To the editor:

I met a former student working in a local fast food restaurant and wondered if he had heard about the dip in Kansas University’s academic rating (“Slip in rankings may reflect growing concerns at KU,” Journal-World, Aug. 21). I doubt it, though we were both a bit embarrassed.

Would this young American be better off had he invested his tuition dollars in travel, studied a trade, or started his own business? In the new economy, can young people afford a four-year academic rite of passage, where many students equate learning with glorified common sense, and where an equal number develop poor work habits (i.e. party hard, sleep late, skip class)? If we teach students how to think critically in high school, perhaps they will examine the wisdom of going deep in debt to earn a dubious university credential (regardless of ranking).