The (Mis) Education of Monica and Karen, Article 42
I.
Going to a four-year university or college is not always the best choice for many students. This is due to what many of these colleges and universities offer their students that come from a lower socioeconomic background. This essay will aim to demonstrate the issues that students may face when they pursue a postsecondary education.
II.
The article “The (Mis) Education of Monica and Karen” illustrated the lives of these two women in their first year at a Midwestern University. Monica and Karen both grew up in the same small struggling mid-western town. Monica was from a working-class family and she worked a full-time job so that she could afford in state student fees so that she would
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Some of these dorms are labeled as the “party dorm”, and many freshmen are unaware of this because they are given little information and they do not have previous friends or family that have attended the university before them. Monica and Karen were both housed in the “party dorm” at MU, the party dorms are directly affiliated with the Greek life on campus. The Greek system is a sorority or fraternity that consists of mostly white male and female members from privileged backgrounds. These members of the Greek life usually have a great deal of connections both on and off campus and this in turn gives them more power within the educational system as well as the social aspect in the universities. Many students will attempt to join this elitist Greek life without realizing the consequences that come with the membership. Some of these consequences are the out-of-pocket costs to join, another is the constant partying that id involved as well as the deeds that you must do to prove your loyalty to the fraternity or sorority that you are hoping to become a part of. About less than half of the students that were in the same housing unit as Karen and Monica opted to try and join this elitist group. Many freshmen saw the Greek life as a great way to party and relieve stress but much more importantly these students saw free alcohol and a great social connection. That is what these …show more content…
Going to college should be a fun experience, however adding these added stresses onto students to fit in within a higher social structure should not be a priority. Universities and colleges should address these issues within the administration and make the proper changes. If they want all types of social backgrounds to attend these schools and have a high completion rate then there needs to be proper advising and guidelines for students, as well as the faculty. In contrast, there should be a responsibility for the students that attend to realize that there will be these social occurrences that will take place and there should be places for students to go that do not want to partake in these activities. Housing should also be more specific as to what the students will be around so that they may have the option for different housing. Furthermore, perhaps attending a community college before going to a four-year-university is a better route for many students. There is less distraction and more time for students to
“Who Gets to Graduate’ by Paul Tough, publish May, 2015 in the New York Times discusses. The story of a young girl’s mindset on college. It begins with her starting in college and first failure on a test. It highlighted the doubts she had in her abilities. This opening introduces the article’s man discussion, which involves low income students who want to earn a four year degree but experience “troubles” along the way. It then discusses statistics that show dropout rates are highest with low-income students. The author included ability versus economics status.
College Education is the end of uphill battle for students. These vital and rigorous educations provide greater opportunities in life. A lot of hardships are
Recently there has been a lot of debate about the importance of college education. Students are asking if it’s worth the debt to attend a four year university or community college. Some are thinking what are the benefits of a degree is in the workforce. With college tuition increasing and state fundings lowering, low income students are struggling to attain a higher education. College institutions should have a role to provide students higher education and equal opportunity to students to increase social mobility yet intergenerational reproduction of privilege has produced inequality in education.
One of the biggest stereotypes about being in a fraternity or sorority is that you party and drink a lot. Drinking alcohol is not a focal point of Greek life, although alcohol is at almost every social occasion in Greek life. In Blake’s article it is said that no matter what Greek organization you are a part of underage
“In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.2 million since fall 2000” (National Center for Education Statistics). That number seems to be rising each and ever year, and it almost seems as students feel like they have to go to college directly after high school. Maybe it is because they feel that they have to fit in, even if college is not for them. Although some students attend college for academics, sports, and other reasons, some students attend college for no apparent reason; with that in mind, students should take into consideration the time and money that is put into going to college.
In these dorms, the initial interactions that socially code us throughout college are initiated. These social interactions create and solidify bonds between students that can continue for the rest of their lives. A change to the demographics of the freshman dorms doesn’t just create an immediate effect, but also affects every current and future resident of UC Davis. A freshmen social group that is initially less diverse will lead to a less diverse group of friends throughout the remaining years of their undergraduate studies. This reduces their social group to a less diverse group of individuals, which reduces the chance for them to interact with other cultures and overcome any form of culture shock that they are affected by, whether it be here in UC Davis or later in their careers. Freshmen dorms are the only place that nurtures cultural interaction to create a UC Davis community that is ultimately more unified, accepting, and respectful of all people and their different cultures.
