The Freshman Mindset

When I was in college (not all that long ago) I worked in the housing office, and every year prior to the arrival of the new freshman class one of the things I looked forward to most (and there wasn't all that much to look forward to about opening day, since it cannot be called one of the most pleasant experiences in the world) was the arrival of the annual Beloit College Mindset List. Drawn up by professors and staff at that small liberal arts college in Wisconsin, the list is a series of statements about things that the members of the new freshman class have always known or experienced.

It's not serious research, say the list's drafters. It's tongue-in-cheek, and it is always thought-provoking. I enjoy reading the lists each year, and the newest version, for the Class of 2009, is now available. It will be printed in Thursday's Christian Science Monitor, but it's also here on the Mindset List website, where you can also find archived lists from past years.