Dr. Olsen
English 101
October 4, 2012
Pressures Of Higher Education It is a brisk day in October, and all the leaves are crackling as every college student around the country is headed to his or her library, trying to get some studying in for the next exams. Some fully understand the subject matter and will constantly pressure themselves to keep on getting better; Others do not fully understand the subject mater and are too busy thinking about how they intend to pay for this class again once they fail. Most belong somewhere in the middle, constantly contemplating why they even put the stress of higher education onto themselves. Higher education is the catalyst to advancing our society to unknown boundaries. The pressures that come along with higher education vary from relaxed to extremely exhausting. These pressures are showcased nonstop in community colleges, state universities and lastly Ivy League private universities. While community colleges have often been looked down upon as a relaxed version of actual higher education, community colleges have been proven to raise the amount of pressure and stress on the enrolled students. The levels of difficulty of the curriculums are indeed lower than those of other colleges and universities. That is not necessarily a bad thing knowing that the typical student enrolled in community college either was not fully prepared for the challenge of other colleges or universities, or they just were not financially ready to make that step up. These struggling students need more time to work on their problems. Students can pursue an Associates Degree in their major without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of trying to get a bachelor’s degree too early, leading them into failing grades. The students that are enrolled simply because of not having the financial means to enroll into other colleges and universities tend to have a high level of stress, not because they feel stunned by the subject matter, but because