School is back in session and the Class of 2010 is on the home stretch towards graduation next spring. Given that many will no doubt move on to jobs in public and private enterprises,  corporate and government trainers and developers might want to peek around the corner to get a heads-up on some of the new students heading to class (virtual or otherwise) next year. The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2010 has been published by Professors Ron Nief and  Tom McBride. In it are listed 75 identifying “experiences that have shaped the lives—and formed the mindset” of the Class of 2010. Thirty five are reproduced here. Perhaps telling more about the author than the Class of 2010, they are:

1. The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.

2. For most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.

3. They have grown up getting lost in “big boxes.”

4. They have never heard anyone actually “ring it up” on a cash register.

5. They are wireless, yet always connected.

6. Thanks to pervasive headphones in the back seat, parents have always been able to speak freely in the front.

7. A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.

8. DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.

9. They grew up pushing their own miniature shopping carts in the supermarket.

10. They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.

11. “Google” has always been a verb.

12. Text messaging is their email.

13. Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always been the most trusted man in America.

14. Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.

15. Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents’ attics.

16. Non-denominational mega-churches have always been the fastest growing religious organizations in the U.S.

17. They grew up in mini-vans.

18. Reality shows have always been on television.

19. They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp.

20. “So” as in “Sooooo New York,” has always been a drawn-out adjective modifying a proper noun, which in turn modifies something else

21. They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.

22. Ken Burns has always been producing very long documentaries on PBS.

23. Public school officials have always had the right to censor school newspapers.

24. Most of them never had the chance to eat bad airline food.

25. They have always been searching for “Waldo.”

26. They have always preferred going out in groups as opposed to dating.

27. They have always had access to their own credit cards.

28. They have never put their money in a “Savings & Loan.”

29. Bad behavior has always been getting captured on amateur videos.

30. Television stations have never concluded the broadcast day with the national anthem.

31. LoJack transmitters have always been finding lost cars.

32. Disposable contact lenses have always been available.

33. The U.S. has always been studying global warming to confirm its existence.

34. They grew up with virtual pets to feed, water, and play games with, lest they die.

35. Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.

Other lists for other years can be found here at the Mindset web site.

An NBC Nightly News report on the Beloit Mindset List can be viewed here.

This blog addresses some of the more odd, unusual and off-the-wall issues that affect corportate and technical training, continuing education, and adult learning. We hope you enjoy (and add to) the rants and raves you find here.