Mere Research Paper (1st Draft)

7/30/2019 Mere Research Paper (1st Draft)

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Meredith Butler

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

English 1103

October 31, 2012

Is College Necessary? How the Socially Accepted Belief Could Be Misleading.

World War II, Nazi Germany. Jewish prisoners and victims stand two more hours in a

line with fellow disoriented citizens to wait to be assigned a number that will forever be inked

into their wrist. Disoriented, scared, and anxious to what may lie behind the intimidating doors

of the internment camps they dont know what to make of their numbers. Fast -forward to the

survivors and ask them of their tattooed numbers. Memories fade, physical pain goes away with

time and faces become less familiar, but the number is always there. The number they must

continue to live with, even in their new futures. Today, thousands of high school graduates

move in to their first semester in college scared and anxious as well and with their own tattooed

number, just not etched into their skin. Fast forward to college graduation, a day of excitement

and the beginning of a new future but most will continue to live with their hidden tattoo well into

their new careers; their massive student loans in the thousands. Although much less dramatic

than tattoos given in internment camps during World War II, symbolically student debts have the

potential of having the same haunting affects.

Its the factors like the increasing amount required to get through to college that is

sparking a new way of looking at education globally. Finally gaining momentum and attention,

there has been a great push towards revising or at least analyzing and critiquing the once


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accepted belief that going to college after high school is what is acceptable, required, and smiled

upon. The truth of the matter remains that student debts put an unreasonable price tag on an

individuals education, the college environment and classrooms are becoming outdated and ill-

suited for teaching, and creativity and passion is being dampened and suppressed by standardized

education such as college.

When asking students about the drawbacks of college, tuition costs are among the highest

objection mentioned. And its within reason; tuition costs are the equivalent to putting a price

tag on ones education and , matched with the common belief that a college education will give

way to a prosperous future, its also putting an ultimatum on ones future stability. According to

the website OccupyStudentDebt.com (OSD) average tuition costs have increased 900 percent

since 1978 with 36 million Americans today still working to pay off student loan debts they

acquired while receiving an education (OSD). The tuitions costs are continually rising, making

paying for a decent college education difficult and stressful on both students and their support

systems. For example, websites like OccupyStudentDebt.com and its partner

OccupyColleges.org , much like the Occupy Wall Street movement, are websites to combat

tuition raises as well as encourage students to peacefully protest in order to make a point. Its no

strange phenomenon to see media focusing on college student protests whenever a college

mentions higher tuition. If theres one thing students get really emotional about its tuition.

Debt is a lasting consequence that is difficult to get rid of as well. Some sixty year olds

are still paying off debt today. Additionally, the consequences that can arise from prolonged

student debt include bad credit, limits on opportunities, and hardships on living conditions and

jobs. With 53% of new graduates facing difficulty finding jobs and facing unemployment, the


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default rate is estimated at one in five. In the United States, student loan debt has even managed

to pass credit card debt (OSD).

This debt will follow newly graduates into their new careers and into their futures. Instead of

starting clean and fresh, these graduates are perhaps facing worse conditions than others who

dont have such debt in such a difficult economy. As OccupyCollege.org describes, s tudent

debt is delaying the steps of adulthood that are considered crucial to following the American

dream, and withholding vital consumer spending that can stimulate the economy (Occupy).

With such high costs, so much at stake, and the chance that things still might not work out in the

end, why put forth all that money for a slim chance at success?


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So what if I told you that you could learn every thing youd learn in college without ever

having to pay those tuition fees or step foot in a lecture hall? Well a common idea has been

surfacing within this emergence of analyzing college: the idea that instead of learning

experiences in a classroom setting you can learn them even better, and with more meaning, in the

real world. It seems pretty simple; things always have more meaning to a person when it

happened to them directly. But if that should be the case, colleges wouldnt be here today. For

example, Peter Thiel, Facebook investor and billionaire, decided to test this theory by giving 24

young adults currently in college $100,000 to drop out. A year later, two of these Thiel

Fellows created an ecommerce website, one won a $260,000 young entrepre neurship award,and one sold his website on music gigs for over six figures (Hindman). Without having to go

through college, these young adults were able to become successful on their own terms by their

own means in only a year; they serve as a perfect ex ample that classrooms and lectures arent

necessary if you have the drive.

