Andrew Delbanco Three Reasons College Still Matters Summary

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

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.

“Education is the key to success” is a common phrase said by many of our millennial cohorts. The idea that education is a critical component of acquiring an eminent lifestyle has dated back since premodern times. Individuals are now constantly enrolling in postsecondary institutions in hopes of attaining endless opportunities along with the implied benefits that results from a college degree. Nevertheless, a college education is, unfortunately, not accessible to all people. In “The Diploma Divide,” Kassie Bracken explores the major disparity among low income students and their affluent counterparts on obtaining a postsecondary degree in the U.S. With the employment of an alluring appeal to one’s emotions, a use of despondent word choices to establish a dispirited ambience, and a distinguished platform to elucidate the author’s thoughts, Kassie effectively promoted her argument on how a college education is not attainable for all individuals.

Henry Bienen, president emeritus of Northwestern University disagrees with the premise that too many kids go to college. To support his opinion, he says that we should not use the anecdotal records of those select few like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, no matter how compelling, to generalize about the population as a whole. He professes that the argument about too many people going to college was made in the 70’s and was wrong then, and it is still wrong. He asserts that we now have lots more information and studies to support why it is wrong.

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.

In “The Dangers of Telling Poor Kids That College Is the Key to Social Mobility”, Andrew Simmons, a high school teacher who teaches in a poor area of Los Angeles, argues that students should be taught to go to college in order to have “an intellectual awakening”. The writer’s purpose is to persuade and inform his readers to accept his view on the flaws of the education system. According to Simmons, teachers promote higher education by focusing on the economic advantages it could bring instead of the actual education that is offered. Because teachers focus on the financial benefits of college, students in poor areas focus on their potential wealth instead of their future education while students in wealthier areas focus on their future careers

In the articles “Stop Scaring Students” by Devorah Lieberman and “College Is a Waste of Time and Money” by Caroline Bird, the authors debate the value of college education. This topic is vital to a college student's success because the articles may help mold their decisions. While Lieberman and Bird’s opinions may differ, they share a common interest- to educate students on their options after high school. In “Stop Scaring Students”, Devorah Lieberman argues that a college education is still a valuable investment in today’s world.

College has had an increase in the amount of attention received over the course of a few decades as the debate on whether or not to go to college has waged on. Amongst the tidal wave of college advocates is Anthony Carnevale; he argues that people should go to college as it provides a substantially higher chance of being able to sustain themselves with higher income over the course of their lives. (par. 3) There is strong opposition to the societal preaching by Stephanie Owen and Isabelle Sawhill who claim that a college education only provides a higher income in certain fields of study.

In his essay, "College isn't for Everyone. Let's Stop Pretending It Is," Michael Petrilli uses the title of his article to clearly state the opinion that college is simply not for everyone. He supports this opinion on the statistically low college graduation rate of lower income students. He links this low rate of graduation to poor performance in high school, which leaves students unready for college upon completion of twelfth grade. On the job technical training is presented as a viable alternative to college, where a skill can be obtained to provide a career.

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.

“On average, college graduates make significantly more money over their lifetime than those without a degree… What gets less attention is the fact that not all college degrees or college graduates are equal. ”(pg.208 para. 1) Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill are senior researchers at Brookings’ Center on Children and Families, Sawhill is also a senior fellow in economics study at Brookings’. Owen and Sawhill authored the essay, “Should everyone go to College?” The authors use a wide variety of rhetorical devices in the essay, including ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade their audience to take another look at whether college is the right choice for them.

Delbanco explains how students have changed their reasons for attending a college when he states, “...yet on the assumption that immersing themselves in learning for the sheer joy of it, with the aim of deepening their understanding of culture, nature, and, ultimately, themselves, is a vain indulgence” (222). Secondary education has become too expensive for learning to be an indulgence. Students only go to college to get a degree in order to gain a high paying career. Davidson explains how dire the situation with low paying job is by saying how the process should work, “Only through productivity growth can the average quality of human life improve” (339). Unfortunately, the productivity growth only leaves a bigger pay gap.

In “Are Too Many People Going to College?”, Charles Murray writes, “Today, if you do not get a B.A., many people assume it is because you are too dumb or too lazy” (253). Basically, Murray is chastising the social norm for a young adult to get a college degree. Though I concede that expectations to go to college put on by counselors, parents, and the media are way too much, I still insist that everyone should be able to go to college regardless as it is financially beneficial and provides a unique perspective of the world. Although Murray puts up a good defense of how America infatuation with a college degree can lead to a class disparity, the author lacks the practicality of Core Knowledge, consideration of how a college education has its intrinsic and monetary merits that students can get by completing a degree, and an opposing view that a college degree does not necessarily lessen the

Gary Gutting and Mark Edmundson the authors of the essays “What is College For?” and “On the Uses of a Liberal Education” respectively expressed their opinions on how college isn’t what it used to be. Gutting said some universities don’t teach what they are supposed to; they make some classes compulsory so students end up taking classes that are unnecessary. In result when students are given these particular courses as they become disinterested and aim for average instead of learning the material. Gutting also points out lack of academic engagement is why people misinterpret the existence of the college.

Recently, higher education in the United States has been attacked and degraded. 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). These claims against higher education have caused several people to question if college is even worth going through and paying for. 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 or not college is a good investment.