College related posts have obviously been quite popular this year. Adam's post about his plans for college and some of his concerns are very down to earth and easy to relate to as I'm sure only a small percentage of students are verbally committed or have been accepted to a college so far.
Here's something to lighten the mood, it's part of a show by Pen and Teller called bullshit; this one pertains to college
Though Pen and Teller shouldn't really be taken 100% seriously, they make really interesting points (often cynical) about how society influences the choices we make greatly. College, while being study oriented, is 50% give or take social. College is the buffer between real life in the business world as a young adult, and school. Americans these days have seen college as a necessity for success and practically everything we do from day one of kindergarten to the last day of our senior years in high school, build up to who we are in the eyes of our employers, or those who admit us into certain institutions, in this case, college.
Though UC's and other Universities have been the subject of awe and necessity for most students, what really seems to be left out in terms of benefits and equality of education and social campus life are the other colleges like community, state, private, charter, etc. There are people who know about this, but these are the people who look into it. UC's however are put right into our line of sight as a personal goal, and often people feel distressed or just down that they might not have a good chance to get into one of these schools. No matter what your circumstance, there is most often a college or higher education opportunity for you somewhere. Chances are that most are better off going to a smaller school, paying less tuition, enjoying a more close-knit community, and coming out of college less in debt, than other people who feel its completely necessary to get into the best school/University possible. Sometimes big colleges don't have your area of interest, and joining a college just because of the name or prestige that comes with it is not necessarily a key to success.
On a personal note, we at AHS are (I believe to be) very well educated as a whole. The schools in our area have proportionately high standards, and the things we have been exposed to, living here in the bay may be considered by some to be quite different than other students throughout the state/country. I have heard Adam talk in class and have gotten to get a feel for what hes thinking somewhat in class discussions and I know hes a smart dude, so I am hoping the best for him in his college application process...of which I myself am yet to start unfortunately.
remember that while college is great it's not necessary. Especially in our economy/this country, where college-educated people are frequently paid the same or less than mere high school grads.
ReplyDeleteI say mere, but there's nothing wrong with stopping education at high school, it's all about the career path you want to chose, how you want to follow your dream.
There is so much pressure upon us at this time in our lives to aim high, but there is also the issue of tuition rising and student loans becoming harder to acquire and more dangerous too.