"Experience" is a healthy-sounding word, but what do educators really mean by it? And how do educators persuade people that higher education fosters important forms of experience, that "experience" is an integral part of any vital liberal learning? The author suggests that educators might begin by getting clearer in their own minds just what they mean by the word. The author looks at the enthusiasm within higher education for anything that can be termed an "experience"--as well as for the term itself. He contends that there is a reason why there is such a wonderful diversity of colleges and universities--small and large, public and private, religious and secular. Though each of these institutions has its own kind of advantages and disadvantages, each prides itself on offering a particular kind of experience. Each school intentionally sustains, fosters, and continually recreates what it truly believes to be its own unique experience. The author stresses that going to college is a defining time in students' lives, and there is much more educators can do to make it a liberating and transformative experience. (Contains 2 notes.)