[originaltext] Many students today display a worrying tendency to choose uni

Many students today display a worrying tendency to choose universities, fields of study and careers on the basis of earning potential. In a large 2007 survey of college students all over the US, 80% of the students reported that their primary goal in attending college was to make more money upon graduation. This state of mind came with the present generation.(33)Studies show that the majority of baby boomers attended college to develop themselves, their thinking skills and their personal philosophies of life. Nationally, the number of students going into business-related fields has sharply increased, and this rise has been attributed primarily to the change in educational and career emphases. At Harvard, economics is now the most popular major, attracting nearly 15% of the undergraduates, while history majors are only 5% of the undergraduate population.(34)Thirty years ago, the situation was reversed, with economic and business administration majors together being 8% of the undergraduates and almost 12% of the undergraduates declaring themselves history majors. The number of English majors has also decreased from 9% in 1997 to 5% today.(35)Degrees in economics are popular and likely to offer their holders high salaries without the added effort of medical or law school. And given the goals of the college students of this generation, such options are attractive. But certainly, everything has its price. With this wrong idea of education, students convince themselves again and again that learning is a mechanism by which one reaches other goals. Having accepted this idea, students learn to demand little from their courses, their professors and themselves.
32. What is the common focus when students today choose universities?
33. What was the main purpose of the baby boomers going to college?
34. Which major was more popular among the students 30 years ago?
35. What are attractive to students of this generation?