Rather than associating it with financial woes and four more years of backpacks and tests, further education should be credited with helping the development of one's social skills, personal growth, and becoming a well rounded and prepared member of society. One of the most prevalent issues with sending one to college is cost. Although the majority of Americans say higher education “fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend”, 86%, the majority of GRADUATES say that personally, college was the best choice (Source F). On a student to student basis, stepping out of the present and looking at the bigger picture may be the
Obtaining a degree remains one of the most important pathways to economic and social class in the United States (U.S.), regardless of rising tuition costs and the value of having a higher education coming in to question. Of the 20.6 million students enrolled in a college or university, first-generation college students represents about one-third (The Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2012). These group of individuals are more likely to encounter academic, financial, professional, cultural, and emotional difficulties (Sanez, Hurtado, Barrera, Wolf, and Yeung, 2007).
The authors introduce the idea that, college will not be an equal opportunity or necessary for everyone, by evaluating the pros and cons or college, using phraseology to convey the adversity of choosing higher education, and utilize a persuasive tone, drawing readers into the message of the essay. Education must be personalized to produce the most success for each individual. In the essay the authors present the contrast of tuition cost rising faster than family incomes to emphasize that students should carefully consider their options for higher education before committing a considerable amount of time and money to a degree that could potentially be worthless (Owen & Sawhill, 2013, p. 212). Owen and Sawhill reveal that choosing
In reflecting on the background of these students, I realize that they often lack the resources necessary to successfully transition, not only into college but once they graduate and are looking for careers. For this reason, I feel that the purpose for pursuing higher education for first-generation, low-income students is to provide them with better opportunities than they would have with only a high school diploma. This is especially important for these students that lack cultural capital,
Taking a lot of classes and to graduate at a 4- year university isn't a choice for all students. Students who works full time, also to help a sick family member or to manage the own learning are worried about college classes. Students don’t have to worry about giving up on a job because of college. They will have time to do more of college work, and if students don’t have a way of doing community college and having a job they can talk with someone on campus and the campus staff will help students manage a organize
Starting in high school, students are not given equal opportunities to excel because of family background. Furthermore, the admissions process itself has its flaws—legacies, minorities, and athletes are being chosen over exceptionally gifted valedictorians. Even after college, the problems do not end; possible joblessness and student debt are unavoidable. On top of these major problems, educators and parents continue to convince kids everywhere that college is the only option to become successful, and choosing another path is heavily looked down upon. The newest generation’s life is centered around the climax of college while at the same time, more and more students are unable to attend universities because of cost or rejection, but this is a paradox. The more high schoolers work hard, the more high schoolers will get turned down to their dream schools, and the more the college admissions process effectively become a lottery, leading to “many highly talented, brilliant, creative people thinking they’re not” (Robinson). The widespread college problem has no easy fix, nor does it have a single solution. Rather than working to fix the unfixable, adults must stop putting such emphasis on the college pathway, and instead stress that there are other options. The future of the job world is unknown; there is no way to know if an expensive college education is the right choice. College, with all of its flaws, is just one option in preparing for the future; it is not necessarily the best. Therefore, the single word, “college,” should stop dividing the academic from the non-academic or the successful from the unsuccessful, and instead be considered a single path in an array of worthy
Many high school students sometimes wonder if continuing their education after high school is truly worth it. Obtaining a four-year degree is a very expensive and time-consuming task. After graduating from college and getting a Bachelor’s degree, the goal is to find a job that fits their chosen profession and earn more money than if they would have not gone to secondary school. The worry of many students is that they will not be able to achieve this goal in finding a job with their degree or that the pay will not be worth it as they are paying off loans after graduation. People have different opinions on the matter and some do not even consider that college is not worth the money. The real question of concern is whether colleges are assisting students towards their goal and if the time and money spent on the degree is worth it to the student and family.
There you are, a teenage version of yourself. You’re most likely only seventeen or eighteen years old, but maybe you’re younger or maybe you’re older. Regardless of your age, you’ve clearly just had a serious discussion. The time has come for you to start making decisions about your life after high school. You know a lot about college. College is probably the only choice you’ve even considered. But do you really want to be in school for at least another two years? Is college even worth paying for? Why shouldn’t you just find a job and move on with your life? In this essay I will examine the valid opinions of other thinkers and attempt to provide a compelling argument about the importance of post-secondary education.
College is a life changing experience for students. College is a new environment for most students and comes with lots of challenges. Things such as the increased difficulty of academic work and not being around the same social groups as a student was before college can make the transition very difficult. One of the best things a student can do to help with this transition is to live in a campus residence hall. Students should live in dorms because of the community that this creates. Students will gain many beneficial social interactions, will be able to better complete academic work, and will ease the adjustment to college life.