It's that time of year when thousands of kids are graduating from high schools and universities around the country. They're generally receiving fat wads of cash from their family and family friends, getting an endearing pat on the ass and being launched out into the world. Additionally they're receiving hoards of advice, some of it sound and some of it complete garbage.

The questions that seem to hound graduates lucky enough to overcome the barriers to higher education and the ones who have completed college degrees are what they plan to study and the immediate follow-up, what they intend to do with their degrees. I find this sequence of thinking to be gravely flawed.

Society is losing its appreciation of education for the sake of learning. University studies are not a means to an end. The pursuit of knowledge has lost importance and is overshadowed by the idea that it's a vehicle to careers and wealth. If we're encouraging our youth to go through life chasing an end goal, opportunities and life itself is bound to pass them by.

Well, I have different advice. Pursue your interests. Seek out the things that stimulate you. It doesn't matter if it seems unlikely you'll make a career out of it. A lot of people don't end up working in jobs related to their undergrad degrees anyway. You might as well learn about things that truly interest you.

Without questioning, I accepted the idea that I need to study something practical that would eventually translate into a career. I am glad I chose to study psychology but more and more I doubt I will ever work in that field. And I'm questioning whether it even matters what I studied as an undergraduate. Or what I'll study as a master's student. So I'm now subscribing to the idea that I should study whatever I'm curious about regardless of whether I will "do" anything with it.

And I would encourage other people to do the same. Even if we're in student loan debt up to our eye balls, at least we'll be smart.