Allisyn Keyser columnist

The scene is familiar: Jessica Simpson lounging around her luxurious house in Daisy Dukes, contemplating the mysteries of buffalo wings.

Or, on the Fox Network, Paris Hilton attempting to use her intellect to help out those unfortunate enough to not be raised in the lap of luxury their whole lives.

And then of course there are the martyrs of Laguna Beach, who have to spend every day dealing with the intense difficulties of life in Orange County.

Pardon me for being cynical, but none of these so-called "reality" shows seem to be all that realistic. However, at second glance, it is evident that these shows are actually a lot more accurate than I originally thought.

Not only do people like this exist on television, they can be found in our own backyard, right here on the UA campus! Imagine my surprise when I realized that to find rich and arrogant people, I didn't even need to touch a remote; I could simply find them in my classes.

They are the ones who sit with a whole bunch of friends and talk, completely ignoring the lecture being presented so diligently by the professor. Some are even so apathetic that they send text messages to friends in the world outside the lecture hall.

Now before vowing to hunt me down and hang me from a tree for saying such blasphemous denunciations against my fellow students, please allow me to explain the reasoning behind my rants.

First of all, let me say that I am obviously exaggerating the attitudes of students - they don't really exist to the extent I have described. However, what does exist in a surprisingly large quantity is the indifference many undergraduates have toward their education.

To many people, college is simply another entitlement in their lives, rather than a privilege granted only to those qualified to study at a high institution like the UA.

To the capitalist-driven mind, college is only another obstacle that needs to be overcome before achieving the real goal: to get a high- paying job that will provide financial security for years to come, reinforcing a life of privilege that has been the norm for the past 20 years.

In my experience, it seems like many students attending the UA are still being financially supported in some way by parents or other relatives. While they may have jobs or scholarships to help cover some costs, they are not completely on their own and therefore do not wholly understand the importance of hard work.

In a society dominated by people becoming famous and successful for virtually nothing (case in point: the aforementioned Ms. Hilton), it is easy to believe that the "American dream" is more about gaining instant wealth rather than working hard at the pursuit of a more focused goal.

There has recently been a shift in ideals regarding the American dream, which is now seen more as striving for a life of unearned luxury rather than working hard to achieve a life of quiet modesty. This shift is a contributing factor in the apathy of students toward their education.

Who needs to actually learn in class when you can just cram the night before and get a decent grade on the test? Because in the long run, grades (along with credits) are all that matter, it is easy to sacrifice learning for high test scores and still be successful in college (and, consequently, in life).

The design of some courses at the UA is partially at fault, too, because so many of them have grading systems based only on tests. There is no homework (which I of course understand would be a huge inconvenience in a lecture hall setting) or any other way of encouraging students to learn, other than going on faith that we will just be so thirsty for knowledge that we can't wait to go home and read from our $500 textbooks.

However, blaming apathy on course structure isn't really fair, either. Teachers are not responsible for motivating students. A professor of mine said on the first day of class: "My job is over once you walk out the door."

This is completely correct (as much as I hate to admit it); but the problem still persists: People flat out just don't care enough about their education to actually capitalize on the opportunities presented to them. They'd rather breeze through college and get on with their consumer-driven suburban lives because it is all they've ever known how to do.

Allisyn Keyser is a physiological sciences and creative writing junior who tries really hard to care about learning but is often impeded by the impossibility that is organic chemistry. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.