English 100

The Claim of Education What does it mean to receive or to claim an education? Most people in this country believe they go to school to receive an education because they deserve it. Personally I believe that is wrong to think that we are in school to receive an education or that we even deserve it. I believe that someone deserves something through efforts as well as sacrifices and that we must claim the right to be properly educated, but this country has led us to think that we don’t need to effort ourselves and that everything will be alright at the end of the day. First of all, I will discuss the difference between claiming and receiving an education. Second, I will discuss which is most important to students. Also, I will talk about cheating as a way for students to do better in the academics. Lastly, I will give an explanation on how cheating can bring harsh consequences and how it might affect them even after they are done with school. The real world won’t let us slide by with average performance or mistakes, truth is whether we conform ourselves as students or we take the easy way out we will receive consequences for our actions. Adrienne Rich on her speech delivered at the convocation of Douglas college in 1977 said “you cannot afford to think of being here to receive an education: you will do much better to think of being here to claim one.” First of all what does it mean to receive? Receive can mean to take, to accept, to admit, to welcome. There is a big difference between receiving and claiming, to claim is to demand, to take as one’s own. When you receive something you take whatever is given to you as it is, but when you claim you look for more you demand more. Claiming education means to work hard to get the most from your education. I believe that is what Adrienne Rich is referring to while giving her speech. Students get more from claiming education than just receiving it because they develop the sense of hard work. Also, students who effort

Cited: * Hara, Billie. "Why Students Cheat (what to Do about It)." Web log post. Chronicle. 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 30 May 2012. <http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/why-students-cheat-and-what-to-do-about-it/22808>. * Rich, Adrienne. "Claiming an Education." Isites.havard.edu. Web. 30 May 2012. <• http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic469725.files/Rich-Claiming%20an%20Education-1.pdf>.