Why Go to College If You Don't Want To?

Why are you choosing to go college? Is it because you see all of your friends going? Are you going because it’s what your parents want? Most students go to college because they believe they have no other choice. In “Not Going to College is a Viable Option” by Lawrence B. Schlack, it is shown that college isn’t the only way to succeed in life. If you feel that you don’t want to go to college or that you are not the “college type” then, you shouldn't have to go. Do what you want and stop trying to please others, because in the end you’ll end up being unhappy with your decision.

Some alternatives are going to the military, becoming a nanny, doing mission work in Central or South America, becoming a hospital aide, or teaching English overseas. If any of these alternatives are not in your interest, then you should find something that you are passionate about and figure out a way to make it into a career.

There are a lot of high school graduates that go to college and end up coming back home to go to a community college or just dropping out having nothing but a huge pile of debt. As Schlack said in the passage, “the decision not to go to college should not be viewed in negative terms.” College isn't for everyone, and it shouldn't be talked about as if it is. College is only for those who know where they want to go in life. So, if you don’t want to go to college or if you don’t think you are ready for it, don’t feel out of place because there are others who feel the same way.

GO TO COLLEGE! NO MORE EXCUSES!

             Going to college is the best thing you could do for yourself. Don't make excuses on why you shouldn't go, you will regret it in the long run. I know we are all tired of sitting in classrooms, wishing that we were somewhere else. In the long run you will be thankful that you spent that time in college. Some of the excuses that we use on why we should not go to college have no real reason behind it.

         Many of us will be the first in our families to go to college. We might think that since they didn't go and were living alright i don't need to go. NOOOO. If we ask our parent I can promise you that they will say if they had the chance or opportunity to do it all over they would go to college. Plus, why not be the first? Be the person that younger siblings or cousins look up to, they will want to be like you and go to college too.

        College is difficult, I will admit that. If you are willing to work college won't be that hard. Colleges also have student resources, such as study labs and tutoring programs. You can even join study groups or get tutoring from professors.

       All of us just want to make a lot of money and have a good job. Studies have shown that college graduates make several hundred thousand more dollars than someone who has only graduated high school.  A couple hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money that you can use to buy things you want, (a BMW).  

         These are a couple excuses of the many excuses we make on why we shouldn't go to college. There is no significant reason on why you shouldn't go. Just think in the long run when you making hundreds of thousands of dollars you will be elated that you went to college.

Don't be a total student!!

     Today in class I was given the article "10 Rules for going To College When Nobody Really Expected You To" and for the most part I agree with Joe Rodriguez. Yes, you should not waste your time doing nothing and you should not buy needless things just to say you have them. I also agree with him that in college you should be more diverse, introduce yourself to new people,cultures, and ideas. It is also a great idea to be focused, to ignore career confusion and focus on what you want to do with your life.
    That being said, I do have a problem with his tenth rule. In that rule he says that you should always think as a student, devote most of your time to the campus and the rest to a job and to dump friends who necessarily will not be at your level of education or bother with education. I find this way of going about college to be miserable.
    Yes, people should devote their time to work and school, but a break is always a great idea. A resting period from such a tedious and stressful life is healthy. Having a moment just to laugh and let your mind wonder is great r&r for your mental health and having good friends does the something. One should never abandon friends because you feel they are beneath you. Its that cold-hearted and cynical thinking that creates misery.
     It is reasonable to dump friends who create nothing but trouble for you or bring you down, but the friends who though might not care about their future is a different story.These people are obviously your friend either because they make you smile, you can relate, or they are just supportive. Those are valuable to your education as much as a friend who seems to know everything is. They give you that emotional support and release that everyone needs whether you know it or not and being able to be balanced in life is what makes college not only a valuable asset, but a worth while experience as well.

KEEP CALM! WE'RE ALL INTELLECTUAL!!!

      Have you ever felt like you were the outcast in a class? Everyone is answering the teacher's questions and you're just sitting there with a blank stare. Well you my friend, are not alone.

      Growing up we all had subjects we didn't like. Either history, science, or what many people hate, word problems in math! You may have felt dumb because you didn't understand what the teacher was talking about, and because you felt dumb, you thought that maybe you are a little less smart than everyone else. The article "Hidden Intellectualism", proves otherwise. NONE of us are dumb. However we may be less educated than some of our peers in subjects that seem to not capture our attention.

     In this article by Gerald Graff, I come to realize that being smart involves MANY subjects, not just the ones learned in school. Growing up I think our generation was taught that you had to be  "book smart" in order to actually be smart. Sadly I believed it. But now we know that this isn't true.

    I enjoyed this article because in a way it's going against the education system. Textbooks haven't really taught us how to survive in the world. Yeah it gives us tools to help us succeed like learning how to read, write, and calculate numbers, but is that really what the world is all about? We don't really talk about all the violence such as gangs, or even learn how to be a businesslike person. Maybe schools should offer more of a variety of learning that engages all of our minds. High school drop out rates would probably decrease as well as an increase in college enrollment. What do you think?

