Write about college as a cultural expectation. Are young people forced or pressured to go to college? Is this a form of slavery? Is it hurting or helping society, or neither?
Draw upon your personal experience, if you like, as well as sources in popular culture--movies, books, music, television, etc. As always, you may reference our reading for class, our conversations in class, and your classmates who have posted before you.
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In today’s society it is now the 'norm' to go to college. According to ask amazon.com '40 million people go to college each year'. That number has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. Why may this be? I personally believe one of the main reasons why more young adults are going to college is because everyone in society, parents, teachers, even famous movie stars are telling young people how important it is to go to college, in order to 'move on' in life. If you want to make the money you need the piece of paper that says you graduated, it's as simple as that. The world is changing, women are now going to college and getting great jobs and not just sitting at home taking care of the kids like it was 50 years ago. From my personal experience from when I was young it was drilled into my head that I needed to get a college education in order to be 'successful'. In saying that, I think that young adults now are being pressured into going to college. I really don't feel like this is a form of slavery unless you look at it like you are a slave to your books for four years. I really think the increase of people going to college is a great thing; it is making society smarter.
ReplyDeleteI think that more recently college has turned into a cultural expectation. People from most middle class and higher-class families tend to expect their kids to go to college after high school. It definitely seems plausible to consider it a form of slavery. A lot of parents feel like they are helping their children by weighing in on their decision for post high school plans. And that makes sense because I think that they know that today it is harder to get a good job with out a college degree. It seems obvious that it would be beneficial to society; it sets a standard and makes your culture generally smarter. The only problem is that now it makes it difficult to get a job. People get 1 or 2 or even 3 degrees just to get their dream job all because society has raised the bar on qualification requirements. You always see the movies about kids graduation from high school and they all talk about their college plans. In Fairfield County the statistics of students who go to college is so high that it seems like expectation. The high schools are designed to prepare kids for college, ie. “College Prep” Classes, or even A.P. Classes which give credits for college bound students.
ReplyDeleteToday, college definately seems like a cultural exectation. As recently as when our parents where our age, it was understandable if one did not go on to college after high school. But now with a shortage of jobs, it seems like a college degree makes the difference between hired and looked over, like Kim said "you need that piece of paper that said you graduated". Due to this I would say that young people are forced and pressured by their parents and society to go on to college. Teens are being enslaved by the fact that it is the social "norm" to go to college and that it is the only way to succeed in life. This is significantly hurting the society because those who cannot go to college due to financial or private reasons cannot get a decent paying job, if any. And without the money from a job, they may never be able to afford to go to college.
ReplyDeleteI would also go as far as saying that it is not just young people who are being enslaved into going to college. Some adults could even be said to be enslaved by this too. The Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education (ANTSHE) states that students who are over 25 make up 47% of todays college campus student population. Many of these adults simply continuing their education, others simply trying to get that piece of paper that says they've made it.
According to today's society it is a cultural expectation that people go to college. With today's economy and the lack of jobs a perspective employee with a college education is much more likely to get the job as opposed to someone who does not have a degree. In my own experience, I was always told I would be going right to college from high school even though my mom didn't. She claims it was her biggest mistake which proves expecting your kids to go to college is the right decision. This was not the normal 40 years ago and you can see this when we have adults in our classroom. Getting a college degree makes everyone smarter but in my opinion it is not a form of slavery. It may not be a young adults idea of a great day, going to class, doing homework, writing papers but if that's what it takes to be successful for the next 50 years we can suck it up for four more. Maybe if everyone had a college education the economical problems our society is facing could be solved.
