In the past, college was that ‘other’ option exclusive to white, wealthy men instead of working on the family farm or a factory after grade school. Nowadays, college is viewed as a necessity to all- however, priced as a luxury. At the exponentially increasing rate of the monetary and time investments students have to accommodate for college, it is questionable whether or not a higher education is worth it anymore. By analyzing “On the Uses of Liberal Education,” “The Case Against College” and personal experiences, I propose that attending university is an expensive, stressful decision and with its outdated value, it should not be the sole prerequisite to success.
In Mark Edmundson’s article, “On the Uses of Liberal Education,” the discussion …show more content…
Linda Lee’s “The Case Against College” demonstrates that although it is still an important aspect in many people’s lives, not everyone fits into the cookie cutter mold; however, some people can truly be successful without it. She claims, “in this country two-thirds of high school graduates go on to college. In some middle-class suburbs, that number reaches 90 percent. Even so, only 27 percent of Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher”(670). College is essentially a concept of traditional expectations and social pressures rather than actually being a necessity for all. People go just because others do and want to avoid criticism for not. Observing in most cases, students pursue a higher education in order to fill a quota that has been pressured upon them since grade school. This results in the situation that, although some are truly intellectually gifted, their worth is still measured by how well they pass classes and whether or not they can obtain the one object that supposedly determines their success- a diploma. The only few who should actually consider college would be “the high-achieving students who are interested in learning for learning’s sake….school teachers, and those young people who seem certain to go on to advanced degrees in law, medicine, architecture” (672). They are the ones who should be focused on receiving a diploma as college can actually train and accustom their knowledge to flourish in their fields. However, a diploma is a myopic approach for some and can only prove an iota of one’s capabilities. The fact that everyone is expected to attend university can affect results where their true intellectual abilities cannot be at par with neither the elite students nor the demands of the classes. There are a lot of instances where students do everything they can to get accepted into a name-brand school yet eventually drop out because
In Mark Edmundson’s article, “On the Uses of Liberal Education,” the discussion …show more content…
Linda Lee’s “The Case Against College” demonstrates that although it is still an important aspect in many people’s lives, not everyone fits into the cookie cutter mold; however, some people can truly be successful without it. She claims, “in this country two-thirds of high school graduates go on to college. In some middle-class suburbs, that number reaches 90 percent. Even so, only 27 percent of Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher”(670). College is essentially a concept of traditional expectations and social pressures rather than actually being a necessity for all. People go just because others do and want to avoid criticism for not. Observing in most cases, students pursue a higher education in order to fill a quota that has been pressured upon them since grade school. This results in the situation that, although some are truly intellectually gifted, their worth is still measured by how well they pass classes and whether or not they can obtain the one object that supposedly determines their success- a diploma. The only few who should actually consider college would be “the high-achieving students who are interested in learning for learning’s sake….school teachers, and those young people who seem certain to go on to advanced degrees in law, medicine, architecture” (672). They are the ones who should be focused on receiving a diploma as college can actually train and accustom their knowledge to flourish in their fields. However, a diploma is a myopic approach for some and can only prove an iota of one’s capabilities. The fact that everyone is expected to attend university can affect results where their true intellectual abilities cannot be at par with neither the elite students nor the demands of the classes. There are a lot of instances where students do everything they can to get accepted into a name-brand school yet eventually drop out because