Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Means To an End

In American Studies, we have been discussing social class with regards to the upper-class characters and lifestyle in the Great Gatsby. In our class, most students felt that their families were of the upper-middle and upper class. For many of the upper-middle and upper class, they have the luxury of furthering their education. Most of us will continue our education after high school at a university of our choosing (with exceptions of course). However, I believe college is viewed as a means to an end in our society; students attend college to further their education so that they can find a job easily and pursue a career. I dream big in terms of my career, as I'm sure most students at our school do, but not everyone my age feels the same way. In an article I read, the author discusses the problem that faces almost all of her students: underemployment.

Brittany Bronson, the author of this article, is an English instructor at the University of Nevada. 95% of students at the University of Nevada live at home or off campus so they can save money, and they attend the school for in-state tuition. She finds that her students are very modest when she asks them what they hope to achieve after college, for example taking over a family manufacturing uniform business. In my opinion, the "dream" jobs students hope to achieve seem small. I don't think many students in my community dream of a middle class job after college. Students at our school plan for wealthy and remarkable careers, and our school encourages that. Just look at the wall of New Trier Alumni, aka some of the most "successful" graduates of our school. I wonder how the school determined and recognized the most successful alumni out of the thousands of graduates. 

It seems sad, however, that we focus so much on what is coming after college. Many students don't pursue majors or studies that truly interest them; they just pursue majors they can make money from in the future. Among the highest paying college majors to study are engineering, computer science, and economics. This is not shocking at all; these are also some of the most popular majors at major universities. In class, we discuss how many will pursue business majors in college, instead of english or humanities majors. Students and their families want security in knowing that they will be able to find a job after college. I understand where they are coming from, but I still find it a little sad that college has become a transition to what's next. We work so hard to get there, then once we get there we work equally, if not harder, to set up the rest of our lives. Why can't we stop and enjoy it anymore?

1 comment:

  1. Sarah, Nice job blogging overall this term. I like this post and was also moved by this op-ed (a waitress/adjunct professor?! sadly common, btw as 75% of all university instructors are now part timers who are paid paltry wages. I'm speaking as someone who really knows this!) I lke the connection to Gatsby and class as well and I'm glad you offer links to sources. Why no pic? Bold most important words? The sad question to end with hinges on the word "we," doesn't it? An increasingly narrow stripe of U.S. society will be able to enjoy college for its own sake, perhaps.

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