ReplyDeleteIn today's society, college is a cultural expectation. It is very difficult to establish yourself without some form of a college degree. You know what I think is funny? Everyone has a plan of how they want their life to be. We all want lots of money, nice cars and the so-called "perfect" lifestyle. However, this requires a lot of work. If you're not willing to put in all the time and effort this "perfect" lifestyle requires, you'll find yourself struggling your whole life to achieve it. But, if you go to college, you'll come to find any dream you have is somewhat attainable. For me, I've always been told that college is a must. It's the only way to be successful and happy. My dad always told me, "I want you to have a better life than I've had." So, in a way I want to do this for my parents, but at the end of the day, it's my life. I chose how to live it, no one else does. So, for one to assume that college enslaves us, I'm on the fence with that one. It only enslaves us if you let it. Granted, school is a bit frustrating and repetitive, but the light at the end of the tunnel is so worth it. College is beneficial to us as individuals and our nation as a whole.
ReplyDeleteIn todays culture we are strongly impressed upon college is the right step to go into right after high school. Everything that we do is in ways getting us ready for college. AP classes, College prep classes. Now a days there is pressure on younger people to know in exaggeration know what they want to do right from berth. College itself is a form of enslavement, we come here with a major that we intend to get a degree in, but were have forced to take Gen-ed's that in all actuality may never be used in every day life. I don't think that the high need for attending college is hurting us in any way. Its calling for people to step up and better them-selfs by getting a higher education. But i dont think that people should be forced into any degree. I think it should be up to the individual to choose what he/she wants. I mean my parents support me in my choice in being a music major but I know many people who have been discouraged from this field because their parents dont feel that its something that will provide in the long run.
ReplyDeleteToday, the number of high school students who go on to a higher education has increased tremendously compared to 20 or 30 years ago. Are we as students being enslaved into a college education? The answer is yes, because going to college has become the social norm. In my experience, just about every single friend and acquaintance I know has gone on to college. It seems today that parents are almost forcing their kids to go to school because they believe it will help them succeed later on in life. With the economy the way it is, it seems obvious that a college degree will be detrimental to obtaining a good job, and it seems that many students agree. But, even with a college degree many people cannot obtain jobs because of the shortage of them. So in the end we are basically taking a gamble on college, putting thousands and thousands of dollars on the line, hoping that we come out with a degree and a good job. So basically going to college today is pretty much a shot in the dark, but it's never said out loud because parents and students do not want to believe it because they are enslaved to the idea of college.
ReplyDeleteFrom the moment our generation stepped into a school there has been this assumption that someday everyone will go onto the higher education of college. Teachers have always preached, "You won't go anywhere today without a college degree". Therefore, we have been enslaved in this idea that the correct choice is college and everything else is below that. Neither of my parents went to college and both claim they did not feel the pressure our generation feels today to go to college. My older sister did not attend college and my parents never expected it but, I know many people I went to school with where their parents expected their child to go to college because it made them look good, it is what society deems the only way so we've been quietly enslaved to this idea that if you do not go to college you will not amount to anything. This pressure to achieve a higher education can hurt society in multiple ways. Blue collar jobs go unnoticed and many of the worlds vital jobs that do not require a college degree can become high demand because nobody wants them sinc ethey feel superior to such "low" jobs since college degrees are much more socially acceptable. The debt, especially Americans face is a huge problem that college ppaces on society. After all the years of college to get a more accepted job we will now spend at least ten to fifteen years minimum paying off bills for it. Everybody feels as if the only way to go is college thus making us feel enslaved into going into college even if it is not for everyone.
ReplyDeleteIn today’s society, college is a cultural expectation. Many people go on to college after they complete high school. Even if some people take a year or two off to work to get money for college, it seems like most people do take the extra step to go back to school to get a college education. I do not believe that anyone is physically forced to go to college, but looking at today’s world, it is very difficult to go anywhere in life without a college education. We have the right to do what we want in whether or not we want to go on to college, but our parents and the society will show us otherwise that college is the better road to take. Jobs are scarce without a college education, and our parents want us to succeed in life so this is the path they want us to take. I do not feel it is a form of slavery because we all have the choice of if we want to go or not, it is just a matter of how far one wants to go in life and how hard they are willing to push themselves. I feel that going to college does not help or hurt the society because there are so many people in the world that it really does not matter if some people refuse to go to college. I am sure our society can find people somewhere who are willing to go to school, and continue on to get successful jobs and lead a successful life.
