Miseducating The Young David Brooks Summary

Boston Massachusetts established the first public school called the “Boston Latin school” in 1635. That first school was a stepping stone for over 100,000 schools to be established all around America. In America today, students are required twelve years of school and then strongly recommended to apply to a four year college. Students are taught basic arithmetic, language, history and sciences. Yet, within all these subjects students are not taught nor prepared for their future after school. In his essay “Miseducating the Young”, David Brooks uses metaphors, lists life expectations while questioning ideas that emphasize the need to prepare young adults for the next step in life after college. In Brooks’ essay he uses metaphors to compare life to an engine that needs navigational skills. Brooks states, “But then the great engine of meritocracy spits people into a young adulthood less structured that it ever has been.” Brooks explains that life favors those who are talented on the basis of their achievements. He goes on to explain how life has millions of footstools that young adults must climb upward on a ladder of …show more content…
What is the meaning of life? How do I get a job? How do I file a tax return? Throughout Brooks essay he poses questions to his readers to make them think how society can make plans for the next uncertain phase of life. He proposes his opinion on how colleges should also be emphasizing the importance of life preparation after college. Brooks states “I’d say colleges have to do more to put certain questions on the table, to help students grapple with the coming decade of uncertainty:What is the cure for sadness? How big should I dream or how realistic should I be? What do I want and what is truly worth wanting?” to help young adults find their place in the future. Brooks believes colleges should be focusing on the preparation young adults after