In Marty Nemko’s article, “We Send Too Many Students to College,” he analyzes and questions whether college is truly worth the money. Marty “holds a Ph.D. specializing in the evaluation of education from the University of California, Berkeley, and subsequently taught there” (martynemko.com) as well as published five successful books. In addition to his novels, he previously was a columnist at San Francisco Chronical and The Atlantic Monthly, also a contributing editor at several other well-known companies. Nemko’s purpose is to convey the idea that, even though there may be reasons one would attend college, the complications overshadow the benefits. He adopts an impassionate tone in order to convince his adult audience to take a hard look at whether it is worthwhile for their children to attend college.…
Liz Addison uses various techniques and “moves” in her writing, such as the use of supporting details. She uses the opposing view of Rick Perlstein in her introduction to emphasize the value of community college and how there are other options…
Many people in today’s society tend to believe that a good education is the fastest way to move up the ladder in their chosen. People believe that those who seek further education at a college or university are more intelligent. Indeed, a college education is a basic requirement for many white collar, and some blue collar, jobs. In an effort to persuade his audience that intelligence cannot be measured by the amount of education a person has Mike Rose wrote an article entitled “Blue Collar Brilliance”. The article that appeared in the American Scholar, a quarterly literary magazine of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, established in 1932. The American Scholar audience includes, Company’s , Employees, Educators, Students, CEO’s, and many others. Author Mike Rose questions assumptions about intelligence, work and the social class. In the article, Rose uses Audience, Purpose, and Rhetorical Strategies to help the reader form an opinion on intelligence.…
In the article that I read, “Two Years Are Better Than Four”, Liz Addison, expresses her opinion on community colleges, which she believes that the community college system should be regarded as one of America’s uniquely great institutions, not only because community colleges lets students have a place to start their higher education, but also because community colleges is critical to the nation by offering people a network of affordable future, of accessible hope, and an option to dream. Addison firstly refutes Rick Perlstein’s opinion and states “My guess, reading between the lines, is that Mr. Perlstein has never set foot in an American Community College”. Then coupled with the writing that came before this statement, this line sets up Addison’s paper and provides the reader with her thesis “The philosophy of the community college is one that unconditionally allows its students to begin”. And Addison properly concluded her opinion of community colleges towards the end of the essay that the community college really matters to these students, from different backgrounds. It services them a way to prove themselves who would never breathe the college experience.…
The essay “Two Years Are Better Than Four” by Liz Addison is a response to Rick Perlstein’s “What’s the Matter with College?” piece. Addison is an advocate of the American community college system, which enabled her to reach her own goals of becoming a veterinarian student. Perlstein’s piece is a nostalgic description of what the four-year college experience used to entail for students, as he laments over the days where “pretentious reading lists was all it took to lift a child from suburbia” and when college “really mattered.” Addison argues that the community college offers a refuge that unconditionally allows students to “begin. Just begin.” The benefits of community colleges are highlighted throughout the essay as Addison explains how they allow students to develop themselves as learners and allow for independent growth. The “priceless springboard” that is the community college is therefore not only a gateway to higher education, but also serves as an institute for self discovery. This system is “America’s hidden public service gem” in which it is still possible to begin your college experience as a “rookie”. There is a chance for every citizen to advance their learning using this system and that that hope begins “with just one placement test”.…
On June twelfth of 2001, Linda Lee wrote an article for the Family Circle stating a case against college. Lee attempted using pathos, ethos, and logos to persuade her readers that college is not a necessity in a child’s future. However, numerous of these appeals can easily be contradicted by somebody as simple minded as a high schooler.…
In "The Case Against College", Caroline Bird questions the necessity of college and the education it provides. She states that college is accepted--without question. She holds that conventional wisdom and evidence show all high school graduates will be more responsible, and better than those who do not go. Bird's column is devoted to tearing down the college institution. She fails to recognize the many benefits and purposes of college.…
By Murray focusing on the assumption that the target group is 18 year olds fresh out of high school, Murray overlooks an important and ever growing group of students, which are the non-traditional students. Many of these students have not been in school in years, maybe only had a few years of high school, or like me had no high school at all and received a G.E.D. instead. Therefore, these students are missing valuable skills that are an asset for a college student such as writing and studying skills. As a non-traditional student and after reading Charles Murrays’ article and analyzing his thoughts and opinions on these young students, I can’t help but wonder what his thoughts and opinions are of us. Do we even fit within his narrow sights? Do we have a right to be here? These are a few of the questions that I would like for Murray to address, but since he doesn’t even consider that there are other age groups enrolled in college then we will have to wait until he realizes his…
Cited: Gutting, Gary. "What Is College For? (Part 2)." The New York Times: The Opinion Pages.…
Author of “What’s the Matter with College”, Rick Perlstein takes the stance that times have changed and large corporations in fact do need to be commercialized into colleges and universities. Commercialization is to emphasize the profitable aspects of, especially at the expense of quality (Dictionary.com). In his essay he interviews many college students and ask for their opinion on different topics regarding how drastically the “college experience” has changed. In a specific part of the reading he speaks with Jonathan Hirsch, the president of Chicago Friends of Israel, “a recognized student organization at the University of Chicago that promotes Israel awareness on campus through political, cultural, and…
In today’s society teenagers have been raised with an image in their heads that they must attend college after graduating high school. Parents, teachers, and society have made us feel that going to college right after graduating high school is the only thing that we could do with our lives. That taking a year off to decide what you want to do or maybe even not going at all would be unacceptable and “the end of the world as we know it”. The main reason most teenagers go to college is because they feel that they are obligated to, or that “It’s the right thing to do.” In the essay that Caroline Bird wrote “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, she states that students go to college because”…Mother wanted them to go, or some other reason entirely irrelevant to the course of studies for which college is supposedly organized.” (481)…
The article “College is Not a Commodity. Stop Treating It Like One” written by Hunter Rawlings, a former president of the Association of American Universities,…
In the essay, “Two Years Are Better Than Four”, the author Liz Addison, who attended Piedmont Virginia Community College and Southern Maine Community College, shares her opinion on the importance of community colleges. She responses to Rick Perlstein who wrote “What’s the Matter with College”. Perlstein believes that community college doesn’t matter anymore and in response to that, Addison argues that community college still matters. Addison mentions that community college is better than university by describing how community college is a self-discovery place where students find out of who they are as people. Though I concede that a two-year college is better than four-year university, I still insist that a community college in my eyes is a…
This is because each parent defines success differently. The question of how to raise a child…
Although sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa point out “36% of college graduates showed no improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning, or writing after four years of college” (Practical Argument 38), this doesn’t mean college is a waste of time. Not everyone who attends college takes it seriously. There are the slackers, and there are the people who realize they’re paying for an education. That 36% might still be trapped with their high school mindset: goofing around, skipping class, partying, and not completing assignments to the best of their ability. Going to college isn’t a 100% guarantee for a superior education or job, but instead it’s an extremely vital opportunity, and if not spent properly, one can’t reap its benefits. It’s the way at which the opportunity is tackled that will land a student in or out of the 36% group. Going to class, budgeting time for fun and work, and pushing oneself are qualities of a successful…