The first key point that Levy discusses is the motivation for why people go to university. Levy identifies three main reasons for students to attend university. The first reason is vocational. What this means is that students go to university because they have recognised that gaining a higher education and furthering their studies will provide them with a wider range of career opportunities. The second reason is scholastic. This means that students go to university for personal enrichment and for a love of learning, as they believe that a personal interest is essential to remaining at university studies. They are not solely driven by the desire to gain more money. The third reason is social. This means that students go to university for the social life. Levy discusses that the reason for why these students have this motivation is due to them living close to the campus or still living with their parents at home. He later discusses that they were unlikely to progress beyond the first year of university a number of them realised that university is not about partying, it is all about working hard.
Levy discusses that students later revealed numerous motivations for attending to university, not just the common categories of vocational aspirations, scholastic or social opportunities. These motivations were quite separate from the other factors. Some students felt compelled into attending university not only by their parents but also their schools. Parents played a significant
Andrew Simmons published his article for The Atlantic, “The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility” on January 16, 2014, which raises his concerns that higher education is only being promoted as an opportunity to increase their economic status, when it should be an opportunity to experience an education (Simmons). Through the use of students such as Isabella, Simmons disagrees with the way students now look at higher education and blames the educators through the students’ lives for this view. Instead, Simmons views education as an intellectual opportunity rather than a way to elevate ones economic class which is all people see when they see “higher education.” He believes that education, ambition and work ethic is how you have a satisfying life, not with how much you make. He makes the point that when economics becomes the main goal of education it’s all children begin to think about and they might not pursue something that they are truly passionate about or what they want to learn about, which then does not create an intellectually awakening experience (Simmons).
A majority of people these days are planning or are going to college. These people have many reasons for going to college. The option of going to college is a major decision and there are many factors that are considered in making this decision. One of the many reasons of making the decision to go to college is to receive a bigger salary. Another reason is for the opportunities that become available from going to college. People also decide go to college to be better prepared and successful in the future.
Parents believe their kids are too young and immature to make a decision by them selves, therefore they pressure their kids into attending college believing it is the best thing for them. The author does not agree with these actions and thinks that students should decide for themselves whether or not they want to continue their education. If students feel that college is not for them, they should not stay there just because somebody expects them to. Furthermore, she states that if everyone got a higher education everybody would be on the same intellectual level, and there would be no difference in people.
With the growing importance of higher education, more people than ever are attending college. According to a middle-class parent, “[Higher education] seen as a means of developing a career and getting secure employment.” (30, Higher Education, social class and social mobility) Moreover, “parents believe that their children need a university education to get on in life… over the past decades (parents) fearful that without a degree their children will be in danger of downward social mobility. (32, Higher
I have so many reason why I wanted to attend DCCC and each decision that I make at DCCC is that I’m gonna face it till the very end of my courses. I always wonder how can I get a step further in life and how can I get my stuff done and start early and there was an option that was given to me in my 8th grade year and it was a sign up for an orientation for Yadkin Valley Regional Career Academy a school where you can learn how to start you career and be professional looking/acting when applying for a job that suit you better. I came to Yadkin Valley for orientation where you can check the school out, but I had a little problem I didn’t have my glasses so couldn’t really see how the school look because my eyes were blurry, but I notice that I really didn’t need to see just listen to the teachers and how they talk and communicate and how they tell us what we be learning and discover while we are here at Yadkin Valley and what they have in store for us and then I heard a
Some people may argue that the main reason people go to college is not because they want to but because they “have” to. Could this be parents forcing their children out the door every day to college? Although many people dropout before graduating high school, there are a lot of high school seniors that persuaded or otherwise “peer pressured” by guidance counselors and parental guardians to attend college because it’s merely rightful. In “College Isn’t for Everyone,” W.J. Reeves argues that the concept of student and educator apathy is central to the issue of a four-year education not being a viable option for students, and open admissions
As adolescents begin their senior year, the topic of college often runs without hindrance, often causing extreme stress. As the monetary value, as well as the time spent, begins to accumulate in their minds, students often find themselves bound at the wrists figuring out a way to balance as well as afford college living. In many cases, the upcoming graduates are unsure about their career path, almost enhancing their stress in choosing a school that would cater to their needs. It is almost then they begin to ponder whether or not University/college life is for them, which is could be an extremely advantageous shot in a, for example, high achieving family. Whilst college does allow for a plethora of doors to be opened, the lack of time, effort, and money can hinder one 's ability to properly choose a university. Though school can help with the stepping stones of life, they do not entirely ensure a proper future, therefore many may opt out of school; however, with the correct actions, they may turn out extremely successful, which may not have even happened without the release of the burden of school.
In reflecting on the background of these students, I realize that they often lack the resources necessary to successfully transition, not only into college but once they graduate and are looking for careers. For this reason, I feel that the purpose for pursuing higher education for first-generation, low-income students is to provide them with better opportunities than they would have with only a high school diploma. This is especially important for these students that lack cultural capital,
The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility While reading the text "The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility" it helps the reader to identify many issues on why students want to attend college. Andrew Simmons stated that “Higher education should be promoted to all students as an opportunity to experience an intellectual awakening, not just increase their earning power which I am in favor of. College promotion should be used to motivate students in a critical thinking way instead of a financial advantage. The author’s purpose was to identify the separation between how college can be an educational opportunity instead of a financial opportunity to grow from poverty. The main idea
“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.
It is a well known fact but there are many people including counselors, parents, teachers, and friends who resist saying it out loud for fear it will sound like discouragement and negativity: college is definitely not for everyone. The pressure on high schools students, especially those that excel, to attend a college or university is enormous. And in the case of a bright, industrious and motivated high school student, attending a college or university is an obvious career choice. For those students, it's only a matter of what university to attend, whether one's SAT score is high enough, and the availability of the money. Then there are the millions of high school students who are not really personally motivated but are being pressured by their counselors, teachers and parents should they attend college if they really don't care? This paper examines those issues.
Consequently, students are told that it is a justifiable choice to make sacrifices in order to attend a prestigious university. As a result, young
Students from all over the United States are told all through their life that they need to attend college if they ever want to be successful, however, this is far from the truth. Often schools are culprits for driving students to attend money driven colleges, in other cases it is family. While schools all too often make the push on students to continue their schooling, parents can cause the same situation, as they may not have a degree and be working a low-paying factory job. Now kids already don’t want to be like their parents when they get older, so seeing them suffer in poverty or barely above the poverty line can cause some dissatisfaction, further seeking a degree to live a life that they never got. What many
In the article, “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird explains why higher education is not always the right choice for students after high school. The author states, “They (students) are there because it has become the thing to do or because college has become a pleasant place to be.” The author believes that students do not come to the decision to attend college on their own but they are expected to and pressured by parents, advisors, and society. In the beginning of the article, the author argues that colleges use techniques to sell themselves just like any other product on the market. They advertise what they have to offer and tell students what they want to hear. She also feels that campuses, stemming from the riots in the 1960’s, have started to cater to students social needs instead of their academic ones. Bird references her own research and comes to the conclusion that students are sad. They feel that they are no longer needed in society and treat college as a sort of “holding cell” before entering the world of adulthood. Most feel that their education was a waste of their time and their parent’s money. The author uses analogies, statistics, and anecdotes to further her claim that going to college doesn’t benefit a person financially. Stating that in the amount of time one would spend in college, a person could invest that money and have a greater earning potential than a person with a 4-year
Although college is expensive and a risky investment, students should still go to college because there, they learn much more than just a subject or a profession. In college, not only do students learn things like liberal arts education, life skills, and other important skills needed in life, but it also gives students the experience that they need for their careers.