So It's Okay To Fail?!

     As we're entering our second month into senior year, I've noticed that me and my classmates are all trying to get our life together just to get to the college of our dreams

     It's human nature to compare ourselves to others and we do it the most during our high school years. I tend to find myself trying to be the first to turn in an assignment or get a better test grade than that one girl in my math class. It's the small things that make me a bit anxious about school in general. But that's not me and after reading a couple of articles that Ms. Fletcher has showed us I have come to the realization that that isn't really anyone else either. 

     The article "Want to Get Into College? Learn to Fail" caught my attention as soon as I read the title. My first thoughts were "No, that's not how it works," and "Aren't you supposed to try to show colleges how successful and perfect you are." Well that's not really what I thought but it's how I felt. I mean we have been taught that the most well rounded student with good grades are the ones who get to college not the ones that fail. It caught me off guard for a second. 

     In the fourth paragraph Angel B. Perez states that "perfection doesn't exist." Even though all my life I have felt like perfection does exist, I am beginning to become more comfortable with myself because I don't have to try so hard to be something I'm not.. Perez says that colleges aren't looking for perfection and that just warms my heart because it's less stress on me. I am more than confident now going into the next few weeks. I am ready to narrow down my choices for a few universities and Cal States and work as hard as I can to the college that's right for me. "An error in high school should not define the rest of your life," The way you deal with that failure is what truly defines you.

     Does anyone else feel this way? Are you a little more stressed now? 

Mayfair ERWC 2013-14 Class Blogs

You will become a blogger this year. Writing for an authentic audience who has expectations of you is excellent practice for writers and thinkers.  You must be clear; you must discuss things that merit discussion; you must make sense. If you cannot write clearly, no one will really be able to respond to you.  When you cannot make yourself understood, you are effectively silenced, no longer a part of the ongoing conversation and exchange in the world of ideas.

“If thought corrupts language, then language can also corrupt thought.”  —George Orwell

The basic ground rules:

1. If you have not already, you will need to create a Google account.  It’s easy and free.  I suggest that you create an email address that is simple and professional; standard on most college campuses and in corporate settings is your first initial, followed by your last name: You must sign each post with your real name.  I cannot grade or respond to crzysrferchick88, flatworlder3876 or any such moniker.
2. Absolutely, positively no flaming.  You may question one another, ask for clarification, admit that you don’t understand what somebody is talking about, add a point that you believe somebody has missed, but you must NOT attack people.  Challenge ideas, ask for clarity, but do not bash one another.  If I have to censor you for this, expect one warning; the second time, your access to the blog will be blocked and I’ll simply enter a zero for this part of the assignment.
3. Please do not waste our time or bandwidth with “Me too!” and “I agree with you!” responses.  Such posts are ANNOYING.  If you agree or disagree, EXPLAIN yourself.

Round 1: What’s Next?, Peter Elbow and the Personal Statement

You’ve received the texts for this unit.  Read and annotate them with thought and careful consideration.  You’ve also read your chapter of Peter Elbow’s Writing With Power.  These will be the primary sources for your discussion starters.

Start Two Threads

You must start two threads — that is, you have to originate two conversations. When you start a thread, refer directly to which of the texts you are reading and the question you want to raise.  Give us enough information so we can orient ourselves and figure out what you are talking about.  Use your questions generated from the handout of texts and even make connections to outside sources (if you’re ambitious, use any part of Peter Elbow’s Writing With Power, too!) to start a conversation for the rest of the class to consider.

These conversation starters should be between 250-300 words long.  Anything shorter will not be effective.  For example to offer some perspective, the word count for the three basic ground rules listed above (1, 2, and 3) is 179 words long.

Respond to Four Threads

You must respond to someone else’s conversation at least four times.  You may also respond to a response.  I expect some threads will become quite lengthy.  Your responses should also be complete thoughts, fully explained.  I don’t want to get all nit-picky on word counts; just don’t go overboard (rambling is never a good idea), and make sure you say enough to make a point.

I’d like to see you involved over a course of several days; all four responses posted in one day subverts the spirit of open discussion, so will receive half credit.  We have approximately three weeks left for this unit; don’t jam the work into one or two days. Good writing comes from a thoughtful place; poor writing is almost always superficial.

Let’s see a lively exchange of ideas!  If you are confused, go to your classmates for help.  If you see something on television, online or in the newspaper that relates to what we are working on, share it.  And watch for my posts — when I see something that I want to share with you, I go to the blog with it.

If you’re curious to see how a class blog looks, you can read an example from Ms. Fletcher’s AP English 11 summer homework blog from last year: http://apbloggers13-14.blogspot.com.  Familiarize yourself with how a blog works: Explore; orient yourself with the format and how to post; understand how the posts are catalogued; browse a few entries and the responses to those threads.  Keep in mind that not all student posts and responses met Ms. Fletcher’s expectations.

Feel free to email me with questions or problems; that’s what I’m here for.  I honestly don’t mind; however, I may redirect many of your questions back to the blog.