Our textbook paralysis

Burn your textbooks. \nWell, OK, maybe just close them for a minute.\nWhether you know it or not, these books might be doing more harm than good.\nMost institutions have tried to limit students' education with preselected, prepackaged educational materials that teach that a defined set of facts represents a certain area of business. \nBut this idea is simply not congruent with the changing marketplace.\nThe reality is that college students don't need to learn facts and figures. The most important thing to learn in college is how to learn. I am not talking about how to B.S.; I'm talking about how to learn about what interests you.\nCollege is the time when students acquire a thirst for knowledge. Unfortunately, this thirst is rarely quenched in the classroom.\nBy limiting students to textbook learning, educators paralyze our minds' ability to think.\nI think it's safe to say much of what you learn in school will not be used in the workplace. As the late great Internet marketer Corey Rudl (whom your marketing professor will surely criticize) once said: "Anything that is in print is by definition outdated."\nDoes this mean higher education is worthless? No, certainly not. Higher education is beneficial in several ways. First of all, the annoying accounting and finance skills that you have to learn are worthwhile and will give you a basic understanding of what you will need in the workplace. Furthermore, you must understand the basic concepts of all the introductory courses -- business law, communications, economics, computer skills -- before going into any business. Ignorance in any of these subjects is unacceptable in the business world. The market will swallow you up!\nOnce we get past these simple skills, we students need professors to challenge our minds and inspire us. We need professors who will encourage us to pursue our passion regardless of how small or unreachable it might seem. The traditional rehashing of meaningless facts is outdated.\nAt no other time will we have four years to learn about what most interests us. As college students, we want the key to open our door of knowledge. We need to learn how to adapt to new technologies and new opportunities. When business classes limit us in our business education, it is our responsibility to teach ourselves and one another. \nOpen your mind, expand your knowledge base and you will profit.