ReplyDeleteAs much as our society has improved and progressed it is seemingly obvious a college education is necessary to succeed in our world today. Even though society portrays college as an individuals choice, to be able to succeed depends primarily on a college degree. In summation, college is a way of cultural enslavement. If one feels the need to be as best as they can be college is a first step in that path. However, it is clear that the pressures of going to college to start a future is demanding. Yet, with the economy at its lowest, we find students like ourselves struggling to pay off student loans and debts due to the unbelievable amount of tuition. This is where we think, is a college degree even worth it? A google aid states, " The final truth is college graduate unemployment is at its all time high". Yet even with this dramatic fact, billions of students, myself included, feel the ongoing pressures of finding a high paying job. However, it is sad to say that we may never find that job due to the market. Despite these statistics, society will continue to advise young individuals to venture into a higher level education because truthfully without it we will never have a future.
ReplyDeleteNicole Pain
ReplyDeleteIn today’s society, college has definitely become a cultural expectation. In earlier years only men were assumed to further their education and attend college. Now a days that is not the case, it has now become the norm for everyone to go to college and graduate. When I was younger I was always taught that I needed college to become successful in life. Without a college degree it is almost impossible to get a good job and without a good job it is hard to support yourself and your family. Young people may feel that they are being pressured to attend college but our teachers and parents are only trying to help us. Especially in hard times like this, having a college degree will place you at the top of the list for the job. In no way do I believe that college is a form of slavery because everyone has the right to choose if they want to attend college although it is frowned upon if you do not. It is also a huge advantage in our society if everyone attends college because we will have more educated people in the world.
In today's society I think that it is a norm to go to college. Without a degree many people do not get good jobs and make a good amount of money. In this world today we are being pressured to go to college. But we are not being pressured by our parents or family, we are being pressured by society to go to college. But this is not something that we are required to do, if you don't want to go to college you are not being forced to. So it would not be a form of slavery at all. Compared to college, I think that high school may have been considered a form of slavery more than college. This is because we were all forced to go to high school. Even though we are being pressured to attend college, it is not a bad thing. College opens so many doors for you in life, so its an oppurtunity that you would not want to pass up.
ReplyDeleteToday’s society has made going to college near mandatory if one wants to succeed in life. Through out high school, teachers warn the students that if they do not pass the classes and get into college, their lives will be failures. High school is no longer teaching students skills needed for the working world but instead cluttered with college prep courses and AP classes. Students being pressured to go to college is an understatement. The most annoying part about al the college prep is it leads one to believe that by doing a bunch of AP courses in high school for classes that are not necessary for one’s major, the classes will not be needed in college. It turns out the AP courses do not help much and all the general education courses are still required, enslaving all the students to do classes that might not ever be useful in their field of work. Going to college does not harm society much but it can severely harm some students. The economy today is in turmoil so newly graduated college students are having a very hard time finding work and to top it off, most of the students are thousands of dollars in debt owing students loans. The slavery of college can follow students years after they have graduated. -John Choquette
ReplyDeleteToday college has become a cultural expectation. Young people are pressured to go to college so that they can get a decent job and support their family. People who do not go to college have a tougher time finding a high paying job compared to the people who do. The people who attend college aren’t forced to go because ultimately it is their decision. Growing up it has always been expected for me to go to college because neither of my parents attended college so they wanted me to better myself and get an education. I do not believe this is a form of slavery because it’s the person’s choice if they want to go to college or not. They are not forced to go. It is helping the society because there are more educated people and more people getting higher paying jobs. Getting a higher education is better for the society; for example, doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, etc. need to be educated. Therefore, getting an education is the road to success.
