean?” I asked.
“Well, you know, work harder.”
As the conversation went on, it dawned on her that the source of the cool half million would be her own income, if she planned her college education as a business venture. We talked about how 
to get the most for her money, where she could save, how to seek out support; we strategized about what classes to take, approaching the act of learning as a “job” responsibility in the business of attending college; and how to zoom in to find a major she’d love that would lead to a career she would also love — one that could make her a good living in today’s world.
We went on to talk about adopting a project management approach to knocking out college courses.
One thing I’ve noticed with genuine alarm is the use of technology by high schools and colleges to keep track of students’ assignments for them. With no record-keeping on their own part, a couple of clicks let’s them see what’s due.
I think this is a case of the pendulum swinging too far. Historically, writing down assignments, mapping out and completing them, keeping track of grades and turning things in on time was the responsibility of the student.
Read MoreGrades Don’t Buy Happiness
Young women hold in their hands literally a world of colorful possibilities, perhaps unprecedented, for exciting, one-of-a-kind lives.
But how many of your friends do you see moving in that direction? How about you? Why do we throw away the opportunity for remarkable lives?
There are lots of reasons to choose to play it safe – to choose to be a zoo assistant instead of an oceanographer, a day care teacher instead of a psychologist, a follower instead of a leader. Part of it is the subtle message, conveyed more to girls than to boys, not to dream too big.
But I find with many women that another huge part of it is that we’re not taught how to take on and walk through tough challenges. Couple that with the clamor for a 4.0, and you’ll witness stretch goals being replaced with sure things.
It used to be that the pressure for grades began at age six. That was the point at which the educational system warped children’s natural curiosity,
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