"The Mindset List" for the Class of 2012

For the past 11 years, each August, Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It showcases the biggest cultural points that have shaped the lives of the students that are, for the first time, entering college.

This year, for the class of 2012, the list has a total of 60 cultural (mis) perceptions.

One of the main reasons for the compilation of the list was to help teachers and students alike realize that life wasn’t always as it is now. "Watergate used to be a common reference," said Ron Nief, the school's director of public affairs, who complies the list. "But a few years ago I asked some students if they knew what Watergate was and they said that was where Monica Lewinsky lived."

In fact, probably the most recent change to the most recent list resides at number 46, which reads: The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback. "I mean, for as long as I can remember, Brett Favre was the man there," said 18 year old Ben Zook of Seattle. "It's almost crazy to think he could retire or be with another team."

Other notable entries include:

#18, WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.

#22, Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.

#28, IBM has never made typewriters.

#29, Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.

#38, Lenin’s name has never been on a major city in Russia.

#43, Personal privacy has always been threatened.

And possibly the saddest on that list, number 31, they have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.

"It's easy to be envious of youth," he said. "But if you've got a certain degree of wisdom and your body hasn't fallen apart yet, you may be at the best time of your life."

Posted by Josh Hill.