Summary Of The Undereducation Of An Overachiever By Walter Kirn
Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever by Walter Kirn is the story of Kirn’s experiences throughout his education. Kirn is a boy from a small town in Minnesota who went on to graduate from Princeton and received the Keasbey scholarship to Oxford. One would think that he is an extremely educated man because of these schools that he attended, but he spends most of the novel discussing how he did not really learn, he just knew how to work the system. This book raises questions about the effectiveness of the American school system and shows why it is both successful and futile.
Walter Kirn knows that he did not get into Princeton due to his intellectual abilities, but because he understood how to take multiple choice tests. Kirn was a master of
…show more content…
He used this to his advantage in writing and in conversation, making himself come off smarter than he actually was. He also happened to have a knack for multiple choice, a skill that helped him achieve a perfect score on the SAT. The reason that Kirn succeeded in school was because of his natural skills and his competitive spirit, which made him want to be the best in his class. Yet many kids, even in elementary school worked far harder than him but just did not possess the same ability to breeze through school. In fourth grade, students were encouraged to compete in reading by seeing who could read the most the fastest. Kirn came second only to a girl named Karla. Yet Karla actually read each passage and retained information, while Kirn only skimmed for the multiple choice answers that were at the end. When the school year ends, Karla tells Kirn “Students who
Octavian Nothing Traitor To The Nation Summary
913 Words | 4 PagesIn the novel, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party, by MT Anderson, follows a young boy named Octavian. This book is set in Boston in the 1700s. As a 13-year-old, Octavian’s mother is bought as a slave by Mr. Gitney, the head of the college, as a 2-for-1 deal. Mr. Gitney is conducting an experiment at his college, the College of Lucidity. He is trying to figure out if an African American could be as intelligent as white royalty if they are provided with the same education.
Comparing Mccandless Strengths And Weaknesses
68 Words | 1 PagesCollege was a chance and opportunity for higher learning discoveries of McCandless’ strengths and weaknesses. Attending Emory University and receiving exemplary grades was another achievement that he was able to do on his own, “His grades were nearly perfect” (136). If McCandless was indeed insane, he would not have been able to receive the grades he did, he had to follow the rules and not be an outcast.
Analysis Of Ken Illgunas Walden On Wheels
1256 Words | 6 PagesIn American culture, working long, tiring hours is considered the only way to live. Many individuals feel pressured to follow the path society has set out for them. Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom, chronicles Ken Illgunas’ journey to self efficacy. His 2013 memoir follows his grapple with student debt and social pressure.
Rhetorical Analysis Of America Needs Its Nerds
457 Words | 2 Pages“America Needs its Nerds” Analysis Leonid Fridman’s use of irony, the rhetorical triangle, and rhetorical questions in his article “America Needs its Nerds” develops his argument that American society should be more accepting of intellectuals. His tone is critical of society’s values, which is seen through his use of phrases such as, “there is something very wrong with the system of values,” (1). Through his reference to Harvard University, a “prestigious academic institution” (11), he demonstrates that society tends to look down upon intellectuals by revealing that many students are “ashamed to admit” (13) the amount of time they spend on their studies. The fact that even at Harvard, a school known for its focus on intellectualism, students still perpetuate the anti-intellectualism stereotype shows the extent of the problem with the values of America’s current society.
Summary Of The Overachievers By Alexandra Robbins
1104 Words | 5 PagesQuestion: 1 Alexandra Robbins wrote the Overachievers intending to make people aware of how stress on high school students has changed our education system. She wanted people to understand how stress on high school students affects their health and attitude. The Overachievers was written specifically towards students, educators, and counselors. Robbins proposes a solution to help limit the harmful effects of stress of students.
If I Were A Poor Black Kid Summary
800 Words | 4 PagesIn “If I Were A Poor Black Kid,” writer Gene Marks claims that poor inner city children have opportunities to be successful in life if they follow the advices/ideas he gives such as, to magnet/private school, have technology access and get good grades. Throughout the article Marks, emphasizes that poor inner city kids have the ability to be successful but they do not want to use the resource they have available. This article has been a controversial because Marks compare himself with the poor inner city kids without having knowledge about the challenges poor inner city kids face daily. The argument the author presents in the article may seem logical on the surface but investigating more deeply it can be unreasonable. Gene Marks is a man who comes from a middle class white background.
A Letter To The Editor Based On Response To Cedric Jennings Education Journey
1011 Words | 5 PagesA Letter to the Editor Based on Response to Cedric Jennings' Education Journey The Pulitzer-winning story of Ron Suskind about Cedric Jennings, a son of the drug dealer and the Agriculture Department worker, has been a source of inspiration for many students who struggle to change their lives by getting prestigious education. Cedric has lived in Southeast Washington, and the school he has attended (Ballou High School) consists mostly of black teens connected with gangs and drugs: the circumstances are not friendly for an aspiring learner. Cedric Jennings has made his educational and career path successful due to the social capital he has received in his family; structural and expressive racism have influenced his character and led him to his
Summary Gerald Graff Hidden Intellectualism
241 Words | 1 PagesAudry Baldwin Professor Ryan-Johnson Engl 1113-393 22 January 2017 Summary of Hidden Intellectualism In Gerald Graff ’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism” he implies that “street smarts” is an underappreciated trait that many people view as “anti-intellectual. He believes that street smarts can pave the way to becoming book smart and that schools may be at fault for these students not doing well by “overlooking the opportunity to channel it into good academic work” (1).
