If it hadn’t been for the opportunity to work in a research lab starting my freshman year, I never would have known what a real scientist did and probably would have quit school altogether. Skills are more important than ideas when entering the real world and should be taught beforehand. The information that professors cram into our heads during each and every semester is less important than a single hands-on experience.

Purdue provides excellent research opportunities for undergraduates in most of the science, engineering and agricultural departments, but many of them cater only to juniors and seniors. Out of 210 chemistry majors, 45 of them, which is a little over half of juniors and seniors, are involved in undergraduate research, said Kay Conner, adviser to undergraduate chemistry majors. Many students in the chemistry program take Chemistry 499, which is an undergraduate research class. "I think it’s the most important class for a lot of them, both in looking for a job or going on to graduate school," said Conner.

Summer internships are another way to learn the skills needed in a job or profession. "The majority of our students will do a summer internship," said Jay Marks, chairman of the Undergraduate Committee in Food Science. Marks said that industry people think it's a plus to find students with hands-on training. "The other thing that it does is help students select the type of job they are interested in," said Marks.

Although lecture-type classes teach the facts that may be useful to a trained professional, the skills and understanding that come with on-the-job training allow us to see our profession for what it really is. Those who enjoy school may never enjoy life in the workforce, and those who hate school may find that the job is what they really like.

Max Strickland, coordinator of the Agricultural Systems Management Program for the agricultural and bioengineering department, said that the "cap-stone" classes provided by his department allow seniors in their final semester to work with someone in the industry to solve a real world problem. He believes the experience is extremely important for students. "Nobody's going to spoon-feed them," said Strickland. "They’re going to have to go out there and do it and take responsibility for their actions."

Cap-stone courses have been voted into the curriculum for all agricultural majors.

Although programs like these are definitely an important step toward better education, the real world should be our classroom. We should be taught, from the start, in an environment similar to the one where we will eventually work. In what other way can we be sure that this is truly our calling in life? It benefits all students to begin hands-on training at an early stage.

Most programs at Purdue couple lectures with laboratory and job-skill training. But laboratories should be taught with complete emphasis on techniques that are mandatory for use in the workforce, and not lightened by superfluous information about the theory behind procedures. Theory should be taught, but not in the lab.

After all, a skilled laborer is more likely to be able to function on the job than a man who only knows the theory behind the job. If I was stranded on a desert island and I had to choose just one person to be stranded with, I would choose Britney Spears over Christina Aguilera. But, given the choices of an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) or a medical student straight out of medical school, I would choose the EMT. The EMT who is trained with the skills of life support would be better prepared to function outside the classroom than a medical student who was trained with ideas.

So why aren't hands-on experiences more fully wound around college education?

Well, things can’t change overnight. Purdue has taken valiant steps in the right direction with programs like the ones mentioned above. There should be no question about the importance of research universities like Purdue.

I implore students to go out and pursue research opportunities, internships and co-ops. Don’t feel bound by the fundamentals of your major — this is your education and there are no boundaries except the ones that you impose upon yourself.

Co-ops, internships and other research opportunities offer money for your time and, more importantly, train you for your future profession. Talk to your counselor or adviser about opportunities in your field.

Opportunities are out there; you just have to go out and get them.