To the editor:

All students in this university should question their education to the fullest extent, and if they are not happy with it, then it is time for a change. We’re paying a large amount of money for what is supposed to be one of the best educations in the nation.

Unfortunately, we’re paying for a poor education. Do we really want to pay thousands of dollars just to learn to the point of repetition? Shouldn’t we be expanding our minds?

If we are not expanding our minds or developing our bases, then it seems that all we’re doing is writing a check for the amount of money our degrees cost.

If you have had internships or co-ops, haven’t you ever wondered why damn near all you learned here never applies to your job in the work force? That should make you uneasy. Do you really need the type of education taught here to do what a company hires you to do?

Iowa State, at one time, produced quality teaching and therefore quality learning for students. The idea of students “dumbing down” over the years, causing teaching strategies to “dumb down,” is ridiculous. Learning has no lower bound, and if we are taught to repeat textbook examples for a grade, then teaching has “dumbed down,” and students have lost interest.

Ask yourself where the passion is in your studies, your work and your life. Please, think about these questions for a minute or a day or a week. Ask yourself these questions and try to think about whether your education is what you thought it would be. Let us know your thoughts.

Angela Nystrom

Senior

Electrical engineering