...“Some people get an education without going to college. The rest get it after they get out.” (Twain 1) Is Mark Twain right, could college be a complete waste of time and money? Caroline Bird would agree with Twain on his implied view of college being a utter waste. Bird questions the real motive behind receiving a college education and depicts her view onto the minds of many college students in todays world. Mike Rose in his article about “Blue-Collar Brilliance” as well as Brent Staples in his writing about “Why Colleges Shower Their Students with A’s” make several valid, relative points that correlate with Bird’s belief on college being a complete waste of both time and money. Bird’s argument can be valid under the circumstance that one becomes unusually successful in a blue collar career, a student is simply given grades instead of earned and many other situations that go outside the traditional aspects of society and education. I, however, strongly disagree with Bird’s belief that college is a waste of time and money because despite her assertion that it is an expensive, time consuming commitment and the initial intention may be influenced by parents or societal pressures, the student will eventually gain a desire to learn and pursue a career if college is the right path for them. Even though I may not agree, Bird supports her argument very well with both statistics and convincing input. By stating that “no more than 25 percent of students are turned on by ...
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...Katrina Arenas Professor: Figueroa-Chacon English: 100 November 05, 2013 General Education Should Be an Option for College students. There is a highly debated topic on whether or not students should be forced to take General Education classes at college. College is a time for exploring all options that lay ahead. General education classes are a great way for students to discover themselves and their passions, especially if students are unsure of what they want to do with the rest of their lives. However, a strong case can be made that college students by no means should be forced to take them, especially for those students who have already declared on a major. As we all know, college is already too expensive to be wasting money on classes with little to no interest in. As a result, it is a waste of time and a high risk for getting bad grades in those classes. Instead of throwing the money out of the window, general education classes should be an option for college students, not a requirement. One of the main reasons why college students should not be required to take general education classes is because of the cost of college. According to the “Public College Tuition Spikes”, the average tuition costs rose about 8.3% to an average of $5,189 in the 2011-2012 school years. In the previous academic year, students paid with an average of $4,793, which is just adding on to the thousands of the already overpriced tuition. While those students who still on that...
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...The Value of Education In her essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” author Caroline Bird postulates monetary and social reasoning for why obtaining a college degree is a waste for many students. According to Bird, college has a miniscule value and effect on people and society, and is indeed a waste of time and money. She suggests many students are only in pursuit of a higher education because they lack societal value and purpose after graduating high school, resulting in them feeling obligated to go to college in hopes of obtaining structure and a high paying job. Unlike Bird, I believe a college degree holds a lifetime of abundant benefits. It is our duty as a society to push the value and credibility of higher education, as it can open many doors one couldn’t possibly achieve without some sort of earned credibility or degree. In “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” Bird tells us while lecturing across US college campuses, she came to realize that many students aren’t in school because they want to learn, but more so because they felt obligated to attend since they are not highly valued in our society. She suggests young adults go to college for several different reasons; some may go with a genuine interest in learning, some may go in order to get away from home, yet still be supported by their parents and taxpayers, but most go because it’s the ‘normal’ thing to do. For the most part, I agree that young people go to college because it is what is expected of them...
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...energy required to produce new items from scratch. Recycling requires far less energy, uses fewer natural resources, and keeps waste from piling up in landfills (Top 10 Reasons to Recycle). Landfills have become too large to accommodate in some areas, and they emit unwanted gases that damage the environment (Kaufman, 2009). Because of the repercussions of wastefulness, recycling is essential. As a student at Pierce College I care about my school’s environmental impact. Pierce College should implement a systematic recycling program that separates paper, plastic, and non-recyclable waste. Programs that recycle materials such as paper, glass, plastic, and metal are one way to decrease the amount of resources (especially non-renewable ones) needed to produce a given amount of products. What is less obvious is whether such programs save more money than they cost, or more energy than they consume. Recycling programs can in fact be worth their cost, but only if the programs are run efficiently, with sufficient education for those involved. In Washington State 60 to 80 percent of waste is recoverable through recycling (Recycling Saves Money). If Pierce College enforced a recycling program and reduced their waste by just 60 percent they could save thousands of dollars each year by avoiding landfill costs. The only costs to account for are recycling bins and time spent educating staff and students on the program. For the program to be as effective as possible people need to be educated...
