College is about getting a degree, but staying in a library or a dorm all day is going to make a miserable four years. College is about allowing students to feel independent and to get involved, which results in living in a stable environment, as well as community engagement. Of course getting an education is prominent, but there are other essential components to a college lifestyle. In Graeme Wood’s essay, “Is College Doomed?”, he explains the diverse dynamics of the online school, Minerva. The founder of Minerva, Ben Nelson, explained to Wood that, students yearly, “attend university in a different place, so that after four years they’ll have the kind of international experience that other universities advertise but can rarely deliver” (Wood…
Sometimes a stern warning is just what you need in order to push you to take a step back and evaluate your next move, especially when it could be a life changing one. In “Alumnus Welcomes New UC Berkeley Students with Stern Warning,” Shouak Bagchi, an alumnus of UC Berkeley, addresses the Berkeley freshmen class of 2017 with appraisal and advice for the future. Bagchi writes to the new students about what attending one of the most prestigious public universities entails. This article is rhetorically persuasive due to the fact that Bagchi is an alumnus of UC Berkeley. He references topics that the students can relate to and he mentions many of the successful alumni of the university.…
In his book, Why Teach? In Defense of a Real Education, Mark Edmunson includes an essay titled “Liberal Arts & Lite Entertainment in which he talks about numerous phenomena happening in American school systems. About halfway through the essay, while on a rant about colleges competing against one another for students, Edmundson adds that individual departments also contend for students, and more specifically how the humanities “now must struggle to attract students” (14). The professor offers a couple of effects that loosening up has had on the branch. First, he claims that grading is not tough and students are hardly allowed to fail.…
My parents have always told me I am “special” and “weird” at the same time. My easy understanding of complex medical terms and procedures has always surprised them, as well as my creativity regarding visual arts and my passion for reading. Therefore, after reading about The Brown Curriculum, I was thrilled to be able to take lessons such as the infinity of mathematics and Russia’s escape from Communism. Finally, Brown is the university I am enamoured with; it is my dream to attend this university as it will allow me to grow as a holistic person.…
In the article, “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, the authors did research on several colleges around the country to see whether our investment on higher education is really worth the money that we pay for it. The authors believe that universities are the ones responsible for the doubling of tuition costs compared to what they used to be , and not fulfilling the most important objective to student’s which is: “to challenge the minds of young people” (180). In the article, Hacker and Dreifus outline some things they think would help improve some of the problems in the college system and a few universities that they like, and tell us why these schools have won their favor. Being an incoming freshman at Grambling State University, I’ve been able to see some of the issues universities can have from budget cuts, to problems with the G-men football team.…
This has made me become resilient and versatile. With my family’s business background combined with my past experiences regarding adaptation I aspire to be a successful business person in this ever-changing global economic climate. I yearn to work internationally in the field of business and I hope one day I can fulfill this dream. I can envision myself pursuing my aspirations on a UC campus in the future. With the UC system being one of the best public school systems in the world, having a diverse multicultural environment, and being in the IT business state of the world, I believe strongly that I can entrust myself and my future learning right here at…
Two professors of different backgrounds, Mike Rose of California, and Gerald Graff, of Illinois, discuss the problems college students face today in America. Though similar in slight variations, both professors view the problem in different regards and prepare solutions that solve what they feel to be the heart of this academic problem.…
For centuries institutes of higher education have been thought of as places where free speech and ideas can flow, free of restrictions. Universities and colleges alike served as hubs for people with different ideas to gather, argue, debate, and ultimately become more informed on various issues. However, over the past few years things have changed, and not for the better.…
At many colleges across the country, the ingredients for academic success now include a steady flow of…
It seems that in this day and age the college curriculum does not only put emphasis on the giving and receiving of facts and information, but is inevitably being pushed in the direction of student entertainment. Subjects such as literature, philosophy, and history are not as popular as they once were, and are in danger of becoming extinct in the academic world. Mark Edmundson's essay, "The Uses of a Liberal Education", provides many interesting and valid points on why the liberal arts field is becoming devalued in the education system.…
Today in America many people question whether or not college is truly worth the stress, time, and cost it throws on an individual. With these “burdens” comes alienation from the outside world with little fun and fulfilling experiences. Some people even say that many college students have zero creativity, and are proud of it. This idea of self-growth and freedom along with a diverting experience, while going through college, is something that Rick Perlstein himself has had the opportunity to do. Unfortunately, Perlstein experienced this in his days, and has come to realization that, “College as America used to understand it, is coming to an end” (Perlstein). With this article being published in the liberal magazine, New York Times, many people, mostly ones who have gone through college, completely disagreed with his opinion. One of those insulted people being Liz Addison. Addison’s claim argues that college is yes, much different, but in a positive way, especially in the community colleges. All together in her one sided- argument, she includes several rhetorical devices to persuade, inform, and emotionally prove her claim. These devices being ethos, and pathos, gives her a strong foundation and effective argument to the liberal audience she is writing her article to.…
“Liberal education is built on these values: it aspires to nurture the growth of human talent in the service of human freedom.” These words depict a culture of allowing a group of young individuals to unveil and fulfill their particular skills and talents. Through a communal effort it can be possible for students to willingly discover their purpose in life in a liberal education. I cannot wait to begin studying a variety of subjects in order to ultimately find my niche at Muhlenberg. It is evident from the article that a liberal arts education will provide me with the necessary tools to succeed not only in college but in life as well.…
As a former Ivy League professor, Menand was never questioned about what he was teaching his students. But while teaching at a public university, he was shocked after a number of students continued to ask him questions such as “Why did we have to read this book?” The interesting question allowed him to create three theories that explain different views of the modern college education.…
U.S. high schools and colleges campuses each reflect the diversity of today’s world. Preparing a student body that is a microcosm of the community. Each within the boundaries set forth by society. .…
Peering into an 8:00 am class full of freshman college students, many observations can be made. There are students with their heads down, (obviously still listening to the professor) students with their pencils racing, students with their minds wondering, and students with their attention to the teacher. As one might note, not all students have their mind focused on what they paid for. Some people go through college as a party or just because it’s become one of societies “norms”; others have a set goal in mind. However, if used to its best ability, college allows one to gain an advantage over high school diploma holders, by attaining the knowledge, skillsets, and tools to achieve or explore their career goals.…