ReplyDeleteLeonard Murtishi
ReplyDeleteIn a sense, it may not be bold to say that college is now a cultural expectation with the present economy. Prices of nearly everything have noticeably grown in a nation where it is hard to find a low wage job which puts pressure on young adults to gain every advantage. They know that walking into an interview with a degree is a lot more comfortable than walking in with out one and that college can make them sufficient at their careers so the idea of going to school has probably become more of a general option. The average working American makes about 47k a year, which is fine for an individual but throw a family and a house into the equation and it would not last long enough. People notice the numbers, they realize that life on low wage is rough and that the expectations of skilled workers have increased so basically compared to the two obtaining a degree shines. To assume that it is a form of slavery is arbitrary because no one can force anyone in this country to attend a college no matter what advantages it may offer. Citizens enrolling in colleges because they feel as if they have no choice to live comfortably are only doing it because they need to it’s just basic elements of survival. I believe the nation actually needs as much college students as possible right now to better our society. We need young adults to learn all these fields and businesses to add a new age touch in order to reinvent our economy so when the recession weakens America can come out strong and take full advantage of a fresh market.
In the United States, attending college has become an expectation and obsession. In life, no one has to do anything they do not want to. If a person does not want to go to college, they do not have to. I do not see college as a form of slavery. We, the people of this country, should be happy that such a beneficial option is expected to be accomplished. I know first hand, that people from poverty stricken countries wish they could have the chance to receive a proper education. I have been to college and received a degree, but had no luck finding a job in my field. I am a victim of the down economy, along with many recent college graduates. It is not the school's fault, but rather the current economic state of our country. I decided to come back to school and do what everyone else is trying to do, better my future. It is a double edge sword for me. I am thankful to have the chance to be a more competitive job candidate, but I am pissed off that I wasted so much money at my other school. Overall, I feel that college is a good thing for the individual and society. It provokes thought, motivation, and it is better than a bunch of dumb people running around.
ReplyDeleteI think that college has become a cultural expectation as a stepping-stone to eventually grow up, get a job, and become an independent adult. I don’t think young people are pressured to go to college as much as they are motivated to go, in order to inevitably achieve whatever goal or lifestyle they are trying to attain. Motivation differs among students, whether it is their dream of becoming a neurosurgeon, attaining an AMEX black card, or simply for the sake of not becoming “that guy”, and people only feel pressured to go to college when they lack self-motivation. I think that students enslave themselves in college. Some kids work really hard and put a lot of time and effort into their studies to do well, where as others kids party too much, skip class and fail out. In order for kids to gain the full college experience, there should be a balance between work and fun. I don’t think it helps or hurts society whether or not you go to college, but what you with your life after graduation. If you can get a job and support yourself, you help society, as well as yourself, because you are allowing yourself to be an active member of society. In the same respect, if you decide not to get a job, and just sit around waiting for unemployment or welfare, you are hurting society, because you are letting society spend their tax dollars to support you.
ReplyDeleteI believe that going to college isn't required in order to become a successful person but most of the time it can definitely lead you in the right directions. As far as you being pressured to attend college, there's always choice but chances are slim that you are going to be happy with your life without a degree. (Gerald Benton)
ReplyDeleteTo an extent, I disagree with what Nicole said above: "The people who attend college aren’t forced to go because ultimately it is their decision"
ReplyDeleteI believe that to some, college is there own decision but a lot of people just go in order to get a good job. It's very hard to get a good enough job to support a family without that degree and because of this, people are basically enslaved to go. If most colleges didn't make people take general education classes, this would be a different case. People have to learn a job some how and the classes people take in college should be relevant to that job otherwise it's slavery because colleges force those classes onto people.
~Patrick Flanigan
In today's society, it has become an expectation to come to college after graduating high school. When our parents were younger, it was not as expected of them to attend college. I think another main component of why so many students decide to further their education is because it is nearly impossible to get a well paying job without a college degree. If you are the type of person who constantly has their face in a text book, I guess you could say that they are enslaved by college, but the average student who makes time for school and a social life does not become enslaved. If you let school take control of your life, then you do not get the full college experience. I think that the social expectation of going to college can only help society because with a college degree, you can have a well paying job and reduces the percentage of unemployment.
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