"So, uhm, professor, do you really think we need to get a degree to be successful? I mean, I know lots of people who never went to college and who are really successful."

This question interrupted my "Welcome to our program, get with it, or get out" speech that I give to our incoming sophomores every fall semester. Please picture this scene with me. I have just introduced myself as Dr. D., thus indicating that I have spent the better part of my life so far in school. I have inquired whether everyone's registration proceeded smoothly, both academically and financially (read: "don't forget to pay your positively ginormeous fees on time or you will be dropped"). And I then launched into a five minutes inspirational tirade about the importance of working hard and excelling at all you do so you can make it in a very competitive industry. And then I was interrupted by a smart-looking girl with the question phrased above.

So what does an educator say at this point? I know what Dixiechick wanted to say. She wanted to tell the kid that if she thinks she is important enough that she can interrupt me, doubt the relevance of a college degree, and good enough to make it her own, she has my blessing to go out and give it a shot. But I can't. You see, I'm supposed to be better than that. I'm supposed to understand the limited scope that some our studens have, as this is solely the result of a non-academic background, I am supposed to see through their lack of motivation, and interpret it as a mere lack of comprehension of the opportunities offered by education. I'm also expected nurture their budding talents, however slight they may be, stimulate their development, and hold their hands throughout the entire process. Now I can understand, interpret, nurture, stimulate and support. I can do this like no other. But when someone has the audicity to question the validity of going to school in the very first lecture, the nurturing, supporting, and understanding simply has to take a backseat.

"Well, you are very welcome to drop out and give it a try."
Some students laughed, and the student who asked the question looked concerned, "No, for real, is this all really necessary?"
"Well, you're asking a person with three letters behind her last name, what do you honestly think I am going to tell you?"
I think it may have taken her a while to grasp that with "three letters" I meant Ph.D, but once she did, she once again repeated her question. And at that point, the nurturing, understanding, and supportive side of me kicked in. I patiently explained expounded on concepts such as luck, exceptions that prove the rule, and the fact that without a college degree you may get somewhere, but it's a question whether you'll ever really be headed anywhere else.

And then I launched right back into my motivational speech. I'm not sure what I said exactly, but I think it amounted to notion that if you don't believe in what you're doing here, there is no point in sticking around. I explained that without a positive attitude, a thirst for success, and a desire to learn and grow you would never walk across that stage (to get your diploma). I added that if you have doubts now, you might as well drop out while you can, because all you will be doing is accruing a lot of debt. But, I added, if you are motivated, persistent, willing to learn, and willing to do whatever it took to be successful, you would be one of those students we would be talking about for years.

One can never be sure if speeches like this work, but honestly, I think we have ourselves a group of motivated, browbeat, gung-ho, and slightly freaked out sophomores right now. A perfect way to start the new year.