Although most people blame students for taking their time in college, in many ways universities are to blame as well. A few recent statements from our own university highlight how universities themselves often encourage students to use college as an escape from society instead of a preparation for it.

The current economic climate does nothing to help this trend as students look out at a discouraging job market; however, universities should not encourage this trend. Yet MSU might be doing just that as shown by the recent State News articles “President Simon addresses decreasing graduation time” (SN 2/28) and “MSU data shows summer enrollment increasing steadily every year.” (SN 3/1)

Cutting requirements seems like the fastest way to usher students into the real world faster and with less debt, but in reality it does neither students nor the university much good. Students will continue to take their time with their studies, only if requirements were cut they’d do it by taking fewer credits per semester. Furthermore, as the job market gets tougher and tougher, should we really be lowering our educational standards? In the long run, lower requirements will only lower this university’s standing.

Students also increasingly take advantage of summer school to the detriment of their education and their wallets. Although summer courses can be a great way to get ahead, they also always are filled with students for less beneficial reasons as well. Summer enrollment never drops because more and more students know these courses often are easier and provide an excuse to stay at school year-round, taking fewer credits at a time. However, as students take advantage of MSU’s growing summer offerings, they often sacrifice summer wages and valuable internship opportunities.

The topic of internships does highlight the fact that some requirements obviously should be cut for the student’s well-being. Students are starting to realize paying for credits to do unpaid work simply doesn’t make sense.

A 2011 report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers concludes that unpaid student interns are 23 percent less likely to receive job offers as compared to paid interns upon graduation. Flooding the market with students who are forced to accept unpaid positions only encourages employers to offer fewer paid internships, which is why this blatant profiteering on MSU’s part must stop.

A better alternative to cutting requirements would be to invest in educating students early on about the reality of what it takes to graduate in a timely manner. I can remember being rushed through course enrollment by a student hardly older than myself during my Academic Orientation Program. Fast-forward a few years and some students have no idea who their academic advisers even are. In seeking out this information for myself, I was scolded for my laziness by a secretary who, like most, didn’t even consider the possibility my ignorance might be due to a failure on MSU’s part.

I am realistic enough to know that educating people is rarely enough to fix any problem. There also must be real incentives for students to take responsibility for developing necessary skills. I believe only concrete steps can work, so a possible example would be to tie financial aid to credit loads — to a certain degree, of course — or previous academic performance. Any measure must improve student performance without sacrificing educational quality. It’s not a diploma that gets a job but rather the skills that paper represents.

Some students always will stretch out college at the expense of gaining proper skills and huge debts, but that doesn’t mean universities should make it easier for them to do so. By cutting requirements and encouraging summer enrollments, MSU might be doing just that. This is bad for students, MSU and our country; the bleak job market won’t get any better through less qualified and more indebted graduates.

Students should enjoy college, but all that green beer and good times shouldn’t stop them from gaining the skills they need to find their way in life.

Christian Hokans is a State News guest columnist and political theory and constitutional democracy junior. Reach him at hokansch@msu.edu.