There was a time when students went to college “to get an education” — or that’s what they claimed. They no longer claim that as their motivation for a college degree. Now students want a job. If they already have a job, they want a better job. Also high on their list is the “college experience,” which includes socializing with peers, becoming involved with clubs or sports, and participating in a study abroad program. Students long for the lifestyle portrayed on the covers of glossy brochures they’ve received in the mail.

As has always been true, future college students dream of the independence of being away from home, of late-night discussions on the meaning of life, of partying with no curfew, and of leaving behind all the self-consciousness and exclusivity of high school cliques. They long for the freedom and relative safety of college campuses where student behavior is frisky, but usually not out of control.