Linda Lee's The Case Against College

High school graduation marks the start of young adults’ lives, a time where they are expected to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Many young adults are pressured into attending college, whether they have determined their goal or not, but is it necessary? “The Case Against College,” an article written by Linda Lee, a mother who has questioned the former belief that college equals success, claims that “not everyone needs a higher education.” College, though beneficial to many, is not for everyone and should not determine an individual’s life.

But saying that “too many people are going to college” is different than saying that average students don’t need to know about science, history, and great works of literature. It is further noted that some of the “income for the top people in a wide variety of occupations that do not require a college degree is higher than the average income for many occupations that require a B.A.” Murray, C. (2008) When asking the question “are too many people going to college” one topic required to think about would be the importance of liberal education. “Universities are not intended to teach the knowledge required to fit men for some special mode of gaining their

Discussions of dyslexia require a definition of the term, and this is where we can come into some confusion if we are not careful. In fact, the “problem” itself exists in the defining of the word, and thus the labeling of those to whom the definition applies. However, with some knowledge of the etiology of “dyslexia” we can begin to ply our beliefs off the population of “dyslexics” and start to gain some understanding of their experiences with language learning. This is, after all, the intention of this research. Guardiola (2001) also assisted in redirecting the academic focus in this direction, towards the etiology of the term and how its history has shaped current social work, education, neurobiology, and psychology perspectives.

Within the past year, teachers at my little sister’s school have started suspecting that she may have dyslexia. She has yet to be tested, but it will be happening soon. She has always had issues with reading, but never thought this would be why. However, if the tests come back, and they do say that she has dyslexia, that is not going to hold her down. She will still be able to conquer anything that she sets her mind to. Having a disability does not hold any person back from being able to succeed anything they want to. With the proper help, instruction and motivation, any student with a disability can be successful. Being different does not make you incapable. That is also something that I got from the PowerPoints.

I’m a senior at the University of South Carolina Upstate and have been diagnosed with dyslexia since childhood. This label could have caused for a disastrous college experience, but there has always been something in myself pushing beyond the stigma.

I am a student that has had to work hard for as long as I can remember in achieving my goals, dreams, both personal as well as academically. After many years of testing, I was diagnosed with dyslexia in my sophomore year of high school. Dyslexia is a congenital language process disorder. It can hinder reading, writing, spelling and sometimes speaking. Dyslexia is not a sign of poor intelligence

The driving forces behind SB 866 include persons from both public and private sectors. Individuals testified to the Interim Committee on Dyslexia and Related Disorders in what dyslexic students need to be successful academically. Testimony was heard from educators at the college level, parents of dyslexic students, doctors familiar with dyslexia and related disorders, medical researchers, members of professional dyslexia organizations, and state officers (Texas Legislature Online, 2011). Each spoke of their experiences with individuals with dyslexia and related learning disorders, medically, personally, and academically and each was chosen for their research and knowledge as it pertains to this very specific field (T. Flanders, personal communication, August 30, 2011). Absent from the agenda were teachers and dyslexia therapists within the public school system (Texas Legislature Online, 2011).

Imagine your childhood. Now imagine sitting in school and dreading that one moment when your elementary school teacher is going to call on you to read aloud to the class. Imagine that you dread this moment so dearly because you constantly trip over simple words and are made to feel stupid because of it. Or worse, imagine knowing that you do try your hardest but still have report cards that say that you are not living up to your full potential and need to start making an effort in school. These are just some of the thoughts and emotions that a child with dyslexia faces everyday.

He never thought he’d be able to read a book with ease, never mind write one. This disability caused young Tim Tebow to feel bad for him, and he started to doubt his abilities. When he was in high school, he worried that he would not be able to make it through college because of his disability (Wright, Abbe). However, he decided that he was going to turn his disability into a blessing, and he gained a more positive outlook on life. Overcoming this learning disability caused him to write the book; Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms. This book talks about the frustration that Tim went through growing up with dyslexia, and how he overcame these frustrations. Tim’s common themes of writing consist of motivation, overcoming adversity, and christian values (Wright,

In the essay “On Being Seventeen, Bright, and Unable to Read,” David Raymond offers information on him having the experience of dyslexia.  He explains how dyslexia plays a major role in his learning. In a positive and negative way.  Dyslexia doesn’t only stop him with other educational activities but effects his self-confidence. While dyslexia brought Raymond many struggles as a child, it also played a huge role in Raymond’s confidence such as him saying that he wanted to die since he was different to everyone else. David visibly tells us how his dyslexia held him back from every day activities as a child. While reading, he says, “My family began to suspect I was having problems almost from the first day I started school.” This quote makes

Many people with dyslexia struggle with reading, but I like the challenge. I comprehend things I read myself much better than I do hearing them from someone else. Reading and transforming the words from authors into my own words comes much easier to me and helps me grasp the information more readily. I have always appreciated the relaxation reading brings me, and tying that into my education is a tremendous help. In college, I understand that a key part of college courses is independent outside-of-class reading; however, with this strength, I can be successful. I plan to use my forte in research, studying, and even personal

This is how my life started as a dyslexic. Sitting there embarrassed and ashamed of myself that I couldn’t read as well as the others lead through my whole life.

Most people could only dream of being awarded a Nobel Prize Award, and very few people can say that they have. On a normal occasion this is very impressive accomplishment on its own, but it is considered even more impressive if you are challenged with a learning disability. This was the case of Carol Greider who worked through her dyslexia and managed to make major discoveries in the science world. Her discoveries have had the impact to help make major medical advancements. Additionally, Carol has become an inspiration for many by working extremely hard to achieve so much despite the fact that tests in school labelled her as below average. In the lab, however, she was exceptional.

Dyslexia is a lifelong struggle with constant challenges with reading and speaking. About five to ten percent of the United States population deals with the learning disorder dyslexia (Van den Honert, n.d.). It is a neurological condition that is mainly caused by genetics but there are some rare cases in which it is acquired. Dyslexia interrupts the normal processes of reading and speaking (Van den Honert, n.d.). All of which are used in daily life and this makes life and school so much harder for dyslexics. They must learn to live with the condition for their entire life and there is not really a treatment for it. With the constant struggle and reminder of their

It seemed as though my efforts were ineffectual and I was tired of working so hard and getting no recognition. The only problem is when I arrived the next day for class I still cared and I still tried. I was so determined to prove myself that no matter how I actually felt I was going to prove myself. This was not the first nor the last time my dyslexia tried to define me but what truly defines me is what I learned when I showed up to school the next day. It did not matter how many times I got knocked down I continued to get up and fight for what I wanted.