The Effects Of Desensitivity On College Students

In his work entitled “The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts”, journalist and author Alfred Lubrano poses the question of how receiving education can lead to a harsh reality. Lubrano explains that as a child works toward a higher education, there are certain aspects of life they are forced to leave behind as they enter into a new existence. According to Lubrano’s statement, “At night, at home, the differences in the Columbia experiences my father and I were having was becoming more evident” (532). Additionally, Lubrano states, “We talked about general stuff, and I learned to self-censor. I’d seen how ideas could be upsetting, especially when wielded by a smarmy freshman who barely knew what he was talking about” (533). In answering this question, Lubrano must explore the types of conversations that occurred with other family members, the disconnection from his peers, and how segregating himself from his family

(40) With this in mind, Lawrence B. Schlack uses his status effectively, by referring to high school graduates as a destructive force. “The go-to-college tsunami,” in other words, Schlack is trying to convey that students have this perception that they must attend college. And with that said, students place themselves into a situation they don’t know how to handle. Despite the shortage of credibility, Schlack makes up for it with the amount of pathos he provides in the

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.

In a May 2003 persuasive article published by USA Today titled “College isn’t for Everyone”, the author W.J. Reeves states “about 15 million people in America are enrolled in college.” This is a staggering amount considering the fact that many people are in college for all the wrong reasons. About half of the Americans enrolled in college are there because they feel they owe it to their families. Only a small number of Americans in college actually feel it is necessary for successful lives. In this article, Reeves recollects on his experiences as a college English professor at an institution in New York. He speaks of how he believes that many students truly do not want to be in college. You can tell this by his stories of tardiness,

In her article “College Is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird attempts to pursued her readers that colleges are overflowing with students who don’t belong there. Her article first appeared in Psychology Today (May 1975). Since this material is outdated, I find it hard to believe that most of the responses by students and parents quoted in the article still hold true. The author has set out to pursue the readers that college is a bad and unnecessary choice for today’s youth. Yet the author holds a bachelors and a masters degree from two different universities. I would think that if she thought college was really a bad choice and a waste of time and money, she would not have gone back to get her masters degree.

    In discussions of Charles Murray, he expresses his opinion on the thoughts and feelings that are being transferred to students before college, claiming them to be misleading. Murray brings to light the problem that exists in the constant pushing of guidance counselors, teachers, and even politicians to aspire for a college degree no matter what, “treating every failure to go to college as an injustice” (Murray 48). Yet, by doing so, parents and students are often blindsided by the overwhelming cost of college that many cannot afford, or the sheer amount of education students would put themselves through for no reason at all. Murray observes that “one aspect of this phenomenon has been labeled misaligned ambitions, meaning that adolescents have career ambitions that are inconsistent with their educational plans” (Murray 48). Convincing students that college is the only guiding light to a better life forces students to see college as such, an intellectual heaven where they can become anything, such as a doctor or an attorney “without understanding the educational hurdles they must surmount to achieve their goal” (Murray 48-49). They then attend a four-year university with the depiction of college as a “place where B.A.s are handed out” fresh in their minds, thoughtless as to if that particular college they are attending even has the educational requirements needed to complete their career goals (Murray 49). Unfortunately, as Murray reminds us, this is the system that  is in place. For “a brutal fact

Each generation of society, it has had things that has been looked upon as wrong. People at certain times of history have different meanings and values for their actions. At some point people were desensitized to certain things, and a century later became sensitized or vice versa. What people are sensitive to tells a lot about society as a whole. The things that society accepts, doesn’t accept, has a biased too can be communicated through its portrayal. Desensitization is an element in which society advancement has created. The whole concept of desensitization comes from the culture in which we are exposed to. Desensitization not only explains why our culture is the way it is, but how far we are willing to go in the name of advancement. In Maggie Nelson’s “Great to watch”, she discusses how the content that media produce is violent. Karen Armstrong’s “Homo Religiousus” discusses different religious characteristics. In Daniel Gilbert’s “Immune to realty” we can find examples of desensitization and its effect on society. Desensitization is something that is exists in society as something neutral. Desensitization does not take sides on being beneficial or harmful, it is just the natural way of humanity. Desensitization is present by the media we are presented with, our negative thoughts, our tolerance, and our awareness.

