Does Caroline Bird’s Ideas in “The Case Against College” Fly?

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Caroline Bird writes the statement in her 1975 article “The Case Against College (Bird 15-18)” that not every high school graduate is ready to attend college. It is 2010 and this article is still valid today. Some of the college students I have been around were not mature enough for obedience school let alone college. A few of the points she makes in the article are: College has never worked its magic for everyone. Does it make you a better person? Are colleges responsible for your children? Are my children living in a country club? I will use some of my own experiences as an example of college life, as well as examples from my daughter’s college experience, along with my nephews as well. All to find the answer to the big question: Are you ready for a college education? The main point to Caroline Bird’s article is that college has never been able to work its magic for everyone (15). I totally agree with this statement. Many of the high school graduates today are not mature enough to attend college immediately out of high school. Since they have been in school for thirteen years, students are thinking of some “me” time after graduation. They are not ready to settle down in a serious academic environment. My oldest daughter graduated from high school in the spring of 2009 then attended her first semester of college the following fall. She dropped out after her first semester because college was harder than she thought. She was working part-time in addition to going to school full time. There was always an outside distraction to keep her from her studies. Her grades were positive proof that students must be serious about college to gain something from attending to college. Ms. Bird also maintains that college will make anyone a b... ... middle of paper ... ... a lot of pressure on high school graduates by parents and employers to get a degree if they want to make something of themselves. After being in the workforce over twenty-five years, I have experience well as qualifications that should make me more desirable than the twenty-two year old with little work experience. If he has a diploma, he will get the job before me almost every single time. That is why I am back in college after all these years. Attending college is a choice that anyone can make with their loved ones advice. Sit down with someone who knows you and write down your dreams and desires. Figure out what you would like to accomplish in life and investigate if you have a case for or against college. Works Cited Bird, Caroline. "The Case Against College." 1975 Power of Language;Language of Power. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 15-18. Print.

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