America Skips School By Benjamin R. Barber And America Needs Its Nerds By Leonid Friedman

In today’s society, constant judgement as to how well you fit in achieves nothing, rather distinguishes hope for improvement. Ideas including being looked down upon for an individual’s intelligence or being pushed aside from groups due to one’s academic ability are becoming an epidemic as those who seek to better themselves are seen as inferiors. The United States today is accustomed to issues as far as the negative deterioration towards those who possess higher mental values. In America Needs Its Nerds by Leonid Fridman, a look into how geeks and nerds are identified, the reality of childhood dilemmas, and the problem in the broad spectrum of the globe are all noted and questioned as to why America as a society expresses such a negative position

As a young boy, I never truly put much into school. I put as little thought about college as well, but it took one moment that made me want the desire to succeed in my life and make something of it. Working for 12 straight hours in the middle of the hot sun, making minimum wage wasn't how I wanted to live. Going to multiple jobs and having to work all weekend, even during school occasionally was extremely difficult. This just gave me that extra drive to be more superior than anyone else. Yet, I never gave up and still pushed to be the best student I could be. Staying up late nights just to finish homework so I was able to make the best grade in class. The simplest moments in life made we want to be the best

I would describe myself as one of those students who always feel the need to do well in school. To me doing well in school ensured getting into a good college and being able to achieve your dreams. I participate in many clubs and sports in my high school career. By doing many different things it opened my eyes to many different aspects of high school. It gave me different skills, all of which I still need to this day. Also, by being a well-behaved student it sets up a good example for those who follow, especially when you are a leader. To be a good leader one has to be a good student. Leading is a privilege because many people look up to you and you should be able to be the best you

Leonid Fridman, author of "America Needs Its Nerds" wrote about how people who want to pursue their knowledge should be not be ashamed of that. Fridman develops his argument by talking about how other countries go about learning compared to the U.S, asking rhetorical questions, finding similarities between the different school/ education levels when it comes to the terms "nerd" and "geek".

Would you rather be a bigger nerd or a better athlete? I bet the majority of you said athlete because that is what American culture is rooted in. However, in his article “America Needs Its Nerds” (1990) Leonid Fridman proposes that “For America’s sake the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought.” By first spelling out how the meaning of the terms geek and nerd are derogatory, and secondly, explaining how at prestigious colleges “nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” and third, describing how other countries treat the intellectually serious– hold them and teachers above athletes– Fridman accomplishes his task. Through his utilization definition, rhetorical question, and contrast, Fridman seeks to

With passionate diction, Leonid Fridman integrates parallelism, compare and contrast, irony, along with rhetorical questions to stress the importance in accepting nerds and geeks in America; instead of shaming and stereotyping them.

I remember when my dad would always encourage me and my siblings to be successful in school, because if you are successful you will make it to the real world. The real world is tough and people need

America Needs Its Nerds,” an essay indited by Leonid Fridman, proposes a pertinent issue in today’s society: astutely gifted students are ostracized. Fridman argues that keenly intellective, curious students neegd to stop being inglorious of being perspicacious and curious. Society needs to transmute because their current posture towards astuteness is one of pessimism. Fridman develops these arguments in his essay by utilizing the rhetorical strategy of parallelism, drawing conclusions, and utilizing

In his essay “America Needs Its Nerds”, author Leonid Fridman discusses the stigma against so-called “nerds” and how these nerds are essential to America in keeping up with other countries. He does this providing several examples. However, this essay is ultimately weak because of the broadness of his examples, as well as the overarching strawman he creates to represent “society”. By relying solely on these examples, he creates a very simple one sided argument

Education is the key to success and without it you will not have a future. That is embedded in my brain. As a teenager you listen to your parents nag on you all the time about school and just think it’s easier said than done. But for me I lived through paradigm, my mom went back to school while raising us and working two jobs. She graduated from ASU with a 4.0 GPA and was honored and on the news because of all she’s done and went through in her lifetime. I have a difficult enough time doing my homework and going to basketball training. My mother went to school full-time, had two jobs, cooked for us, cleaned, paid bills, went to our games and still managed to get a 4.0. She always tells us if I can do it you can. Nothing in life comes easy you have to work for it, then you will be a success, if it is just given to you then you will never recognize the value of it.

Fridman gives examples of some of the types of people in society who would be discredited for being academically serious. At Harvard, many students are ashamed to admit how much they study (Lines 12-14). Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized… The same thing happens in U.S. elementary

One element that diminishes Holt’s essay is generalizations. He attempts to use generalizations to make it appear as though school is an evil place that needs to be saved. For instance, he says,

What’s the one thing that your parents always tell you? Get an education. We have heard it over and over again. You need a good education to get anywhere in this world. An education is the one thing my parents made sure that my brother and I had. They made sure we were at school on time everyday and ready to learn. My parents want me to have the best education that I can, but going to school in America is anything but the best.

When I was a kid, school for me was waking up early in the morning. I also have to study a lot in school, then after school I have to do homework. I remember my first day at school. My mom and dad, both were so happy and prepared but I was so nervous and cheerless. I didn’t like to wake up early in the morning for school , but as time flew by I started loving school which made me wake up with energy instead of tiredness. I began to enjoy the school as I made new friends and I got to know how it is like when you meet people out of your neighborhood. With my friends I had lunch together and study together. I started to understand what the purpose of the education system. Based on what I understood I think the purpose of education is really aimed at helping students get to the point where they can learn to be on their own. In this journey of education I had a lot of positive and few negative experiences,but the negative experiences also helped me growing. Positive experiences are my teachers helping me improve, and I improved more when I moved to the United States.

“Contemporary American society pulls teenagers away from school toward social and recreational pursuits. There is widespread peer pressure not to succeed academically. One of five students say that their friends make fun of people who try to do well in school. More than one-half of all students say they never discuss their schoolwork with friends.”