ipl-logo

Summary Of Excellent Sheep By William Deresiewicz

518 Words3 Pages

All of us get just one fresh chance to start as a freshman in college, and I got this chance at UC Santa Cruz. I was amazed when I took a campus tour of UC Santa Cruz and found out about the irons in the fire UCSC offers. I was excited as well as nervous to start a significant part of my life at UCSC. Out of multifarious lessons life has taught me before I joined college is that no one can control change, one can only choose whether or not to accept it. I still have a lot to learn as I start my four year college adventure. In Excellent Sheep, William Deresiewicz argues how college does not just provide education. He continues by informing us that life is more important than a job; jobs are more than a paycheck; and a country more than its wealth. Deresiewicz also argues that even being a quadruple major does not make a student interesting, but looking inside themselves and finding out and doing what actually interests them makes them interesting. In doing so, he suggests how the college prepares the student to be an active student who can handle different situations from the experiences he/she will experience . He also suggests that college helps them figure out the actual …show more content…

“If you find yourself to be the same person at the end of college as you were at the beginning - the same beliefs, the same values, the same desires, the same goals for the same reason - then you did it wrong.” (Page 89, William Deresiewicz’s Excellent Sheep). Deresiewicz develops this demonstration how students should develop new skills and become more passionate about the new things. He basically claims that students should not just stay passive in college, but they should explore new things and become aware of other things instead. They have come to college to learn new things, make new friends, have new ambitions and which are the very things they should be paying more attention

Show More
Related

  • Caroline Bird Case Against College Education

    900 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Liz Addison Two Years Are Better Than Four Summary

    1531 Words  | 7 Pages

    Is college still important and relevant? The question is answered and confirmed when Liz Addison, author of “Two Years Are Better than Four”, wrote a counter argument in order to disprove the opposing views of Rick Perlstein, the author of, “What’s the Matter with College”. The topic that is being brought to light is the subject of whether or not college still matters. Perlstein that college is no longer what it used to be. It was after reading Perlstein’s article that Addison masterfully wrote her counter argument which successfully contradicted the opinionated, inaccurate views of Rick Perlstein.

    Read More

  • Caroline Bird College Is A Waste Of Time Summary

    145 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Charles Murray Are Too Many People Going To College

    299 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Charles Murray's Essay 'Are Too Many People Going To College'

    1353 Words  | 6 Pages

    People go to college to get a good paying job, have job security, and get a degree. Well at least that’s what it should be about. That’s what Charles Murray believes in his essay “Are Too Many People Going to College.” Murray counters the argument of Sanford Ungar who believes colleges should have a more liberal approach towards its classes and have students actually learn a broad range of real life skills instead of just going into a career just because it pays well. In Ungar’s essay he explains the misperception that Americans have on obtaining a liberal-arts degree and how they believe it doesn’t translate well to the real world.

    Read More

  • Caroline Bird College Is A Waste Of Time And Money Summary

    1356 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'Where College Fails Us' By Caroline Bird

    838 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Greek Philosopher Aristotle identified “The years between puberty and age twenty-one as the formative time for mind and character.” It was customary for young Greek men to attend a series of lectures that resembled our notion of a college “course”(Delbanco 36). Aristotle is a believer of education and the power it has on the development of the young mind. Likewise, he believes college is a place to establish one’s character. Caroline Bird’s essay, “Where College Fails Us,” definitely does not correlate with the opinion of Aristotle.

    Read More

  • Community College In Liz Addison's Two Years Better Than Four

    1259 Words  | 6 Pages

    Liz Addison’s essay, “Two Years Better Than Four,” was first published in the New York Times Magazine back in September of 2007. Addison went to two community colleges and majored in biology; earning her degree in 2008. In her essay, she is responding to Rick Perlstein's article “What’s the Matter with College?” in which he claims, “College as America used to understand it is coming to an end” (211). Addison refutes Perlstein’s claims by saying, “My guess, reading between the lines, is that Mr. Perlstein has never set foot in an American community college” (212).

    Read More

  • Education For Democracy Martha Nussbaum Analysis

    671 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martha Nussbaum, then reminds the reader that these types of colleges are very active in class and to stay afloat in them, it’s highly recommended that you participate in class, no longer can just relax and look out of the class’s windows and expect to pass, “is its characteristic emphasis on the active participation of the child in inquiry and questioning.” This relates back to what Ronald Barnett wrote about. Both writers are trying to convince their readers that college is no place to fool around. If you plan on succeeding you must push yourself, ask questions, participate in classes and do hours of library work that might just lead you nowhere. College is a time to grow and isn’t always

    Read More

  • College At Risk Summary

    545 Words  | 3 Pages

    Going to college for many students is just a normal part of life. It is what will enable them to get an education that eventually will lead to get a well-paid job and the resources and the status to live a comfortable life. But for college professor, Andrew Delbanco, the American college has a higher purpose. In the article “College at Risk”, Delbanco states that colleges should be promoting critical thinking among students, through knowledge of the past and the interaction with each other; as well as, help them discover their talents and passions and figure out what they want to do in life. This type of education is called liberal arts and for Delbanco, it represents the ideal education.

    Read More

  • Third Chapter Of Rebekah Nathan's My Freshman Year: Community And Diversity

    2050 Words  | 9 Pages

    Most often, professors find an interest in the daily life of a college student, especially freshmen starting a new experience all over again. What is it like for them in college, and how does it compare to the modern college experience for the freshmen of today? A discussion on the third chapter of Rebekah Nathan’s My Freshman Year, “Community and Diversity” and how those two entities, or lack thereof can affect a student’s enthusiasm towards learning, doing homework, and immersing themselves in their own college experience. In the book, Nathan, a college professor, immerses herself into college life and makes an attempt to relive her college experience in the current time to find answers on why her students are not as animated about learning

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Charles Murray What's Wrong With Vocational School

    913 Words  | 4 Pages

    He explains the disadvantage many are at when they pursue a certain degree for four years with the mindset that they will have a guaranteed job when they receive their diploma. Murray portrays how that idea is false when he says, “A bachelor’s degree in a field such as sociology, psychology, economics, history, or literature certifies nothing.” (678) His use of pathos appeals to his audience emotions, being that his audience is most likely students in this predicament. No matter who his audience is, however, anyone can understand the relevancy of college graduates investing their life into this four- year school with nothing but a degree to show for it.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Three Reasons College Still Matters By Andrew Delbanco

    869 Words  | 4 Pages

    “3 Reasons College Still Matters” by Andrew Delbanco 3) “Surely, every American college ought to defend this waning possibility, whatever we call it. And an American college is only true to itself when it opens its doors to all - the rich, the middle, and the poor - who have the capacity to embrace the precious chance to think and reflect before life engulfs them. If we are all serious about democracy, that means everyone.” 4) In this part of the writing Andrew Delbanco tries to persuade his audience by using the pattern of logic that agrees with the overall argument but also considers another striking point of view to strengthen the argument (While these arguments are convincing, they must also consider…).

    Read More

  • Charles Murray's Essay Are Too Many People Going To College

    1090 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of What Are You Do Here By Edmundson

    618 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Summary Of Excellent Sheep By William Deresiewicz

Open Document