Where Did Charles Murrays' Logic Go?

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

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).

The topic of “Are Too Many People Going to College?” was presented by Charles Murray, the W.H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise. In today’s world college is a must due to many employers seeking educated individuals. Murray develops an interesting conversation by demonstrating that many high school graduates who are seeking to go to college do not need a degree depending on their career paths. Murray provides the analogy of a high school graduate who is looking to become an electrician but is not sure if college is the most logical decision. Murray acknowledges the fact that a B.A. does not necessarily led to a higher income than one with a degree. The logical argument of money is brought to attention and is stated “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 247). Although this is his main point, he understand that it varies due to the occupation one is leaning towards. There has been individuals without a college degree that are making millions of dollars, but it varies. Murray claims that getting a B.A. is going to be the wrong economic decision for many high school graduates (Murray 246); however not everyone wants to be an electrician or any other hand held jobs that doesn’t necessarily need a degree, but if one wants to be a lawyer, doctor, or anything require a degree, college is the answer. Having a degree in a

Despite what the current belief about higher education might convey, not everyone has to attend college. Larry Cuban attests to the rendering mantra of everyone needs to go to college in his blog post, “Why Everyone Shouldn't Go To College”, reposted by The Washington Post. Surely Cuban does not agree with common and popular belief that everyone needs to attend college in order to be successful in life. Cuban leaves the reader with the uncertain questions of, what could they do instead going to college, will they make a stable living, does higher education mean they’ll not be as successful as a person who doesn’t? Cuban does not address the different options that a person can attend other than college or the benefits of actually attending college.

Within the article, “Are Too Many People Going To College?”, by Charles Murray, he goes over the reasons why we don’t necessarily need to go to college to be successful. By this, he is talking about how most liberal arts should be taught properly within grades K-8. What I mostly agree on with him is the topic of how four years of college is ridiculous. From personal experience and the practicality of learning important information, I strongly believe that students should have to spend four years at college. Why learn something irrelevant and have the possibility to fail if you learn the material for your future career sooner and successfully.

    In the article “Are Too Many People Going To College,” Charles Murray claims that a lot of colleges are filled with students that lack certain skills and qualities that are needed for the college level. Murray goes on to say that not all students learn at the same level, but he still believes there are ways for lower ability students to be successful in college it taught better throughout K-8 and high school. Charles Murray wants all students to learn the importance of all subjects taught at college. However, he believes these students should be taught more in high school in order to be more prepared for college. Murray certainly expresses how important K-8 and high school can be when stating, “More people should be getting the basics of a liberal education. But for most students, the places to provide those basics are elementary and middle school.” Murray argues that core knowledge is very important to reading and writing comprehension, stating that familiarity of these concepts is important when going to college. He believes K-8 is the perfect time to teach the core knowledge, which should raise the students effort right away in elementary school. Murray wants kids to be taught more throughout kindergarten and eighth grade, and believes students in high school should learn by surveys and classes that are just slightly below college level courses. Another interesting quote

Caroline Bird writes the statement in her 1975 article “The Case Against College (Bird 15-18)” that not every high school graduate is ready to attend college. It is 2010 and this article is still valid today. Some of the college students I have been around were not mature enough for obedience school let alone college. A few of the points she makes in the article are: College has never worked its magic for everyone. Does it make you a better person? Are colleges responsible for your children? Are my children living in a country club? I will use some of my own experiences as an example of college life, as well as examples from my daughter’s college experience, along with my nephews as well. All to find the answer to the big question: Are

