Should Everyone Attend College
Savannah Hobbs
English 1020 Section 2
12 September 2013
Textual Analysis 1
Should Everyone Attend College? In Charles Murray’s work “Are Too Many People Going to College”, first published in The American September 8, 2008, he asks that very vital question: Are too many attending college? To fully grasp what is meant by this question one must take into account all major factors of a college education and career opportunities elsewhere. Murray believes that, “To ask whether too many people are going to college requires us to think about the importance and nature of liberal education” (222). The author states that the knowledge many students strive to learn in college is something that should already be known. According to Murray, “K-8 are the right years to teach the core knowledge” (224). In other words, Murray is saying that liberal arts should have had a strong foundation starting in elementary school, so by the time one who still needs to pursue college will be able to grasp the harder material. Even so, Murray suggests all people who have the academic ability should not try to get a liberal arts college education. Many people who have the intelligence to understand the material presented to them, may not enjoy actually doing the work. (227) Another valid point Murray brings up is the social expectation and status that comes with a college education. Throughout his essay presents strong arguments in which I agree. Not everyone should go to college because not every individual benefits from it. Some people may not have the time, money or ability to enjoy college. Others may just be going to college because it is the societal norm or to gain prestige. First of all, for many people paying for college not only by means of money, but by means of time is a stretch. The author writes, “For the student who wants to become a good hotel manager, software designer, accountant, hospital administrator, farmer, high-school teacher, social worker, journalist,
English 1020 Section 2
12 September 2013
Textual Analysis 1
Should Everyone Attend College? In Charles Murray’s work “Are Too Many People Going to College”, first published in The American September 8, 2008, he asks that very vital question: Are too many attending college? To fully grasp what is meant by this question one must take into account all major factors of a college education and career opportunities elsewhere. Murray believes that, “To ask whether too many people are going to college requires us to think about the importance and nature of liberal education” (222). The author states that the knowledge many students strive to learn in college is something that should already be known. According to Murray, “K-8 are the right years to teach the core knowledge” (224). In other words, Murray is saying that liberal arts should have had a strong foundation starting in elementary school, so by the time one who still needs to pursue college will be able to grasp the harder material. Even so, Murray suggests all people who have the academic ability should not try to get a liberal arts college education. Many people who have the intelligence to understand the material presented to them, may not enjoy actually doing the work. (227) Another valid point Murray brings up is the social expectation and status that comes with a college education. Throughout his essay presents strong arguments in which I agree. Not everyone should go to college because not every individual benefits from it. Some people may not have the time, money or ability to enjoy college. Others may just be going to college because it is the societal norm or to gain prestige. First of all, for many people paying for college not only by means of money, but by means of time is a stretch. The author writes, “For the student who wants to become a good hotel manager, software designer, accountant, hospital administrator, farmer, high-school teacher, social worker, journalist,