The essays in Chapter 13 discussed the role of colleges in society today. There are many expectations students have of college, and there are many expectations that college place on prospective and current student. Unfortunately, gaining college education can be quite challenging, and one of the biggest obstacles that most college students face is student-loan debt, especially so soon after graduation. College plays a huge role in society especially in today’s time. There are so many connotations that we have attached to college in our society, and as a result, students are tied down to follow these social connotations. Firstly, many students are required to complete a college degree since their social status dictates them to do so. Many
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This is true in many cultural practices as well, since in the culture, it might be highly valued for a student to go through college. Dropping out of college or high school, or simply not wanting to pursue a degree isn’t an option for many individuals, since it is what is expected of them from their family, friends, and community. They were always told as a child to study hard in high school, get good grades, and go to college. As the author of the essay “What’s Wrong with Vocational School” mentions: “They go to college because their parents are paying for it and college is what children of social class are supposed to do after high school” (442). Rich, smart kids are expected to go to college and get a degree, and it’s almost impossible to see a member of a social elite without a college degree. Society deems those without college degrees as not equal, or not smart enough, or that these individuals didn’t work as hard, when they might have put in double the effort to pursue a passion outside of a classroom or college setting. Society deems college education and degree earning as a something that must be earned with hard work and symbolizes this earning as a beacon of success. Personally, when I look at …show more content…
If a student wants to go to a somewhat good school, they have to work harder than their parents or grandparents might have worked to get into a highly rated school. Universities want unique and diverse students, and expect these students to have background on their major as well as get involved with the community in many ways. However, colleges also take into account grades—and to a lot of colleges, SAT scores, cumulative GPA, and AP test scores are vital to universitites and is one of the major aspects when evaluating a prospective student. As a result, there is a huge pressure on students to get A’s in all their classes and excel no matter what. There is little to no leeway to high school students during their academic career to slack off if they aspire to apply to a highly rated college. As students work hard, they also pressure their teachers in giving them A’s, even when a professor might have given them a fair grade. In Alicia Shepard’s argument “A’s for everyone”, she discusses this pressure from the viewpoint of a parent and instructor. She examines how these students pressure their teachers and are constantly, and though this argument is placed in a college setting, many of these situations closely resemble those in high school. The pressure that these students face convert into stress as well as pressure on professors, who might be fairly
This is true in many cultural practices as well, since in the culture, it might be highly valued for a student to go through college. Dropping out of college or high school, or simply not wanting to pursue a degree isn’t an option for many individuals, since it is what is expected of them from their family, friends, and community. They were always told as a child to study hard in high school, get good grades, and go to college. As the author of the essay “What’s Wrong with Vocational School” mentions: “They go to college because their parents are paying for it and college is what children of social class are supposed to do after high school” (442). Rich, smart kids are expected to go to college and get a degree, and it’s almost impossible to see a member of a social elite without a college degree. Society deems those without college degrees as not equal, or not smart enough, or that these individuals didn’t work as hard, when they might have put in double the effort to pursue a passion outside of a classroom or college setting. Society deems college education and degree earning as a something that must be earned with hard work and symbolizes this earning as a beacon of success. Personally, when I look at …show more content…
If a student wants to go to a somewhat good school, they have to work harder than their parents or grandparents might have worked to get into a highly rated school. Universities want unique and diverse students, and expect these students to have background on their major as well as get involved with the community in many ways. However, colleges also take into account grades—and to a lot of colleges, SAT scores, cumulative GPA, and AP test scores are vital to universitites and is one of the major aspects when evaluating a prospective student. As a result, there is a huge pressure on students to get A’s in all their classes and excel no matter what. There is little to no leeway to high school students during their academic career to slack off if they aspire to apply to a highly rated college. As students work hard, they also pressure their teachers in giving them A’s, even when a professor might have given them a fair grade. In Alicia Shepard’s argument “A’s for everyone”, she discusses this pressure from the viewpoint of a parent and instructor. She examines how these students pressure their teachers and are constantly, and though this argument is placed in a college setting, many of these situations closely resemble those in high school. The pressure that these students face convert into stress as well as pressure on professors, who might be fairly