Week 2 Story: The Timid, Foolish Student

The Timid, Foolish Student

Once upon a time, a student was visiting a college.

While he was there he thought, "What if I have to go to college! What then would become of me if I couldn’t succeed?"

Later that day the college recruiters came to talk to him. Hearing them talk, the student said to himself, "I must go to college!" And he focused and studied as much as he could, without even looking back to see other possibilities.

Another student saw him studying, and asked him, "What are you studying so much for?"

"Don't ask me!" he cried.

But the other student ran after him, begging to know what was the matter.

Then the first student said, "Don't you know? We have to go to college, it is the only way!" And on he studied, and the second student studied with him.

The next student they met also studied hard with them when he heard that college was to only way to succeed. One student after another joined them, until there were hundreds of them studying as hard as they could go. They passed a teacher, calling out to him that college was the way to better their lives. The teacher then studies with them. The teacher called to a janitor to come along because college would save them. On and on they studied ready to go to college, and even the principle of the school decided to go back to college.

At last the school counselor saw all of the students frantically working, and heard their cry that college was the only way. He thought there must be some mistake, so he called a meeting to the auditorium and, in front of them, he yelled through the microphone. This made them look up from their books, for they knew the voice of the councilor, and they beloved him.

"Why are you studying so hard?" asked the councilor. “It cannot be good for you.”

"Oh, councilor," they answered him, "do you not know college is the only way to succeed in life!"

"Who was it that told you this?" asked the councilor.

"I didn't tell them," said the principal. "Ask the janitor — he told me about it."

"I didn't tell them," said the janitor.

"The students told me about it," said the teacher.

One after another of the students said, "I did not hear it, but another student told me about it."

At last the counselor came to the student who had first said that college was the only way.

"Is it true that college is the only way to succeed in life?" the counselor asked.

"Yes, it is," said the student. "I was visiting a college and thought, 'What would happen to me if I went to college and I wasn’t capable?' That very day, I heard that I had to go to college to have a good life."

"Then," said the counselor, "you and I will go back to the place where you were told that college is the only way, and see what we can find."

So the counselor and the student went back, away to the nearest college. The other students, teachers, janitors, and the principal waited for them in the auditorium.

The student told the counselor when they were neared the college he visited, and the counselor saw just who the student had talked to.

He saw, too, the propaganda that the college had displayed. Then the counselor said to the student, "It must have been the office of recruitment that told you what you heard. You foolish student!"

And the counselor ran back to the other animals, and told them of the countless possibilities that are available outside of going to college. If it had not been for the wise counselor, they might all be stuck in a college that is not meant for everyone.

Author's Notes

    This story is based on ‘The Foolish, Timid Rabbit’ from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. It has a premise of one person/animal believing that something is wrong with the world and causing a panic about it among those around them. Until one non-biased individual sees the commotion, only to realize the information was false in nature to begin with.

    My motivation for this story is hopefully something that many other people can find relatable. From as early as I can remember college has always been alluded to as the only way to better my life. That is was the logical step after high school. For me this assumption was correct and I have really enjoyed the possibilities that college has created for me. However, there are large amounts of high school students that are pressured into going into college, only to collect debt for a couple of years, then proceeding to drop out. These students’ desires do not tell them to go to college and there is nothing wrong with that. I hope this story helps those conflicted with the expectations of their peers and parents realize that there are alternatives.

    Additionally, the cost of college is becoming prohibitively expensive. Therefore it may no longer actually be worth it to take on debt for the 'promise' of better paying jobs.

Bibliography

Babbitt, Ellen C., ‘The Foolish, Timid Rabbit’. Web Source

Yellowpig, Image, “Consumer Price Index – College Tuition” Web Source, License