I am currently a teenager in high school, and I am struggling. I know all about these topics that I most likely will never use. I don’t understand most of it, and I have struggled to pass these courses. I want to know something that will have actual use in my life. Things that will actually help in the ‘Real World’. The way I see it, algebra and other subjects that are not necessary in real life should not be required to graduate.
To begin, algebra is not required in most fields of work. There are relatively few jobs that require more than 6th grade math, and basic funding is also based off of these basics. Sure, many professions, including animators, engineers, and astronomers, do in fact use algebra, but for as many jobs that you can think of that use it, there are just as many that don't. If kids and teenagers aren't interested in a field that includes it, they shouldn't have to attend and pass to graduate. They most likely will never use it in their lives, and they shouldn’t be subjected to this.
Also, many students drop out because of the difficulty of these courses. I have had friends so stressed out purely
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because of needlessly required courses, such as Geometry, that they debated dropping out. This is a huge issue that needs to be rectified. When so many students are so stressed out for an issue they cannot control, it is an issue. As stated, most of them will not even use this information in their life. It is extremely unlikely that they will need it, and therefore, they should not have to take it. In fact, people with high IQs aren’t even necessarily good at math, as it does not reflect their intelligence. There are many other, more useful classes that could be required instead. First aid and other courses are not required, but are realistically more useful than these required courses in general. Other courses, such as financial literacy and economics, are also not required. These are courses that would actually be useful in real world situations, and would apply to life constantly. When we take up so much time with classes that will be virtually useless, we really downgrade the education people actually get. When the only reason a teacher tells me that we need this higher math course because, “You’ll need it in a college class that is required”, it really exposes how idiotic the whole situation is. Many people claim that they do not think their kids and themselves are ready for the real world, and many do not even know their human rights. Unless they are directly going into job that requires them to know it, many people do not know what laws they are tied to. We in america typically only fluently know english, while people in many other countries know their native language, as well as ours. There are so many other things that need to be taught, but are in fact never touched on in our typical education. Instead, we know the things that are required but never get brought up again after. We could actually place the requirements on the things that most people should know. The example that many people use against my standpoint is that algebra is a gateway math and if it is not required many students may not take it, and therefore not discover a possible passion for it.
Students may not take algebra in fear of the negative connotation attached to it, opting for classes deemed easy. However, there will be just as many students attending them. Students have a variety of interests, and many of those require those courses. Students will still attend them just as much as any other elective or higher math course. People still attend art and band, and those are clear electives, so why would they not attend algebra?
So, should these higher courses be required? With overwhelming evidence against it, I say no. School should prepare you for life by providing the information you need, not by cramming things you won't use into your
brain. Works Cited
Algebra is one of the major parts in exams like GRE and ACT so that all college students and high school students need to learn. In order to get a good grade, students are willing to spend hours and hours studying hard on things like matrices and equations. When they are wondering why they have to learn things so difficult and if this knowledge would be useful in the future time. Andrew Hacker, the author of "Is Algebra Necessary?", thinks not. In his editorial, he argues that students, especially those who are not majoring in math, should not be forced to learn high-level math. His arguments are very effective because he successfully uses logos, pathos and ethos in his editorial. The usage of the rhetorical triangle made his editorial logical,
The thing is, these students are not dumb. The reason for dropping out was not necessarily that the work was too difficult, but because students who miss class often are more likely to drop out, they find themselves playing a never-ending game of catch-up. Often, these students don’t have anyone at home who is making them go to school every day.
Right now in our society a college education is no longer an option or privilege, but rather a necessity. We are practically raised and conditioned to believe that one needs higher education in order to succeed in life. There is a saying that says "if you think education is expensive, try ignorance." But as technology is constantly advancing and computers are running almost anything, is a college education really necessary? There are people whom have never set foot in a college and are doing better than people who have their master's degree. There are views from both sides that contain a valid argument.
There should be college courses in college because, some people want to change their life around. Growing up, our uncle was in prison, and as soon as he got out he took classes at get an education. Some people it could change their life, it will decrease the crime rate also. In a recent poll on should prison inmates be able to take college classes to change their life later on, on New York Times, 20% voted no, and 80% voted yes. It is important
Secondly, college is where a person goes to discover him/herself. This is one of the many goals of the college system, and that discovery process is hindered by unneeded, mandatory classes. Students should be able to try many different classes to discover what interests them the most, not to be fed knowledge that they very well might know already (and is perhaps of no interest to them). If required courses were eliminated, it would free up much time that students could then use to pursue their own interests. College exists to help people become unique individuals, not to put every person into the same standard mold.