The authors Mike Rose, Gerald Graff, and Charles Murray are all scholars in education. Each one of them brings concrete facts about education in America. They all believe that education is very diverse and that it can come from anywhere not just school. For example Mike Rose writer of the text “Blue Collar Brilliance” explains how intelligence is used more in labor jobs than normal jobs. He believes that intelligence is overlooked. For example he talks about how when he was in his mothers store he would observe and analyze the things around him. He then started to realize the amount of work that waiters do such as communicate with customers, write down orders, and memorize who ordered what. He believes that intelligence doesn't just come from school and that it can be from anywhere. Furthermore Gerald Graff a professor In education argues that what teachers teach to students in schools limit students intellectualism as he gives personal experiences such as topics that were interesting to him he seemed very knowledgeable and therefore his hidden intellectualism was shown. In addition Charles Murray an American Political Scientists writer of “Are too Many People Going To College” talks about how more people should be going to college. He believes that basic education should be taught early on in elementary and middle school. He also mentions that people who don't pursue higher education doesn't mean there intelligence are any less than the ones getting post secondary

In this article, Murray argues that many people go to college when it is not actually necessary for them to do so. He begins by explaining that obtaining a liberal education, while it is important to cultural participation, is not a good reason for everyone to go to college. Instead, he says that this education should occur much earlier, beginning in elementary school. Murray also believes that the in depth analysis of information that occurs college is too difficult for most people to enjoy, and many simply aren't academically capable. Even for those who are able, he claims that four years of college is much more than most professions actually need. He states that many people believe that getting a degree is the key to getting a

The debate on whether or not students should attend college after achieving a high school degree is one that many would like to consider two-sided; Debra Humphreys says that “going to college is clearly better than not going,” but Claire Potter mentions the opposite side, quoting an unnamed professor who says that “the vast majority of people who end up in our community college system don’t belong in college at all.” I would argue that the issue is not two-sided, and that there are more complexities to the issue than are always printed in media; to say that all college students should go to college or that all should not attempt to place a variety of different cases into a single group. Perhaps a better option is to say that college (in

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.

Throughout the years, America has always debated whether education is needed- if it helps people succeed or not. The argument in the past was always over high school education, which is now mandatory. That decision has helped the US rise economically and industrially. Today, the US is in the middle of the same debate- this time, over college. Some, like David Leonhardt, a columnist for the business section of The New York Times, think a college education creates success in any job. Others, such as Christopher Beha, an author and assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine, believe that some college “education” (like that of for-profit schools) is a waste of time, and can even be harmful to students. Each stance on this argument has truth to it,

The decision to obtain a higher education beyond high school is no longer a question of if, but when. This is the question that author Caroline Bird discusses in her article, “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” written in 1975. This text strives to convince students, parents, and advisors that obtaining a degree might not be in the best interest for those involved. Circling around the idea that college is a requirement and no longer an act of free will. Bird starts the article off strongly by building her credibility through her own personal research and other credible sources as well as appealing to readers through logical reasoning using numerous statistics, but fails to convince readers and discredits her ultimate goal through a disconnect in her use of analogies.

In his writing, “Are Too Many People Going to College”, he talks about how a student should have already learned what they needed to learn in college and how it might not be necessary for them to even go to college. An example in his writing that gives reason as to why college may be pointless was when he gave a hypothetical situation about a student deciding on whether to attend university or skip college and become an electrician. Murray portrays the student through his thought process and reasoning, showing that the student had looked up the wages of an electrician, if it had sensible job security and the cost of attending college. The authors use of a detailed description of the student’s endeavors and going through the thought process really lets the reader see the student’s viewpoint through their own eyes. Nonetheless in this example, going to college proved pointless because the student would have made more money becoming an electrician than getting a degree due to the soaring cost of tuition for

Are too many people going to college? This is the question that has pondered many over the past few years. With increasing tuition and increasing attendance, college is becoming “not everything that it is cracked up to be.” Charles Murray, an author from the American Enterprise Institute, wrote an article in 2008 entitled “Are Too many People Going to College?” In the article he makes the arguments that the concept of college is slowly changing. Social norms are decimating the system, people get way too ahead of themselves with their life plans, and the system is suffering as a direct result. Murray indirectly states that too many people are going to college, sending the current system into shambles. Murray effectively states his opinion through persuasive writing, a simple structure, and notable examples that draw the audience into the essay.