It is a common belief that it is good for college and university business programs to make their students start businesses while in school. However, there is a more persuasive argument that the disadvantages of this outweigh the benefits because running a business can divert student’s attention away from the basic goal of higher education.
On the one hand, trying to get a business off the ground while still in college can help students put their ideas into practice using theories presented during their classes. This hands-on involvement offers the students a more engaging way of learning. For example, students may be asked to write out a business plan for a food truck in class, but they will not know whether it would actually be successful without trying to materialize their ideas. If they are encouraged to set up the business, they will be able to see how to implement their plan and more easily gain practical knowledge that will be valuable in their future careers.
Nevertheless, students would struggle to concentrate on their studies if universities made them create businesses. Starting a business involves a significant commitment of time and energy, which students should be using to focus on studying. According to recent research, it takes an average of two years to get a business up and running. Furthermore, managing a successful business is a full-time job, which usually requires people to work at least six hours per day. Students would be unable to dedicate that amount of time to their business without neglecting their studies to some extent, thus hindering their long-term professional development.
To sum it all up, while there are some advantages to encouraging students to start business as a part of their studies, it is evident that there are far more disadvantages to forcing them to go into business while in college.