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...should go to college. For some people, college is the best thing that ever happens to them. These people are those who do not mind going to school. If one hates school, college will most likely not be a positive experience for them. College is just like anything else if you dread it, it will not be a positive experience. More so, those who do not enjoy going to school may not graduate. This would be an extreme waste of money for some people. Starting college but not getting a degree is like lighting your money on fire. There is no point in paying for college if one’s desired career does not require a college degree. If someone...
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...Should high school athletes be drug tested? I don’t think they should for a couple reasons. First they will be tested later in life. Second testing wastes a lot of time. Lastly testing costs a lot of money. First of all athletes will be tested later in life. If they play in college or pro they will be tested. Even some jobs require drug tests. So why get tested now? Believe me it will happen later. Drug testing also wastes a lot of time. Most of the time testing will be on a day with no practice which will waste a player’s free time. Even if there is practice testing wastes valuable practice time. Most teams practice Monday through Friday so testing wastes most of a player’s Saturday and if done on Sunday it can keep...
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...(Desilver). In addition, business has been the most common major since 1980. Going to college will set one up for success in life because one will gain experience of living independently and pursuing a passion; however, many people think going to college is a waste of time and money, but statistics show that people who do not attend college are two times more likely to be unemployed. Being successful in life does not just happen. College is something that will help one become successful in life. Going to college will be a life changing experience for anyone. One will get the experience of living independently....
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...food is thrown away in a dumpster every day? In “On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner, Eighner talks about college students and how they waste food by not knowing is something will spoil while they are on break, not caring because it was not their money or just because they are wasteful. College students may say this is not true. Whether it is fall, spring, summer, or winter, at some point all college students get a break and are able to come home for a week or two. Do they pack up all of their stuff or do they leave it there? What about all of their food? Eighner states, “Students throw food away around the breaks because they do not know whether it has spoiled or will spoil before they return (Eighner...
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...English 101 Should everyone go to college? 1. This text originally appeared from a professor named Mike Rose, whose latest book, “Back to school : Why does everyone deserve a Second Chance.” 2. The genre of this text is informal and persuasive because Mike Rose rhetorical purpose is to explain that its positives and negatives to going to college. He expresses that going to college will make you more money than just an average person with a high school diploma. He also tells the audience that the more degrees you have the better. You will most likely make more money if you have multiple degrees. 3. The concept that the author is trying to get everyone to understand is college isn’t for everyone. If you know exactly what you’re going to do going into college that’s great. Most students don’t know what they will do after school so they go to college to explore different options. Students also waste money on school because they major in things they will never use in the real world this is why college isn’t for everyone. Some students are locked in certain careers that will lead them to a job after college. Other students aren’t which is ok, but they don’t need to waste money on school if they aren’t going to further their education on what they will do after school is over. 4. The author is trying to tell that college isn’t for everyone. You need to have an intended purpose to go to college or you can have the risk of wasting money and going into debt. A traditional...
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...on different public services: EXAMPLES OF POLICIES AFFECTING DIFFERENT PUBLIC SERVICES POLICIES THAT INFLUENCE ALL SERVICES: Financial and Environmental The government has a positive role within the public services and the military as the government give the services a set amount of money that need to be managed and used carefully. Taxes are spent on the training that is needed to care and protect people in the community. And buying updated resources for the public services and the taxes also pay for the recruits. Due to the country being in a recession the government has cut down on public services annual spending. The impact that the public services have on the environment is that the services use fuel for transport for example within the police force they need to catch criminals to prevent further issues; this increases air pollution which creates global warming. Also in the armed forces they create noise pollution by firing the guns; this has an impact on the wildlife that lives in the environment. The services work around the carbon footprint to prevent Policies Affecting the Military Service Declarations of War and Increased Use of Reserve Forces Declaration of war means that money will be lost but turned into good use by paying the soldiers and their training to succeed in fighting for the country. This creates more job opportunities for the country who want to become a soldier. Also it means that there will be a higher death rate with the soldiers lost in war, this...