Dale J. Stephens, another Thiel Fellow and founder of the website UnCollege.org , goes

one step further and tries to teach young adults the skills they need without stepping foot in a

classroom. UnCollege.org was founded to motivate young adults looking into college to step

outside the box and hack their own education through self -discovery methods and meaningful

experiences (UnCollege). In short, with its UnCollege Manifesto, the teachings focus on self-

motivation and worth by using experiences and reinforcement that feels more personal and

organic than the classroom setting. Teachers may try to be inviting and a college may be very

fitting for a young adult, but Dale supports the idea that some things cant be taught throug h

lecture but live by an individual. Because the idea is only just picking up attention, Dale strives

to combat the stereotypical standard reasons for going to college, such as building a network,


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self-discovery, learning in an engaging and vigorous learning community, and earning a degree

that will put you one step ahead of others when choosing a career. All these, he goes on to

explain, are over-exaggerated and over represented. The best way to learn is hands on, the

network you make should not be your dorm mates and the smokers you meet every night by the

benches, and the last place one wants to be to learn is college (Ojalvo). While society may have

the enlightened vision of students spending every night studying and having educational

discussions, i t doesnt always turn out that way. While I cannot generalize all college students

and assume the worst, and while Im sure its not all bad, there is usually equilibrium between

classes and ones sense of fun in college.

Additionally, another big component against colleges is the environment, whether that is

the campus or the classes themselves. We know a healthy and inviting environment creates a

pleasant and more open learning experience. However, with colleges, its sometimes difficult to

achieve that environment. Assistant professor Jennifer Morrow, who focuses on college student

development and teaching research, understands that approximately 22% of first-year college

students do not return for their sophomore year , 65 percent of those left for non-academic

reasons (Morrow). These reasons can be a students uncertainty of what they want, adjustment

problems such as meeting people, and a lack of acceptance and welcome from the institution

itself. College is a transition and no matter what classe s we take to adjust, its an individual

experience.

Finally, following the same lines as Morrow and Stephens, many who are rising

against colleges have a common worry on the safety of an individuals creativity and passion in

college. While colleges strive and advertise a very individualistic approach, where an individual

can be completely themselves and excel at their talents, many seem to disagree completely.


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Instead, it seems as if colleges, while perhaps unintentionally, reduce passion and individuality; a

false advertisement on the college s part. I believe this passionately: says Sir Ken Robinson,

an international advisor on education in the arts, that we dont grow into creativity, we grow out

of it. Or rather, we get educated out if it (Robinson). Its not that creativity is learned but rather

given at birth and the only place to go with our given creativity is down, as we see with the

education systems. Similarly, Dale Stephens agrees by stating that what we learn in college is

the same skills we knew from high school: how to follow directions, meet deadlines, and

memorize facts so we can pass our tests (Ojalvo). There seems to be little room in between for

creativity and expression, for passion. And its not uncommon for many to just stick to whattheyre relatively good at but dont like, just because they dont know their own talents or what

theyre passionate about. Robinson goes on to explain that our current educational system

follows the model of fast food: standardized and conformed, when really we need an agricultural

approach in which education is tailored to a person and where colleges create the conditions

under which an individual on their own can flourish. Its not evolution we need, but a revolution

(Robinson).

There is a stigma that education follows a linear routine, that there is a set path you must

follow in order to position yourself for a life of success and prosperity. But life is organic and

more often than not, cannot fit into molds . Were ind ividuals, and being so, were unique. Two

people can experience the same phenomenon and each have a different reactions. I thoroughly

believe the same principle applies to schools and ways we learn.

However , like all good arguments, theres always disagreement. Years back no one

would have thought of criticizing colleges and only now is it gaining momentum and attention.

