College is Never Going to be for Everyone
Have you ever noticed how some teens cram last night’s homework into their morning routines like it is a well-established tradition? This is a regular for American teens who manage to partake school work and extracurricular activities partly because they find priority in their outside-of-school-activities and aren’t committed enough to make room for their homework assignments. Since the American school system focuses on the core subjects, mathematics, english, science, and history, simultaneously and focuses almost entirely on the goal of getting all students to college, individualized learning is not practiced and students are rendered misguided regarding their future, which ultimately defeats the purpose of education. Instead of giving students the right to take ownership of their education, the school system should focus on the Common Core standards and set learning goals in language arts/literacy and mathematics for all students (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2015). While setting standards for learning aids in the efforts of ensuring that all students learn what they are expected to, it doesn’t consider the individuality of each student, nor their diverse learning needs; therefore, it is essential that individualized learning be promoted in the school system (NDPC/N, 2015).
Generally speaking, schools should stop promoting the idea that students are obliged to attend college in order to be successful in life. Some students may benefit from attending college, but it isn’t the case for all in regards to the time that students are willing to put into the college decision process. In the article, Why We Still Think College Isn’t for Everyone, Isabel V. Sawhill claims, “for the students we focus on in our brief—teenagers and young adults planning their educational and career paths—it is often too late to make up this lost ground” (Sawhill, 2013). When Saw says “lost ground,” she is pertaining to the loss of vital, long-term planning necessary for students to grasp and create their own opportunities for individual potential career pathways, therefore, if students only focus on maintaining good grades throughout high school for the purpose of “getting to college,” they will miss out on essential out-of-school opportunities that enrich their intellectual strengths (ei. science sleuths that are interested in competing and making progress in science fair competitions). In the end, the student doesn’t spend much time investing in activities that influence their career plans. It is evident that though time is vital to students’ success, it is hardly available due to the lack of emphasis on individualized learning, a well known practice that is justified in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s article, Emerson on Education. According to the article, students should be responsible for what they study, not the educator; overall, he makes the point that the universal ideas that ground us are products of a supreme being who contemplates philosophy to attain space and time for their own intellect (Emerson, 1864). Furthermore, college has been proven to be inharmonious with student success. Bill Symonds, the director of the Global Pathways Institute at Arizona State University, claims, “We’re advocating a series of reforms that I think will help change the culture of education and lead to a more productive and effective system. The first one is let’s put a lot more emphasis on career guidance” (Symonds, 2014). Putting emphasis on career guidance will motivate students to focus on planning for their lives outside of school well before the time approaches. As a result, last minute career planning will be less common among students and they will be ready for any opportunities that come their way in terms of their pre-career objectives through means of getting involved in apprenticeships and attending vocational school for early skill-building. Due to the variety of career pathways, college is not the right path for all students; each individual should receive the educational support they need depending on whether they need further education or want to jump right into entrepreneurship. Symonds makes another essential point of advice for student success where he says, “Secondly, looking at the range of careers and figuring out which one really excites you, where do you have the abilities, aptitudes and interests to really succeed in that career and then figure what’s the best pathway” (Symonds, 2014). Taking into account the amount of skill that specific careers require, it is evident that students should choose the one that matches their overall interest and evaluate their skills in that specific field of work. With that said, students should not only have the goal of simply going to college - they must have an elegant plan for themselves depending on their interest and skills and evaluate their success in their perceived career as soon as one is considered.
