Summary

"What I Learned" essays Sedaris' experiences before and after attending Princeton, generally regarded as one of the finest universities in America. Coming from a working class family background, his parents sacrificed in order to send him to the elite Ivy League school. They were proud to have a son there, but constantly worried that David wasn't specifying what he intended to do with his general degree once he graduated. In their own way, they pressured him to make a decision as soon as possible, but David drifted through school without making a commitment beyond studying.

He and his classmates begged one of their professors to predict how much money they'd make in the job market, but she refused to speculate, realizing that life can lay many obstacles in the path of even the most deserving of graduates. David returned...