Upon his departure to college Laertes receives a short lecture from his father, Polonius. This is no surprise. Any concerned parent would use their child’s last minutes at home to drill their heads with advice and moral support.
"...those friends thou hast and their adoption tried grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel... beware of entrance to a quarrel; but being in baer't that the opposed may beware of thee... costly thy habit as thy purse can buy... be neither a borrower nor a lender... this above all: to thine own self be true..."
This shortened segment of Polonius's speech covers much of what a student may hear prior to their departure to college. He advises his son to keep friends who can surely be trusted very, very close. He also goes on to warn him to avoid confrontation, but if pulled into one to do his part in winning. He adds perhaps the most common piece of advice towards the end of his speech; spend smartly and be true to yourself.
Yes I think it is good advice. He outlines all the potential problems a college student may get themselves into and offers fatherly advice on how to approach each one. I would follow his advice specifically about money. It is one of the most important things to consider when leaving your parents house.
Polonius does a good job advising his son and I believe he addresses common issues that not only are present in their time period, but ours as well. Being able to maintain finances is huge in our culture. I’ve often heard of college kids who’ve ruined their credit and put themselves into debt because they use credit cards irresponsibly. Polonius tells Laertes to spend, but only what he can afford. Controlling your money is key in today’s culture and should always be advised upon to students. Making a point to be true to yourself is a piece of advice that should live for decades to come.