Furthermore, schools should not focus on teaching students each subject; some subjects are not necessary for students’ success since they don’t pertain to their lives outside of school. According to Boston Public Schools, “Strategies for school improvement must focus on the particular academic needs of students” (BPS, 1998). The shift to focusing on academic needs is critical for the improvement of the school system and is currently being utilized in some U.S. high school systems, such as the Boston Public School District, as a means for fulfilling that goal. For example, “If one can become a doctor without working on animal remains, one should be able to pass high school science courses without dissection” (Sarff, 2015). This evinces the fact that even broad subjects like science can be narrowed down to the necessary content that pertains to students who want to focus more on a specific area, and since it is possible, it should definitely be done to optimize the relevance of each lesson to pique the interests of the students while enhancing the skills they will need most. According to the essay, Superman and Me by Sherman Alexis, it is clear that students can easily hide what they know and receive negative feedback from their teachers and faculty; perceived iliterate students may become famous poets or journalists once they leave the confinements of the public school district. In the long-term, as evidenced, performance in some school subjects doesn’t determine students’ success and should not get in the way of what students’ define as their own desires and perceptions of success.
In essence, the school system has flaws when it comes to the appropriate amount of emphasis on college and the content that students must learn. As addressed previously, college is not, and will never be, the goal for everyone - each individual should have an individualized plan established as soon as possible. Likewise, individuals should not be held accountable for not meeting the learning goals established by the Common Core standards because success can only be met through the fulfillment of individual learning needs and the uniqueness of one’s character, therefore, it should not be allowed to define students’ success nor determine their ambitions. Though some may claim that college is necessary for all who seek to be successful, it can easily refuted. For example, inspiring, innovative individuals like Steve Jobs, a man who developed one of the most profitable companies in the world (Apple Inc.) right out of high school without completing his college education (Spicer, 2011). Clearly, individuals who focus more on their interests and skills, enrich themselves according to their diverse learning needs, and tend to be the wise individuals who eventually change the world. How could the school system pass up the opportunity of inculcating a generation of remarkable young individuals whose energy and enthusiasm may change the world as a result of its shift towards individualized learning?
Work Cited
Bill Symonds. “When College Is Not For Everyone.” Hereandnow, December 16, 2014. http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/12/16/college-not-for-everyone.
Boston Public Schools. “Archived: Focus on Learning: Promising Strategies for Improving Student Achievement.” Guides. Accessed October 22, 2015. http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/turning/strategy.html
Julie Sarff. “Castle View High School, Douglas County School District: End Unnecessary Cat Dissection.” Change.org. Accessed October 22, 2015. https://www.change.org/p/castle-view-high-school-douglas-county-school-district-end-unnecessary-cat-dissection
Ralph Waldo Emerson. “EMERSON - ESSAYS - EDUCATION.” Accessed November 12, 2015. http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu.edu/authors/emerson/essays/education.html.
Sherman Alexie. “Essay Alexie Superman and Me - WR 115 Essay Alexie Superman and Me.pdf.” Accessed November 12, 2015. http://cf.linnbenton.edu/artcom/english/misitip/upload/WR%20115%20Essay%20Alexie%20Superman%20and%20Me.pdf.
Francine Prose. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read.pdf.” Accessed November 12, 2015. http://lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/2376/I%20know%20why%20the%20caged%20bird%20cannot%20read.pdf.
NDPC/N. “Individualized Instruction.” National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://dropoutprevention.org/effective-strategies/individualized-instruction/.
Common Core Initiative. “Read the Standards | Common Core State Standards Initiative.” Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/.
Dag Spicer. “Steve Jobs: From Garage to World’s Most Valuable Company | Computer History Museum.” Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/steve-jobs/.
Isabel V. Sawhill. “Why We Still Think College Isn’t for Everyone.” The Brookings Institution. Accessed October 22, 2015. http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/05/13-college-for-everyone-criticism-response-owen-sawhill.