“Kids who are the first in their families to brave the world of higher education come on campus with little academic know-how and are much more likely than their peers to drop out before graduation” (1). Many people believe that school isn’t for everyone, and whoever goes is privileged for doing so. Countless people in the world today do not attend college, and this is mainly due to an influence of those in their family. Perhaps they are unsupportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling and higher learning. Most of the first-generation students decide to apply to colleges, because they aspire to jobs which require degrees. However, unlike some students whose parents have earned a degree, they often seek out college to bring honor to their families, and to ensure they make a decent amount of money for their future.

Thesis: When parents shove an unmotivated teenager into a community college just because it is socially prestigious to say one's children are "…going to college" those parents are doing a huge disservice to that person. It's akin to shoving a dog's mussel into a pan of water when he's not thirsty.

It is clear that throughout one’s life there will be an obstacle of stress that gets in the way of practically anything. Stress can be defined in a numerous amount ways, but there is one way that can describe it as a whole. It can be defined as a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes mental tension. In the book Why Buddhism Is True written by Robert Wright, he explains one of the many reasons on how to get rid of stress in a peaceful and calm way. Meditation is not just a way out of pain, but it helps us exceed it by teaching us to look at it for what it truly is and make us more connected with our spiritual impulses along with the behaviors that are formed.

In the essay “Are Too Many People Going to College,” writer Charles Murray explains that not everyone is in need of going to college for three main reasons: a liberal education should be gained in elementary and middle school, many people already have knowledge and skills necessary for a technical career, and many students are in college to “buy an admission ticket-the B.A.” (246) and ensure employers consider their resume. Murray does not argue anything against college itself but more against society and especially the education system. Murray also accuses guidance counselors and parents of “automatically encouraging young people to go to college straight out of high school being thoughtless about the best interests of young people” (249).

Mental health is a serious topic that is often not taken seriously. Due to my own struggles with depression, I have experienced the impact mental illness can have on a student’s life. Mental illness can make everyday life feel unbearable and can have just as serious of an effect on a person as a physical illness. The causes of increasing mental health problems in college students are numerous, and it will take work from both students and universities to overcome this problem, but change is necessary for the health of U.S. college students.

Mental health among college students has been proven to be a relevant social issue that our society faces. There are certainly a few different institutions that play a large role within the development of this social issue. The first institution, and the primary institution at play with this issue, is the higher education system. In terms of mental health and having access to resources, college students haven’t always been as lucky as they are today. One study in 2007 explains the story of Junior at Syracuse University (Kravets, 3081). Anita Rutman had a history of mental health issues; she even found herself being admitted to a mental health hospital. One morning in February, she threw herself off of the eighth floor of Boland Hall and landed on a patio and fortunately lived. However, her attempt stemmed from the university sending her letter three days prior that informed Anita that the school was planning to dismiss her because of her suicidal tendencies (Kravets, 3081). Anita later sued Syracuse for ten million dollars for malpractice and negligence in handling her condition.

Since the birth of the first ever college institution in Athens, Greece society’s view of college and the college life has changed drastically. College issues are being brought into attention on a much larger scale than ever before. For example, shows all over the United States are turning college into a comedy, making college seem like a joke when it is becoming increasingly more important every day to have a college degree in order to get a decent/good paying job. Many shows and movies portray college in a very negative way exaggerating all the partying, drugs, and time not spent in class or actually studying. They aim to uncover the problems with college sports and how kids are beginning to focus more on what they do on the field rather than how they excel in the classroom. Although plenty of students struggle with the balancing act of athletics and education, there are also plenty of students who are great examples of how to balance out the two and prosper in the classroom. Although some colleges around the country are known for partying, that is not what defines them, and many of them are still great schools to attend to obtain a degree. For example, in the popular television series known as Blue Mountain State they portray college in a negative, unrealistic way by exaggerating partying, sex, drugs, alcohol abuse, and idea of “football over everything,” giving a negative view of college life and/or college students.

According to Common Sense Media, “The average child spends nearly 45 hours a week immersed in media, almost three times the amount they spend time with their parents...In comparison, children spend an average of 30 hours in school” (Szabo).