Instead, they have to take classes that have close to nothing to do with their major, but are only taking these classes to fulfill the general educational requirements. I believe that taking these classes could potentially hurt a student’s cumulative GPA if getting a low grade. Taking these classes are not just a waste of time, but it is time wasted that could have been used towards major classes. Upon graduation, some feel that they are at a disadvantage because more time could have spent on learning more within their field of study instead of time spent on irrelevant
One job the requires algebra is an Animator. Animators have to draw all kinds of pictures and cartoons and it requires them to use linear algebra for every movement a character or object may make. Algebra also helps create special effects to make the images shine and sparkle. The requirements you must have to do this type of job is that of course you have to have talent, some type of degree in animation, and be pretty decent in math. Animators make around $47,000 a year.
My first reason why general education classes should not be required in college is because the topics that they are learning have already been taught in high school. In an article by Jessica Williams, she summarizes it by saying, “We spend 13 years in ‘general education’ courses. Why are we wasting time rehashing what we already know we aren’t interested in when we could be spending that time adding to our resumes” (Williams). For a majority of students, if they take a class where they have already learned the material or even have a grasp on the subject, most likely, they will become bored and uninterested in their sch...
The transition from high school to college is supposed to be freeing and exciting for students, yet general education requirements make it the opposite. Jaime Wandschneider, writer for Iowa State Daily, says, “From the start of our first semester, general education classes fill the credit count towards our graduation. These courses are supposed to turn young, fresh college students into well-rounded adults”. General education classes do exactly what he says: they fill: they are fillers: somewhat educational and very pointless. Many of the first and second year courses feel like a repeat from high school. As a freshman, I am taking algebra, and I can attest completely that this class is absolutely pointless to me. Does it makes sense that a freshman in college would be taking the same math as a freshman in high school? No, absolutely not, but that is the case for me, and unfor...
High school education is for students to learn the basic information that is needed to prepare them for college. It is critical for students to feel that it isn’t a waste of time for them to wake up and go to high school everyday. Is it right for students to not come to school because they feel high school is a waste of their time? Majority of students has also felt that the courses they are attending aren’t giving them enough information that will be useful beyond high school. Shouldn’t students be in classes that will benefit them in the future? Should students be able to know what might be their strengths, and weaknesses in the courses that are required to be taken for a certain major? High schools should offer useful courses because it
Imagine walking down the hall of a crowded high school. Most of the students there do not envision how well school prepares them for college. Teenagers have few cares in the world! A vast majority takes the bare minimum amount of courses needed to fulfill school requirements. These graduation prerequisites usually do not come close to adequate, and rarely exceed sufficiency. Should high schools change current curriculum to better prepare students for college? The answer is simply, "yes." Consideration of why and how holds the key to solving America's problem.
Yes, it is essential to know and understand these classes to a standard level, however, these so-called "standards" have become more pressing by the year. In order to graduate with a Core 40 Diploma, in the state of Indiana, one must complete the following: earn eight credits in English, six credits in math, six credits in science, five credits in directed electives (world languages, fine arts, technical classes), two credits in physical education, one credit in health, and only six in electives by choice.... ... middle of paper ... ... In conclusion, the core curriculum is vital to the life of any student, yet with more personal choice and freedom, the high school environment can be strengthened and improved.
In conclusion, many factors determine the success a student has at the collegiate level. However, students are dropping out of college because they will likely run into a casual chain of events that give them every reason in the world to dropout. Starting with the wrong choice of college and relying on their families, then, leading to stressful financial situations and lack of support from the school; It can be even worse for first generation students to deal with. Finally, if those factors have not caught up to a student, then the lack of course material that interest a student may be the final
I liked your example. It's crazy that we often here that Algebra is useless. But fortunately after taking math classes we know that's incorrect. Not only does knowing Algebra help with your critical thinking skills, you can actually use it in everyday life as well!
All of these things have some type of subject in them such as science, history, math and English. Every action tells a story. This is meaning that there is a story behind all of this. If people would give these a chance and try new thing they might actually enjoy doing them. I can help you with your social life. The community comes together to do these curriculum activities. Some school may not have these activities in their school, but I think it would be fun to have them. These subjects help you learn about your personality.These are very important and it 's fun to do as hobbies or a profession. You can go to college for these and receive scholarships. If it has to do with college or some type of education it should be allowed to be in school. These things can be taken on after high school. These can help with your future such as your social skills, be confident in yourself, and being able to present yourself to others. I think these are very important to have in life. We may struggle with these, but with these classes you can learn these and take it after high school. I wished that I would have learned more of these while I in school. We forget the most important things and reme...