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Summary Of College Pressures By William Zinsser

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The article, “College Pressures”, written by William Zinsser, explores the pressures associated with college and its reflection on student work and attitude. In 1979, the time this work was published, Zinsser was the head of a residential college at Yale University (Zinsser, 437). Emerged in campus life, Zinsser examines the student behavior affiliated with the four sources of pressure he identifies as the symptoms of attending college. After reviewing Zinsser’s article, I can relate certain aspects of economic and parental pressures, as well as peer and self-induced pressures, in my lifestyle as a student attending Columbus State Community College. Zinsser separates college student pressures into four individual categories: economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self-induced pressure. He believes that students are too caught up on what will look good on their resume and should, instead, be exploring the opportunities of college and, as he states, “[allow] the hand of God or chance to nudge them down some unforeseen trail” (442). Although Zinsser believed these sources of pressure to be separate, he noticed that some worked hand in hand. For instance, he noted that if the parents of the students were experiencing financial stress putting them through college, they are more likely to put pressure on their children. They, for example, would want their son or daughter to chose a major in which they will be financially set for the rest of their lives. Due to
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