Generally speaking, schools should stop promoting the idea that students are obliged to attend college in order to be successful in life. Some students may benefit from attending college, but it isn’t the case for all in regards to the time that students are willing to put into the college decision process. In the article, Why We Still Think College Isn’t for Everyone, Isabel V. Sawhill claims, “for the students we focus on in our brief—teenagers and young adults planning their educational and career paths—it is often too late to make up this lost ground” (Sawhill, 2013). When Saw says “lost ground,” she is pertaining to the loss of vital, long-term planning necessary for students to grasp and create their own opportunities for individual potential career pathways, therefore, if students only focus on maintaining good grades throughout high school for the purpose of “getting to college,” they will miss out on essential out-of-school opportunities that enrich their intellectual strengths (ei. science sleuths that are interested in competing and making progress in science fair competitions). In the end, the student doesn’t spend much time investing in activities that influence their career plans. It is evident that though time is vital to students’ success, it is hardly available due to the lack of emphasis on individualized learning, a well known practice that is justified in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s article, Emerson on Education. According to the article, students should be responsible for what they study, not the educator; overall, he makes the point that the universal ideas that ground us are products of a supreme being who contemplates philosophy to attain space and time for their own intellect (Emerson, 1864). Furthermore, college has been proven to be inharmonious with student success. Bill Symonds, the director of the Global Pathways Institute at Arizona State University, claims, “We’re advocating a series of reforms that I think will help change the culture of education and lead to a more productive and effective system. The first one is let’s put a lot more emphasis on career guidance” (Symonds, 2014). Putting emphasis on career guidance will motivate students to focus on planning for their lives outside of school well before the time approaches. As a result, last minute career planning will be less common among students and they will be ready for any opportunities that come their way in terms of their pre-career objectives through means of getting involved in apprenticeships and attending vocational school for early skill-building. Due to the variety of career pathways, college is not the right path for all students; each individual should receive the educational support they need depending on whether they need further education or want to jump right into entrepreneurship. Symonds makes another essential point of advice for student success where he says, “Secondly, looking at the range of careers and figuring out which one really excites you, where do you have the abilities, aptitudes and interests to really succeed in that career and then figure what’s the best pathway” (Symonds, 2014). Taking into account the amount of skill that specific careers require, it is evident that students should choose the one that matches their overall interest and evaluate their skills in that specific field of work. With that said, students should not only have the goal of simply going to college - they must have an elegant plan for themselves depending on their interest and skills and evaluate their success in their perceived career as soon as one is considered.
Furthermore, schools should not focus on teaching students each subject; some subjects are not necessary for students’ success since they don’t pertain to their lives outside of school. According to Boston Public Schools, “Strategies for school improvement must focus on the particular academic needs of students” (BPS, 1998). The shift to focusing on academic needs is critical for the improvement of the school system and is currently being utilized in some U.S. high school systems, such as the Boston Public School District, as a means for fulfilling that goal. For example, “If one can become a doctor without working on animal remains, one should be able to pass high school science courses without dissection” (Sarff, 2015). This evinces the fact that even broad subjects like science can be narrowed down to the necessary content that pertains to students who want to focus more on a specific area, and since it is possible, it should definitely be done to optimize the relevance of each lesson to pique the interests of the students while enhancing the skills they will need most. According to the essay, Superman and Me by Sherman Alexis, it is clear that students can easily hide what they know and receive negative feedback from their teachers and faculty; perceived iliterate students may become famous poets or journalists once they leave the confinements of the public school district. In the long-term, as evidenced, performance in some school subjects doesn’t determine students’ success and should not get in the way of what students’ define as their own desires and perceptions of success.
In essence, the school system has flaws when it comes to the appropriate amount of emphasis on college and the content that students must learn. As addressed previously, college is not, and will never be, the goal for everyone - each individual should have an individualized plan established as soon as possible. Likewise, individuals should not be held accountable for not meeting the learning goals established by the Common Core standards because success can only be met through the fulfillment of individual learning needs and the uniqueness of one’s character, therefore, it should not be allowed to define students’ success nor determine their ambitions. Though some may claim that college is necessary for all who seek to be successful, it can easily refuted. For example, inspiring, innovative individuals like Steve Jobs, a man who developed one of the most profitable companies in the world (Apple Inc.) right out of high school without completing his college education (Spicer, 2011). Clearly, individuals who focus more on their interests and skills, enrich themselves according to their diverse learning needs, and tend to be the wise individuals who eventually change the world. How could the school system pass up the opportunity of inculcating a generation of remarkable young individuals whose energy and enthusiasm may change the world as a result of its shift towards individualized learning?
