This American Life 3 Miles Analysis

In Pharinet's essay, "Is College for Everyone" the author address the fact that while education is important and everyone's right, not everyone may be suited to attend college. The author emphases that many times the "desire for learning is not what drives students to attend college"(635). Pharinet could not be more accurate when she says this. While in college, I have come across many students with absolutely no idea of what they want to be or where they want their lives to go. Many have enrolled in college for the wrong reasons and this shift is a great problem. Many students are pressured by their parents, others hope to get a higher paying job, and many more if not most, due to the simple fact that they love receiving their financial aid

High school is an important time for developing a sense of who you are as a person. Each kid who starts out high school will usually asks themselves what they are there to accomplish. For the most part, many set personal goals for themselves and strive to achieve above and beyond. However, some are just there for the experience and to see where it takes them. It’s apparent that some kids have an easier time and don’t have to struggle with their high school career. For example, some of the students have followed strong academic paths that have prepared them for this time in their lives, where as others have struggled with educational influences and feel unprepared or lost. Swerdlow mentions that the students, who attend J.E.B. Stuart, are given many chances to improve their educational foundation in order to

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,

High school is a big part of an individual’s life; it can change how people view themselves. From the beginning of high school I knew that I was going to community college because both brothers went, which influenced me to go. Since I new where my life would be after high school I discourage myself and was put into a fixed mindset. In Dwecks article Brainology she describes how students with a fixed mindset think which states” but those with a fixed mindset were most

From a very early age, I always assumed it was a part of my future to pursue an education. The American educational system engraves the importance of school at a very young age. Elementary school children are motivated through rewards when they try their hardest to reach their goals. Students are exposed to statistics and facts outlining the consequences of not getting a college degree as soon as they reach middle school. High school counselors and staff make it their priority to ensure that students apply to college. Students are conditioned to believe that education is the building block to a successful future. My cultural upbringing did not support my choice to pursue an education, however, I refused to conform to my family’s behavioral expectations because certain norms must be challenged due to progressive time periods and conflicting values.

    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

After high school, many students make the decision on attending college based off of the things their parents/ teachers may have taught them when they were young. For example, many students further their education because throughout their lifetime they’re told they have to. In school we’re taught that in order for us to receive good jobs, and make a decent amount of money we have to have a college degree. Some are even taught that they must go beyond the undergrad and receive their masters, and doctorate degrees if they really want to be known as something in this world. While others go because it would make their parents proud, or to fulfill the legacy of being a first generation college student in their families. While this may be the case majority of the time, if you’re like me you go because

Beginning with the fatalistic discourse utilized by my family, peers, and educators, I internalized such thoughts, and implicitly understood that, quite naturally, I would make the predestined transition to college from high school. Finding

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.

Paul was going to go to Lake Windsor Middle School but because he had an iep he wasn’t allowed to play soccer. As a result, Paul saw that he could go to Tangerine Middle instead. He went for it because if he went to Tangerine Middle School he would not need an iep anymore and overall he would get to play soccer. He also made new friends and everyone seemed to be really nice. ’’We understand what a strain this will put on everyone’’(93-94).What this means is that there is a big confusion on if you can stay in the school or you have to transfer to Tangerine.All in all, Paul moving schools was a decision that was his choice and he chose to go to

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.

When I was a little girl my friends and I always talked about what we were going to be when we grew up. Some said a teacher; others said a nurse, secretary, and even a mom. I knew what I was going to be, but what we don't think about is how we get to be these things. We float through elementary school, having small children fun. Next we go to middle school trying to find our ways in the world, some of us worries about grades, and some don't. Not many thinking ahead of high school, let alone college. In high school we soon realize that grades are very important and better grades give you a better chance at better colleges. So those of us who want to go to college start cramping down on our studies so we can get those desirable grades. I may have not been the perfect student throughout high school. My Study habits could have been better, but one thing I do know is that I want to do more with my life than just a high school diploma.

Yet, the education does not stop at middle school, for high school really puts all the basic skills from elementary and middle school to work as the assignments and the exams become more challenging. We do not only learn about reading, writing, history, and math, we learn about the people around us as we associate with different personalities, and as we see what we have grown up to be and what we want to be later in life. Accordingly, the high school years are a time when teachers emphasize the importance of graduating and attending college in order to have a “succesful future.”

From the moment we walk into primary school, we are asked “What do you want to do when you grow up?” We are posed this question as though we had learning of the endless openings for work that are accessible or will be accessible to us later on. This question is the underlying reason as to why children begin planning early for their future. For some, higher education is essential. For a few students, certain colleges mean an “extra step” in life that other colleges couldn’t offer. At times, it is the name of the school that gives students the “extra step”. Schools such as those in the Ivy league, often called bumper sticker schools, regularly play a significant role in a student’s decision in a school.