Hidden Intellectualism Gerald Graff
363 Words | 2 PagesGerald Graff’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism” contemplates the age-old idea that street smarts are anti-intellectual. However, as Graff points out, “schools and colleges are at fault for missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into academic smarts.” (244). What Graff means by this is that being street smart does not mean a person lacks intelligence. Rather, educational institutions need to find a way to effectively ‘tap into’ this different format of intellectualism to produce academic intelligence.
Hidden Intellectualism Gerald Graff Analysis
745 Words | 3 PagesThe main argument is that perceived throughout the reading is that the schools itself is failing students. They see a student who may not have the greatest test scores or the best grades, and degrade them from the idea of being intellectual. Graff states, “We associate the educated life, the life of the mind, too narrowly and exclusively with subjects and texts that we consider inherently weighty and academic” (Graff 244). Schools need to channel the minds of street smart students and turn their work into something academic.
Summary Of Noah Count And The Kansas Ark By Gary Blackwood
513 Words | 3 PagesIn the story Noah count and the Arkansas ark by Gary Blackwood, the author demonstrates how the family in the text are poorly educated and how the boy thinks of his family. The boy in the story learned the lesson that even though his family members aren’t educated the way he is, doesn’t mean they aren’t smart. The boy’s views of his family change as the story develops. When the story begins, the boy thinks that his family isn’t very scientific. In the middle of the story, he Is embarrassed by them.
Hunger Of Memory Analysis
1040 Words | 5 PagesOnce, American football player, coach and executive Vince Lombardi said “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. Hunger of Memory is the story of Richard Rodriguez, a Mexican American who begins his studies in California without knowing English and steps up finishing his studies at a university of prestige. His life is challenging and full of nostalgia and that is what makes the reader truly get the feeling. In Hunger of Memory, Richard feels a loss, and this is because he gives up his native language; Spanish.
Wes Moore Analysis
1181 Words | 5 Pageshave it quite as well, however. His father was still alive and well, but left Wes with Mary, and didn’t care to have a relationship with his son. One of the few times Wes interacted with his father was when he went to his Mamie’s house. His Mamie was his father’s mother, and his father just happened to be drunk. Wes Moore, the author, attended a very expensive private school, but he did not try to excel.
Malcolm Gladwell Outliers The American Dream
1751 Words | 8 PagesMy understanding of the “American Dream” is a concept of migrating to the United States, starting from scratch, and becoming rich and successful by working hard. But after reading Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell change my perspective of the “American Dream” by providing the idea of luck and opportunity playing a major factor in one 's success. Almost all the success story of the immigrant in the book was by opportunity because of birth, chance by cultural background and circumstances. Gladwell changed my view of how the “American Dream” is accomplished, not solely by hard work, but luck and opportunity are what factor into someone accomplishing the “American Dream”. Reading Outliers, the main thesis or central premise of Gladwell on why some people
Malcolm Gladwell Persuasive Techniques
787 Words | 4 PagesIn the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell uses the persuasive techniques such as figurative language, rhetorical questions, and analogies to persuade readers that the American view of success is wrong, and that success is the product of opportunities, hidden advantages, and hard work. In Chapter Two, these techniques are used to describe his idea of “The 10,000-Hour Rule” - that belief it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. Gladwell’s basis for the 10,000-hour rule is that people who are experts in their field became so good from hidden and rare opportunities that allowed them to practice their skills. One example gladwell uses are The Beatles, whom Gladwell identifies as one of the most famous rock bands ever.
More about Summary Of The Undereducation Of An Overachiever By Walter Kirn
Octavian Nothing Traitor To The Nation Summary
913 Words | 4 PagesComparing Mccandless Strengths And Weaknesses
68 Words | 1 PagesAnalysis Of Ken Illgunas Walden On Wheels
1256 Words | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of America Needs Its Nerds
457 Words | 2 PagesSummary Of The Overachievers By Alexandra Robbins
1104 Words | 5 PagesIf I Were A Poor Black Kid Summary
800 Words | 4 PagesA Letter To The Editor Based On Response To Cedric Jennings Education Journey
1011 Words | 5 PagesSummary Gerald Graff Hidden Intellectualism
241 Words | 1 PagesHidden Intellectualism Gerald Graff
363 Words | 2 PagesHidden Intellectualism Gerald Graff Analysis
745 Words | 3 PagesSummary Of Noah Count And The Kansas Ark By Gary Blackwood
513 Words | 3 PagesHunger Of Memory Analysis
1040 Words | 5 PagesWes Moore Analysis
1181 Words | 5 PagesMalcolm Gladwell Outliers The American Dream
1751 Words | 8 PagesMalcolm Gladwell Persuasive Techniques
787 Words | 4 Pages