Work Cited
Bill Symonds. “When College Is Not For Everyone.” Hereandnow, December 16, 2014. http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/12/16/college-not-for-everyone.
Boston Public Schools. “Archived: Focus on Learning: Promising Strategies for Improving Student Achievement.” Guides. Accessed October 22, 2015. http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/turning/strategy.html
Julie Sarff. “Castle View High School, Douglas County School District: End Unnecessary Cat Dissection.” Change.org. Accessed October 22, 2015. https://www.change.org/p/castle-view-high-school-douglas-county-school-district-end-unnecessary-cat-dissection
Ralph Waldo Emerson. “EMERSON - ESSAYS - EDUCATION.” Accessed November 12, 2015. http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu.edu/authors/emerson/essays/education.html.
Sherman Alexie. “Essay Alexie Superman and Me - WR 115 Essay Alexie Superman and Me.pdf.” Accessed November 12, 2015. http://cf.linnbenton.edu/artcom/english/misitip/upload/WR%20115%20Essay%20Alexie%20Superman%20and%20Me.pdf.
Francine Prose. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read.pdf.” Accessed November 12, 2015. http://lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/2376/I%20know%20why%20the%20caged%20bird%20cannot%20read.pdf.
NDPC/N. “Individualized Instruction.” National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. Accessed November 13, 2015. http://dropoutprevention.org/effective-strategies/individualized-instruction/.
Common Core Initiative. “Read the Standards | Common Core State Standards Initiative.” Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/.
Dag Spicer. “Steve Jobs: From Garage to World’s Most Valuable Company | Computer History Museum.” Accessed November 13, 2015. http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/steve-jobs/.
Isabel V. Sawhill. “Why We Still Think College Isn’t for Everyone.” The Brookings Institution. Accessed October 22, 2015. http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/05/13-college-for-everyone-criticism-response-owen-sawhill.
Vacuum in Nature by Stephanie Booker
Throwing cans of fizzy-whizzy on the dew.
Collecting the rain in buckets of rotten apples and shavings.
How many times does the clock strike at noon?
And they still inhale the air like a vacuum?
Like a vacuum.
The consumers buy cars.
And spread muck into the atmosphere.
Without any thought.
Without regret.
But media portrays the images.
Of houses on hills and bright lights.
But how do the lights compare to the sun?
How do they light up so bright?
Without taking from the grand master of illumination?
That explains the retreating glaciers that turn into cocktails.
Propaganda: “Warm is better. Human impacts are small.”
Global Warming: the biggest problem in the United Nations.
Humanity is in trouble.
Palmer Station’s an inspiration.
Of scientists globally collaborating to find data.
To convince the consumer.
Shut down the movement of the movie stars.
Observe what’s happening in Antarctica.
And propose an action plan to protect our climate.
Collecting the rain in buckets of rotten apples and shavings.
How many times does the clock strike at noon?
And they still inhale the air like a vacuum?
Like a vacuum.
The consumers buy cars.
And spread muck into the atmosphere.
Without any thought.
Without regret.
But media portrays the images.
Of houses on hills and bright lights.
But how do the lights compare to the sun?
How do they light up so bright?
Without taking from the grand master of illumination?
That explains the retreating glaciers that turn into cocktails.
Propaganda: “Warm is better. Human impacts are small.”
Global Warming: the biggest problem in the United Nations.
Humanity is in trouble.
Palmer Station’s an inspiration.
Of scientists globally collaborating to find data.
To convince the consumer.
Shut down the movement of the movie stars.
Observe what’s happening in Antarctica.
And propose an action plan to protect our climate.