Not to mention its the topic of education; students have an opinion, parents have an opinion, and


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professors are going to have an opinion about our current system. This is important to a lot of

people. Those in favor of our current system still believe in the commonly accepted beliefs: that

a degree is valuable, that there are more opportunities available, and that college serves to

establish a network for oneself. Jeff McGuire, advice columnist on CollegeView.com claims that

by going to college youre opening yourself to new opportunities but more importantly, to books

and lectures by professionals, thus encouraging students to be curious, ask questions, and think

outside the box (McGuire). However, one must not just assume curiosity and the drive to ask

questions comes from colleges alone. Curiosity is human nature; it is fundamental to our

survival but also to our personalities and lifestyles as well. Lectures may provide a wider arrayof information to be curious about, but if an individual has the drive, the curiosity, and the will to

continually discover new things and think outside the box, a college education wont be too

significant.

Additionally, theres a push with those who support college to think beyond an

individual. James Applegate, Vice President of Lumina which promotes higher education in

America, is pushing more for a global, worldview approach. Applegate believes the United

States is falling below current standards in education around the world. Because of this

Applegate proposes Goal 2025 where, in order to remain in par with the rest of the world the

United States must produce 278,000 graduates per year, every year: a 6.3% annual increase

from where we are currently standing (5). Applegate encourages American youth into colleges

as a way to solidify and maintain Americas status as an educated, democratic power. Hes

urging a higher motive not as an individual but as a world view. However, while I understand

wanting to maintain Americas status and global image, in this circumstance I believe the

individual is more important. This is pertaining to an individuals future, and thus related to


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Americas future. Its this generation of young adults that will soon become prominent members

and leaders in the United States. While pushing out graduates like manufactured goods might be

faster and simpler, the results will be one of conformity and standardization with untapped

talents and a lack of passion. By focusing on the individual, were creating a great diversity of

individuals who are each prepared to pick up the responsibility and keep moving forward from

their own experiences, not from a degree.

High school graduates face a tough decision after graduation. They must both look ahead

into their future while looking down to make sure theyre on what they deem to be the right path

for them. I absolutely support a major analysis of the current educational system pertaining to

colleges. While currently accepted to be necessary, colleges are losing their status fast due to

their extreme tuition costs that lead to student debts, outdated and overbearingly formal

environment and classrooms, and suppression of creativity and passion. This is increasingly

becoming an issue. Ever generation pushed through our linear path of the educational system is

one step away from the great potential we can, and have the right, to be. College is losing its

potential and in todays world of innovation , its no longer a necessity if a young adult has the

drive. These are our neighbors, peers, children, nephews and nieces were talking about. Let

them decide their future before pushing obligations, stigmas and expectations of their future into

their open arms.


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Work Cited

Applegate, James L. "Graduating The 21St Century Student: Advising As If Their Lives (And

Our Future) Depended On It ." NACADA Journal 32.1 (2012): 5-11. Education Research

Complete. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.

Hindman, Nate C. "Peter Thiel Fellows One Year Later, Income Hard to Come By."

Huffingtonpost.com TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2012.

McGuire, Jeff. Importance of College Education: Why it is Important to go to College.

CollegeView.com . Hobson, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2012.

Morrow, Jennifer Ann, and Margote E. Ackermann. "Intention To Persist And Retention Of

First-Year Students: The Importance Of Motivation And Sense Of Belonging." 46.3

(2012): 483-491. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.

Occupy Colleges. OccupyColleges.org . 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.

Occupy Student Debt. OccupyStudentDebt.com . OSD, 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.

Ojalvo, Holly Epstein. Why Go To College At All? NYTimes.com , The New York Times

Company. 02 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

Robinson, Sir Ken. Bring on the Learning Revolution. Ted.com . Ted Conferences, LLC,

May, 2010. Web. Sept. 2012.

Stephens, Dale J. UnCollege.org . UnCollege, 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.


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U.S Student Loan and Credit Card Debt. Chart. OccupyCollege.org . Web. 13 Sept. 2012

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