College: a World of Responsibility

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Most people today think of college as simply a place to get a better education, or merely as a steppingstone to financial success. College is far more than that. College is an experience that shapes a person, which can have both positive and negative outcomes. It is all up to the students to make the college experience worth their time and effort. Students must realize the importance of the responsibilities now demanded of them by higher education. Colleges are in a sense a microcosm; a smaller model of the world. Students encounter many new people and activities at college. Meeting new people who have new ideas and beliefs can greatly modify students' perceptions of the world they live in. In Dee's case, in Alice Walkers essay, "Everyday Use", her views changed greatly. Upon returning from college to visit her family she seemed like a different person to her mother and sister. Wangero claimed that Dee, the person she used to be, was now dead, and that she would no longer bear "being named after the people who oppress me[her]" (73). Not only did Dee change her name, but she actually talked to her mother and sister in a very condescending tone. The college experience has obviously changed Dee, no longer did she respect her real heritage or family values. College students must realize that college is a place that can change them. It is the responsibility of all students to make sure that the college experience does not hinder their values and perspectives in a negative way. Not only do the people that students socialize with influence the way scholars think, but so do the instructors. In W.D. Snodgrass's poem "The Examination", the people who are mutilating this person are actually instructors, and th... ... middle of paper ... ...llege will have some kind of effect on every one of its students, whether it's bad or good. But it is the students' actions and decisions that shape those effects. Therefore it is the students' responsibility to themselves to make sure the outcomes, be it personal, professional, or educational, are good. Works Cited Davis, Todd M., and Patricia Hillman Murrell. "Turning Teaching Into Learning: The Role of Student Responsibility in the Collegiate Experience." September 28, 2004. http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/93-8dig.htm Hooks, Bell. "Pedagogy and Political Commitment: A Comment." Selzer 77-83. Selzer, Jack. Conversations; Readings for Writing. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2003. Snodgrass, W.D. "The Examination." Selzer 87-8. Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use." Selzer 69-77.

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