The most beneficial thing in life is to study something that interests you. When students are choosing what college to further their studies they consider: the cost, the social status of the school, and the programs the college carries. Professor Mark Edmunson gives his message on what students should consider in his article "Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?", published on August 22nd 2011 in Issue 74 in The Oxford American. This essay is about Edmundson's viewpoint on education and that it is hard to get one. But if you do something you enjoy doing and work hard at it you will become successful. The target audience of this piece is the incoming class of freshman going into college. The message that Edmundson provides to the reader is how much positive power self-reliance has on a person. Edmundson explains how to become self-reliant: you need to follow your passion in what you want to study, fight against the institution to earn a good education, and to focus on the important things rather than having fun. Edmundson claims that one needs to follow their own passion because you will get bored at doing something if you truly aren't obsessed with it. Edmundson starts off with a personal anecdote of a …show more content…
The author points out what is wrong with education: the teachers and students do the bare minimum and that college is just leading to more important goals. Edmundson explains how students are built up by society but colleges really want them to be, "well-rounded students, civic leaders, people who know what the system demands, how to keep matters light" (Edmundson 93). Edmundson urges students to fight as he encourages them to follow their own interests and value what they learn. Students should focus on receiving a meaningful education that will define themselves then later receiving a fulfilling job that you are happy
Recently, many have begun to attack and degrade higher education in the United States. In the book How College Works, authors Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs claim, “As state support has eroded, and as more students attend college in an increasingly desperate attempt to find viable jobs, the price to students of attending an institution of higher education has gone up, especially at more selective institutions” (172). So is college even worth it? Caroline Bird’s excerpt from her book Case Against College “Where College Fails Us” is an adequately written article that agrees with those who question whether college is a good investment. Bird argues that although some students would benefit from college and succeed, many fall short, wasting
The article "Who Are You and What Are You doing Here" by Mark Edmundson supports much detail in finding your true self in the journey of college. In the beginning of the article, Mark Edmundson shows emphasis on the reality of college. The author adds that the professors in college won’t put in effort if the student does not do the same. To Edmundson, success is earned not given. Implying that you have to work hard and fight your way through college to graduate and be included to the occupational society.
Caroline Bird discusses, in “College is a waste of Time and Money,” her opinion on the recurring failure of education in universities. Bird alleges that college is not for everyone, but society forces high school graduates to go to college. College is believed to be the ticket to a successful career, however it some cases it is a waste of time because some classes are worthless. Those who actually decide to go to college, do so because it is a safe haven and it is payed for by parents. It is at the end a waste of time and money, according to Caroline Bird.
In his article, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” Charles Murray argues that too many people are going to college universities when they should be focusing on other lifestyle options. In his opinion, whether or not to attend college is a personal decision that should be thoroughly thought through. When weighed with the unrealistic prerequisites, the financial expenses, and the time needed to obtain a degree, many people will find that attending college will not be beneficial to them. Speaking of this Murray attests, “The question here is not whether the traditional four-year residential college is fun or valuable as a place to grow up, but when it makes sense as a place to learn how to make a living.
Students often leave high school with the mentality that they must enter a college. However, in the book, Is College Worth It?, by William J. Bennett and David Wilezol debates the positive and negative aspects of attending college. It is not known which was the first university to appear in the United States, but the most notorious college to be established in the 1600s was Harvard University. Since the 1600s, colleges have only been increasing in an abundant of states in the United States. Unfortunately, Bennett and Wilezol, first two chapters introduce the negative aspects of college; and, chapters three and four are universal arguments that go against each other.
As a college student who is currently spending thousands of dollars to further my education and achieve a career goal, it was, at first, disheartening to read Caroline Bird ’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money”. However, after thoroughly examining her points, I now see that her essay is illogical. In her piece “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird argues against the idea that “college is the best place for all high-school graduates” (1); in other words, college isn’t for everyone. Throughout her writing, Bird supplies her readers with evidence that explains how, for some individuals, college is a waste of not only time and money, but of intellectual effort, as well.
“College in America” Caroline Bird thinks that a college education may not be the best choice for all high school students because college education does not bring about social equality, it does not benefit them financially, and it is not guaranteed that college will lead them to an elite profession. First of all, high school students are expected to bring about social equality through four rigorous years in college. However, college is an expensive way to categorize the highs and lows in society. It is pressuring to younger students to pursue a higher education that only a few could achieve, and is also difficult for them to established an identity in society. Second, a college education does not benefit the youth financially because it is
Firstly, Edmundson begins the article by stating what colleges are really after. He claims that student’s must “fight against the institution” in order to receive the education they are after.
He believes that we have made getting a further education a ticket to becoming respected in society or a “symbol of first-class citizenship” (Murray 250). He claims that the problem starts when politicians, guidance counselors and educators tell young people they should try their best to get into college. They push this on students in schools all the time. They do this because they are following society’s wishes or “the larger culture” (Murray 251). His opinion is that we are pushing something that is not accessible or attainable by the majority of the country and creating unrealistic expectations of the generation that is going through all of this.
Therefore, it is simply up to the student, what they would like to do with that invested money that is going towards their education. They can either utilize the tools provided in school, and work hard towards a better future, or simply watch that money dissolve. Edmundson claims, “The best students and the ones who get the most out of their educations are the ones that come to school with the most energy to learn” (Edmundson 521). This indicates, that many of the students who enter college are not necessarily the most intelligent, rather they are driven to learn and
Throughout the essay, Charles Murray stresses the idea that college is the wonderland of finding oneself and to find the career that one would want to follow for the rest of their lives. “College is seen as the open sesame to a good job and a desirable way for adolescents to transition to adulthood. Neither reason is as persuasive as it first appears.” Murray, C (2008) Practically spoken, this is not normally the case. College is a fair amount of work, much more work than one would normally acquire through any course of a high school or secondary school setting.
For many people, college is an important key for their future. Some people go to college for the job opportunities and the new windows it can open. Others go just for the education and experience. A good education is beneficial from many different viewpoints; in truth, it is a possibility that one's adult life could be much harder than people care to think. One can have better wealth, is less likely to be unemployed, and a much higher chance of being closer to your family.
Is College Worth the Cost? Life’s success is achieved in different ways. (Director, n.d.) A lot of television programs and magazines instills the idea in us that being successful means; having a fulfilling career, having a lot of money and being powerful. Most religious and spiritual organizations, in contrast, claim that success means being at peace with God and finding spiritual happiness.
It is easy to think college is not worth the cost to become better, but getting educated makes people better, and happier in the future and sometimes even in better health (Leonhardt 25 ). Becoming a better and happier person is good for everyone. Even former President Obama says “‘Education helps us be better people. It helps us be better citizens. You came to college to learn about the world and to engage with new ideas and to discover the things you 're passionate about -- and maybe have a little fun’”
Position statement: For college Should I or should I not, that is the decision we all encounter when we finally reach high school. Now, there are many factors that will affect a person’s life. The most important of these factors is whether or not one has a college degree. Through out this essay I will discuss why I believe that it would be advantageous for students to continue their education in college. I believe this because the unemployment rate (proven by FRED) among high school graduates is incredibly much higher than people that have graduated from college.