“And how Geology affects the life of the cows,” read the first slide in Geology 101, accompanied by landscape containing mountains of exposed rock and valleys of grassy fields filled with nomadic cows. The professor asked again, “How does geology affect the life of the cows?”

Blank stares and nervous eyes were dispersed throughout the professor’s panorama. Eventually, a few decent answers allowed him to satisfy the question without making anyone feel incompetent.

He explained that the valleys were where the cows gathered, tangibly expressing the concept of adaptation. The valleys had green grass soiled by the surrounding deteriorating rock, and the mountains in the distance were providing adequate protection.

As college students, we’re frequently asked what our major is and what we plan to do with that major.

As a freshman English literature student, I don’t have a very satisfying answer to that second question. I usually end up explaining that I like English the most, so that’s what I decided to study. Such a simple-minded answer tends to be followed by an economics lecture about what I should be studying to sync myself with the employment demand.

Maybe they’re right. Maybe steering clear of writing, journalism and all other diminishing subjects is the smart thing to do. Education is merely a means to an end, right? We go to school to get a good education to get a good job to make a lot of money to buy a lot of things. Hello, American dream.

The recent bailouts have depreciated our free market reputation, leaving John Maynard Keynes and his love for laissez-faire economics greatly disappointed. Whether the bailouts are “good” or “bad,” I think we, as college students, are lost in mere economic theory and have been forced into a disconnect between evaluation and application.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how cows, the American dream and the economy are connected. Well, I think we need to begin to understand that it’s up to us to conjure some ingenuity and creativity in order to enter the workplace successfully (I’m not just talking fiscally).

Like those cows, we must be continually adapting to our present circumstances and finding the green grass of opportunity. It’s interesting that their deteriorating surroundings became the element essential for their growth (the rock becomes soil).

Our ability to undergo change gracefully in an inherently unpredictable market will be a critical skill to have, especially in a time when both job availability and security are limited. Cutting down on spending in order to start a savings account might be a good start.

Most importantly, receiving education gratefully is probably the best thing a student can do to stimulate the economy. Our ability to efficiently process the excessive amount of information available is vitally important and will continue to be so in the future. Taking advantage of the easily accessible knowledge and creating a variety of skills is easier now than ever before.

Either that, or become a CEO of a leading corporation in the auto industry and allow it to fail miserably.

Either scenario will leave you satisfied and smiling.

Reach Houston at hfriend1@asu.edu.