preview

Analysis: The (Mis) Education Of Monica And Karen

Decent Essays

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 …show more content…

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

Get Access