Students enroll in college every year confused on how to go about the whole college thing. They’re not sure what major to choose, what classes they should take, and how to get their money’s worth. Mark Edmundson’s article “Who are You and What are you doing here” is an article meant for incoming freshmen college students who still haven’t figured out who they are yet and what they want to do. Throughout his article Edmundson is questioning what college is all about. He persuades us that college is about fulfilling yourself. Learning what you want to learn, getting the education you want and to follow your interests. He begins the article very bluntly by stating that hard work, good grades, and listening to your teachers isn’t going to magically …show more content…
Their biggest fear are lawsuits, bad publicity and dissatisfying their students. Teachers are too afraid to confront students of cheating or bad behavior. They fear kicking students out of college. Teachers fear putting their own perspective on their teaching because they do not want to get sued. The article then begins to turn and talk about self-realization. He says priest, teachers, family, and friends tell us who we are and who we should be. They tell us what is right and wrong, and we just go along on what he has to say. He tells us how much he admires Sigmund Freud and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson has shown him the way of self-realization and learning to trust himself, even if nobody agrees. Freud has inspired him by taking his own insights and interpretations and putting them out in the world. Edmundson then brings up his father again. He tell us about the talk they had during dinner. His dad persuades him to put his own knowledge and thoughts onto the concepts he was learning. Ask the professors questions to get insight on what you are learning. If you don’t agree argue with your professors, give them your thoughts and your feelings. Instead of agreeing with philosophers become your own philosopher. Edmundson’s father persuades us to trust
In Kwame Anthony Appiah’s article, “What Is the Point of College?”, he discusses the division of college into two main purposes that both intertwines and clashes with each other. The first is to provide students the practical knowledge and skills that can be applied in the “real world”, once they graduate and enter the workforce. It caters to the students’ wants and expectations in the hopes that it’s steep price tag will be justified. The second is to expand the minds of the students and have them think out of the box. It encourages them to challenge their own ideologies and be open to that of others.
Edmundson began this essay with a confession of his awareness on teacher interpretations. He explains that he is apprehensive of what they will expect and accepts that he sometimes educates to try and buildup the good analysis from students. Then he explains the fact that he does not want to be characterized as “enjoyable.” Edmundson wants them to be disputed and changed by his course. Lol
1a:“College is a singular opportunity to rummage through and luxuriate in ideas, to give your brain a vigorous workout and your soul a thorough investigation, to realize how very large the world is and to contemplate your desired place in it. And that’s being lost in the admissions mania, which sends the message that college is a sanctum to be breached — a border to be crossed — rather than a land to be inhabited and tilled for all that it’s worth. ”(Bruni 10) 1b: This passage, which is included in the final pages of Bruni’s introduction, helps define both his thoughts on the purpose of college and, at the same time, why he believes the rapidly increasing focus on college admissions is a problem.
His essay self-reliance demonstrates his reasoning on the subject. He aspires for everyone to accept themselves for who they, how they and how they think; without giving in to the conformist of their society. Being a nonconformist may be seen as a treat to others and the social order in every society. Yet, knowing ones true self and acting upon the divine good in one’s self is rather a blessing to
Sanders offers a new perspective of angle on the concept of learning. When thinking of learning, most jump to memorization or intelligence, but Sanders argues that is not actually learning. He views learning as improving one’s self-image and comprehension so that they can use those skills in the future. He also offers a new perspective on the questions to ask about a college education. One shouldn’t ask how can I get my degree, but rather how they can get the most out of their degree.
School is a place where you go to spend about half of your life learning about topics that simply do not interest you or that truly won’t help you in the future. The U.S government tells the teachers what they need to teach in their schools for the class curriculums, so that the students can learn a healthy amount of material. The best thing is that many high schools fail to teach their students important things. Many teachers just pass students along through their class, because they don’t want to hold them back and deal with them for another year, but soon enough most of us move onto college. I’ve seen many people fail during college, because their high school did not push them to try to achieve great grades.
What idea does the author develop regarding the conflict between pursuing a personal desire and choosing to conform? “Street lights glow red, green and yellow too, do you let signs tell you what to do?”... The words from Lady Gaga ponder over the balance between conforming to authority or self fulfillment. Do we let our individuality falter under the presence of authority and social demands, or do we maintain our own identity and achieve self-actualization? In a society where sacrifices have to be made in order to avoid prejudice, we show tenacity towards who we are at core.
The statement, “Education is about finding out what form of work for you is close to being play”, informs the reader on how important it is about having passion for what you do. (Edmundson 9) The form of work you choose should be something pleasing to you; the statement’s meaning helps to reveal how beneficial it is to choose a form of work that restores to you. (Edmundson 9) By providing the example of the student who avoided medical school but instead chose to do what he is passionate about which is teaching and writing books provided truth in how in what Edmundson was
Today, most students always hear about college being an “extremely expensive way to get an education.” While this is true, it has become noticeable that students planning to receive an education at a four-year institution have begun to focus more on the cost of college, rather than the worth of it on who they are as an individual. Overall, the discussion of college has become a very controversial topic. From the cost to the social issues on campus, many people will find several reasons to condemn the idea of college. In his essay, “What’s College For?,” William Deresiewicz uses several literary and rhetorical elements, such as ethos and pathos to build upon his argument that college is more about just the idea of an education; moreover it’s about developing as a human being.
What this essay is saying about students and education is there is no student who doesn’t want to learn or what’s to get an education. Everybody is capable of learning, but the problem is sometimes the education are given by people who don’t care if you are learning or not. In this essay, we learned that the author was put in classes where the teachers didn’t care too much about their students and because of this he become a mediocre student. Not because he didn’t like school or he was lazy, but because there was no inspiration in learning. Luckily, Mike Rose the author of I Just Wanna Be Average found someone that wants him to start learning someone that make him change his mind.
College is one of the most significant times in a person’s life. Every year high school kids will visit many different colleges so that they can be confident in their college decision. Some kids will follow in their parent’s foot steps and base their decision on where their mom or dad went, though, not all kids are fortunate to have help from their parents. Many kids nowadays may be the first in their family to take on higher education. The article, “First Generation College Students: Unprepared and Behind” by Liz Riggs explains that kids who are the first in their family to take on college are at a disadvantage compared to kids with parents who attended college.
In his essay “Dwelling in Possibilities”, Mark Edmundson claims that students today have a drive to experience the world, but that their incessant need to keep their options open prevents them from fully appreciating what they have. When he claims this, however, he provides evidence, both anecdotal and statistical, and does it in a way to doesn 't come across as condescending or disapproving, unlike the majority of older adults commenting on the peculiarities of the Millennial generation. His work shows a genuine interest and curiosity into the causes, and effects, of this mindset on young adults. Generally speaking, Edmundson’s essay is a composition I can agree with. He posits that the desire exhibited by many members of my own generation, a desire I myself relate to,
A higher education pushes individuals to think, question and explore new and valuable ideas. An excellent education teaches students how to credibly think and prioritise when learning. David Wallace, who gave the Kenyon commencement speech, quoted, “[Learning how to think] means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience”. In his speech, Wallace is endorsing the idea that a higher education doesn't just throw knowledge at students, but it teaches them how to selectively compose their thoughts and construct a meaning from knowledge. Wallace also makes the point that individuals need to learn to adjust their “natural default setting” to become less self-centered.
A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.
Choosing a college major is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life. The effect choosing a college major has on one’s life is much like a small ripple in the middle of a vast ocean. In the students senior year it is a simple seemingly inconsequential click of a button on an online application. But by the time this once meek ripple reaches the shore of the students’ life it has already transformed into a great tidal wave that has influenced their life every step of the way.