Seniors have a tendency of taking their last year of high school for granted. They do not realize that the relaxed classes and fun filled weekends with their best friends will all soon come to a devastating end. They have applied for college, bought miniature refrigerators, and sent in their housing applications, but none of them have really thought about college in the way that they should. When asked about college most high school seniors image the huge parties, attractive people, and freedom; however, college is much more than that and, in a way, much less. College and high school are completely different when it comes to a student’s actual lifestyle, but they have many of the same traits that most high school seniors do not see coming.
College gives students endless opportunities. During this time, students are able to grow and develop academically and individually. It also provides students with
Andrew Delbanco’s essay “A college Education: What is its purpose?” gives three reasons why college still matters. Delbanco teaches at Columbia University, where he’s the director of American studies and has written several books on the meaning and benefits of college. Delbanco, begins his essay by discussing what college means to each individual student. He states, “For many more students, college means the anxious pursuit of marketable skills in overcrowded, under resourced institutions. For still others, it means traveling by night to a fluorescent office building or to a “virtual classroom” that only exists in cyberspace.” (1) Delbano successfully uses pathos to appeal to his audience’s emotions, his personal experience and anecdotal combine to persuade his readers to consider or realize the importance of receiving a college education, however his essay contains minor flaws that can counteract his claims.
When it’s time for students in deciding which college they are going to attend, they consider many factors that will go into their learning experience. They take in their housing, meal, and transportation plans, all of which excite students for their college experience. However, the major factor that is a make it or break it deal for many, is if they will be able to afford schooling at a college. Many students take year off or decide to never come back to school due to the fact that college is expensive, even community college. The lack of students from being driven to attend, affects the student population at college. However, if community college were to be free it will cause a more diverse environment for students, causing them to have a different outlook in college. A reporter for US News and World Report, Joanne Jacobs, publishes the article, “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea”. Where she is able to provide evidence on encouragement of free tuition. She argues that “with a more diverse group of students, community colleges could gain political capital and the funding that goes with it.” A diverse group of students will help create a new atmosphere for students and help create the college experience they seek. More students who are driven to learn, can potentially lead to new clubs being made, events, gatherings, etc. Having free tuition at community college will not only benefit students academically, but socially as well; which is all part of the development of their character.
College is a chance to be free and is a bridge between the real world and school. I’m an adult and expected to behave as such; I make my own choices where I have to decide what is important to me. I have an opportunity to learn how the world works, to explore the limitless possibilities and a chance to admire how vast knowledge can be. College will change my life in the way that I can develop life skills outside academics, to be fully
Students today have been raised to think that college is just the next step in life after high school. Decades ago,going to college was a huge achievement and not many people enrolled. Today, however it is almost expected that you go to college. The purpose of college has been changing over the years. Students and professors have lost sight of what to get out a college education. Gary Gutting explains in his article, “What is College for?” that students are losing passion for higher education. He also believes that professors are not realizing what their true job really is, and are not doing the necessary procedures to help their students succeed. “In On the Uses of a Liberal Education”, Mark Edmundson shares similar ideas, and gives a first person point of view of Gutting’s ideas about the quality of the college experience. Mark Edmundson would agree with Gary Gutting’s claims that the quality of colleges is declining and is negatively affecting the students and faculty members.
Ironically, one thing most college students tend to dislike is college. They would rather spend the day on their phones and computers, scrolling through various social media feeds or watching YouTube videos. Most parents and teachers consider this a waste of time, but one professor feels college is actually the waste of time. Gideon Burton, a professor at Brigham Young University, wrote an article for college students entitled “Dear Students: Don't Let College Unplug Your Future” on his blog in 2009. This college professor wants college students to understand that college is not the only way they can excel in life, and may, in fact, be hindering their progress.
Embedded in my psyche as a child was the fact that college was my only option after high school. This parental sentiment was synonymous with a phrase as simple as “tie your shoes.” For me, high school graduation would be a standard occurrence, but my college graduation would be celebrated. The college I would attend required thoughtful consideration because it will be my rite of passage. When I dreamt of my intended college, I knew it would be set in a beautiful city, bustling with energy, and full of consciously creative people. I didn’t know if my university campus would be urban or suburban, but I knew it would spark excitement, fulfill my need to connect with a global community, and offer several opportunities to propel me to the top of
The experience that occurs at college must reflect to younger generations that college is not a scary place, and that it is a safe and secure place as if they were at
Jefferson references the great architectural buildings of the past such as the pantheon to show his connection to the great teachers of history. However, despite the similarities, Jefferson makes some bold statements with what he does not include. His library is based on the pantheon, yet does not reference religion. In fact, there is no place in his plan for the university that focused on religion. This reflects Jefferson’s mentality that learning should be a secular entity, and thus his university has no religious affiliation, the first such public institution in the nation. Another interesting idea is that of the integrated faculty housing. In this manner, by having faculty housing, Jefferson showed how he viewed learning as a lifelong endeavor, that both faculty and students were in pursuit of. Each of the pavilions was also based on a different classical roman temple, to express the many varied disciplines taught at the university. The facades of each pavilion were intended to serve as architectural models to expand learning. On a more concrete level, the design of the university also reflects the social climate of the time, one which Jefferson adhered to. The university was originally a males-only institution, as can be seen by how the dormitories are un-segregated with bathrooms that allowed students to be seen in various stages of undress. In a co-ed university, this would not have been
Campus After Hours was founded in 2012, with the intent to improve the way students apply for college. It presents a unique opportunity for students around the world to learn about secondary education in a completely different way. We encourage everyone to share the experiences they have had at a college campus. Those opinions enable visitors to read comments made by current students, alumni, faculty, previous guests, or by local residents in regards to class recommendations, campus lifestyle, what are the best places to eat, where to meet new people and what extracurricular activities are occurring in the surrounding areas. In addition to our website we use social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with hopes to develop
At one of the first public colleges in the United States of America, The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, there are a plethora of activities for students to be fond of. The school has had many people come in and out, and walk through the halls, however even when you graduate you will always be a tar heel . The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, has superb academics, outstanding athletics, and school spirit. With all this comes with a colossal price. This higher institute of learning is also known as UNC, which is located in the town of Chapel Hill.
Throughout the years there’s been a tremendous change in the collegiate way of living. The American college life as we know it simulated the swinging of a pendulum in a deep curve. In the colonial days practices such as loco parentis was prevalent in higher education institutions. Religion was also a huge part in higher education as well as campus life. Extracurricular activities came to the surface as students began to form their own organizations and identities.
Everyone has or should have an ideal; something which he can look forward to, of which he may dream, and for which he may strive. In our colleges we come across many defects or limitations. We often discuss these among ourselves. And in course of these discussions, and as a result of them, we come to cherish a vague notion of what would be an ideal college, at last, what we would regard as an ideal. Here of course I speak mostly for myself.
In addition to the social aspects, college teaches how to develop independent thinking. It also “exposes future citizens to material that enlightens and empowers them, whatever careers they end up choosing” (Menand, 3). However, most students today perceive college fundamentally as a party scene and various forms of entertainment instead of focusing on school work. They have forgotten about the academic freedom provided by receiving a proper college education.