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...General Education Requirement: Are They a Waste to Students? In the higher education system, students all across the country have to take general education requirements (GER). GER’s are classes that colleges require their students to take, classes that some students may not even necessarily need. This, in many ways, has been thought to prolong the course of study for many students. Which if you were to ask any of the students on our campus, you would see that this can have positive and negative effects on all of us. These general education requirements are found to be a hindrance to many students across the nation. Many people believe that GER’s are a burden to students and we would say that most of us do agree with that. Most students believe that general education requirements are a waste of our time and our money. Many of us feel as if we have to take these classes just to take them, it’s like throwing our time and money out the door. Sometimes these GER’s are useless for what we are majoring in, and sometimes it can be extremely challenging for us to pass subjects that we are very weak in. This is another reason why GER’s are found to be a hindrance to students, because the fear of failing the class may keep them from coming to college, period. Although we see many people leaning towards the opposition of GER’s, we also have to keep in mind that some people believe that GER’s help students. Some say that if students did not take GER’s that it would be harder for that...
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...The college wants to use adobe digital textbook because eText is a Pearson Education use books are in schools, but must bring to online easy better find has searched for class. The Internet does not work with eText online and something connects to the website is a problem about to get eText for WiFi from home and school being online. Some reason should college is important to use problem about textbook used in classes. The education into to allow put technology online is eText include WiFi has a thing than a textbook. I remember that is the first time to get my classes at TSC for a fall semester start to get my freshman year was experiencing. Because not have brought to class and use online include is a Pearson Education from success classes has technology as things....
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...Time As we know, time is limited. Time also is important, we can buy it by anything. It can’t be copy and regeneration. I think that waste time means waste life. For time, different culture should have different values, but they also will have some same values. Sense of time will direct influence peoples’ life planning. American will say that time is money. For most of American they think that time is important like money. Money and time is necessary for life. So most of American are cherish time which they work hard and have a high of work efficiency. I am a exchange student who come from China. I was born in China and I have lived in China for twenty years. In addition, I also have lived in America for one and a half years. In my opinion, most of American has a rapid pace of life. They always want do more work in a limited time. Cherish time is very good for life. More times means more chances, more chances means more money. Money is important for everyone who comes from China and American. Chinese also will say time is money. However, there is a proverb in China. Eat Hot Tofu Slowly. It means that haste makes waste. For most of Chinese, they know that they should do work careful and slowly, they don’t need do work as soon as possible, they can do it in tomorrow. This is Chinese life. Chinese life style is calm and relaxation. For me, I prefer Chinese life style. Before I went to America, my father told me that don’t become a machine like American. You are young and...
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...Is College Worth it? Right now in our society a college education is no longer an option or privilege, but rather a necessity. We are practically raised and conditioned to believe that one needs higher education in order to succeed in life. There is a saying that says, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." However, as technology is constantly advancing and computers are running almost anything, is a college education really necessary? There are people whom have never set foot in a college and are doing better than people who have their master's degree. There are views from both sides that contain a valid argument. The main reason why people go to college is not because they want to but because they have to. Most high school seniors are pressured by their guidance counselors and parents to go to college because it is "the right thing to do." In the essay that Caroline Bird wrote, titled "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." The student may have different ideas about what he or she wants to do in life, but because they think that these "mentors" know what is best for them, they probably end up doing something they do not want to do, resulting in being miserable and resentful. Let's face it; going to college is socially prestigious. Most people go to college only for the...
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...nursing. Students find themselves taking Algebra and the most tedious, at times, Geometry. Future Nursing students believe that taking the geometry course should not be part of the pre-requisites. Although, you do need some knowledge of math in nursing school, and in the profession in general. To be able to administrate medications, how many times a patient has pressed their pain pump, and how many milligrams they have received does require math. However, that is basic math. The requirement to take algebra or pre-algebra is a waste of time and money to acquire entrance into the nursing program. Assuming that algebra is needed, but you are not at the level yet, you have to take a “math refresher” course. The student already is required to take numerous classes before getting into the nursing, and to add a...
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