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The article “College Pressures” is an examination of how there is both self-imposed and external pressure on college students. The article also examines the ways these forms of pressure affected students, and how they cope. In “College Pressures” William Zinsser uses Exemplification, Division-Classification, and Descriptive Imagery to describe the Psychological and Emotional pressure that college can present; and examines how these pressures have narrowed the perception of what success embodies for an individual’s life. The beginning of “College Pressures” starts with a student, Carlos, who details his anxiety over his studies. In it he talks about not being able to manage his classwork, and how the stress from all of his responsibilities has taken a lot out of him physically.
While some may construe Carlos’ situation as an uncommon, for college students, similar situations occur more often than they might like. Zinsser states “I see four kinds of pressure working on college students today: economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self-induced pressure.”(259). In this statement Zinsser uses Division-Classification to break down the different types of pressure students might encounter. The stress students experience comes in varying forms, affecting different aspects of their lives.
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There are a number of people that could be blamed for the problems of students today, from the colleges for their steadily increasing tuition, the parents requiring too much of their children, or even the students themselves. When describing the college student's mentality Zinsser states “They want a map-right now- that they can follow unswervingly to career security, financial security, social security and, presu...

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...s who break the cycles they are trapped in to create their own path. It is Zinsser's fear that the world has bred a generation fearful of making mistakes and obsessed with achieving goals at an early age. Zinsser states “College should be open-ended: at the end it should open many, many roads. Instead, students are choosing their goal in advance, and their choices narrow as they go along.”(262).
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This statement goes to Zinsser's belief that college is a time for students to try new things, and learn things about themselves that would give them an idea of what they want for their future. The students who pre-select their goals end up living satisfactory, but unfulfilled lives. It is this fear that made William Zinsser write this article in hopes that readers will learn that true success sometimes results from taking chances, and giving up control.