Can Two Be Greater Than Four? Does college really matter? Has college lost its rite to passage appeal? Can one still go to college and be successful in the pursuit of self-discovery? These are the types of questions that Liz Addison challenges in her short essay “Two Years Are Better Than Four”. By taking into account my own experience as a current community college student and advocate, in this response to Addison’s essay I choose to elaborate on her views of community college being better than a four year university in the sense of offering a better college experience. In this essay Addison made some very strong points in the defense of community colleges of America, but there is one point that Addison didn’t emphasize on, and that is the price point. Addison mentioned price very briefly by stating that community colleges offer “a network of affordable future” (213). I believe if she had made the price of college a pillar of her essay it would have not only made community college a better college experience alternative but also a more affordable one. Community college is sometimes so cheap it is free! Many students of community colleges including myself qualify for federal student aid. In many cases this government assistance covers the full price of admission to the college. In some cases your awarded assistance may not be enough to cover cost entirely. However community college is so cheap relative to a university that one could possibly pay for tuition out of
Recently, many have begun to attack and degrade higher education in the United States. In the book How College Works, authors Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs claim, “As state support has eroded, and as more students attend college in an increasingly desperate attempt to find viable jobs, the price to students of attending an institution of higher education has gone up, especially at more selective institutions” (172). So is college even worth it? Caroline Bird’s excerpt from her book Case Against College “Where College Fails Us” is an adequately written article that agrees with those who question whether college is a good investment. Bird argues that although some students would benefit from college and succeed, many fall short, wasting
Is college still important and relevant? The question is answered and confirmed when Liz Addison, author of “Two Years Are Better than Four”, wrote a counter argument in order to disprove the opposing views of Rick Perlstein, the author of, “What’s the Matter with College”. The topic that is being brought to light is the subject of whether or not college still matters. Perlstein that college is no longer what it used to be. It was after reading Perlstein’s article that Addison masterfully wrote her counter argument which successfully contradicted the opinionated, inaccurate views of Rick Perlstein.
In fact, Wilson states, “some students enroll in high-priced for-profit programs only to learn later that their certificates or degrees are not as useful on the job market as they had expected” (pp 263-4). Many students would surely need a loan to afford a for-profit degree, and that loan would need to be significantly higher than what would be needed in a public or private college. Furthermore, the devalued for-profit degree makes it far more difficult to secure a job that will compensate for the loan. If public or private college is not reasonable, then Addison’s community college is a much wiser decision than a for-profit institution.
People all over the world face a big decision when they finish highschool. That decision is choosing a college to attend. College is important as it is a stepping stone towards getting a good job or just setting up the rest of your life for success. Liz Addison’s “Two years are better than four,” is neither strong nor weak based on the title, claim, opposition, common ground, evidence, and experts.
As a college student who is currently spending thousands of dollars to further my education and achieve a career goal, it was, at first, disheartening to read Caroline Bird ’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money”. However, after thoroughly examining her points, I now see that her essay is illogical. In her piece “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird argues against the idea that “college is the best place for all high-school graduates” (1); in other words, college isn’t for everyone. Throughout her writing, Bird supplies her readers with evidence that explains how, for some individuals, college is a waste of not only time and money, but of intellectual effort, as well.
Liz Addison’s essay, “Two Years Better Than Four,” was first published in the New York Times Magazine back in September of 2007. Addison went to two community colleges and majored in biology; earning her degree in 2008. In her essay, she is responding to Rick Perlstein's article “What’s the Matter with College?” in which he claims, “College as America used to understand it is coming to an end” (211). Addison refutes Perlstein’s claims by saying, “My guess, reading between the lines, is that Mr. Perlstein has never set foot in an American community college” (212).
In the article “Two Years are Better than Four,” Liz Addison argues that community college is better than four year universities, such as the one Rick Perlstein attended. Where Perlstein reminisces about his days in college and claims that the greatness of American colleges is gone. Addison makes it apparent to the reader that she not only disagrees with Perlstein, but makes remarks suggesting that she believes that Perlstein’s college days were less for studying and more for partying and enjoying the fact that he went to a fancy private college. Addison continues by detailing some of the opportunities for people that attend community college such as being affordable, a place for the student to begin, and possibly a better match for students’ lives. She claims that this is the way college is intended to be and by no means is college as we knew it coming to an end.
The general argument made by author Charles Murray in his article, “Are too many people go to college,” is that the college is not necessary for everyone. More specifically, the Murray argues that students who went to school should have learned the core knowledge they will learn in the college. He writes, “ K-8 are the right years to teach the core knowledge, and the effort should get off to a running start in elementary school” (236). In this passage, Murray is suggesting that start teaching the core knowledge in elementary school until high school is better than to spend money and more time to the college. It is not important to go to college.
As the month of November comes along annually, every single high school senior is forced to decide which path they are going to take after graduating. For some, it is easy to choose which college to attend and how to pay for it. But, for many, it is extremely difficult to figure out a way to get the funds for college. So, they choose the community college route. Community college is drastically cheaper than tuition at a four year university.
Liz Addison, who graduated from Piedmont Virginia Community College and Southern Maine Community College agreed that community college was better than a university. Addison believed that a four-year college was for the “privileged class”. Addison viewed universities as the “privileged class” due to students applying at their curriculum vitae. In addition, Liz Addison tells the importance of community college. Addison then goes on to tell how high school graduates have a hard time getting into universities; the odds of entering would be low.
“3 Reasons College Still Matters” by Andrew Delbanco 3) “Surely, every American college ought to defend this waning possibility, whatever we call it. And an American college is only true to itself when it opens its doors to all - the rich, the middle, and the poor - who have the capacity to embrace the precious chance to think and reflect before life engulfs them. If we are all serious about democracy, that means everyone.” 4) In this part of the writing Andrew Delbanco tries to persuade his audience by using the pattern of logic that agrees with the overall argument but also considers another striking point of view to strengthen the argument (While these arguments are convincing, they must also consider…).
In the first reading titled “What is College For?’, Phyllis M. Wise- the Vice President of the University of Illinois and the Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign- uses a survey and personal experiences to explain what college is really for. Some of the presidents/ leaders surveyed believed that interaction among peers was just as important as the education of the students. There were two key aspects that almost all of the leaders could agree.
Though community college tuition is not paid for through taxes or by some other means, if it was it would allow for all students wanting to
A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.
Throughout this course we have discussed a few initiatives taken by many community colleges around the country that have allowed them to provide their respective students with a high-quality education. As we know, some of the classes offered at the community colleges are taught by professors who also teach at the local four-year institutions. Taking this into consideration, I believe it is important for colleges to build a sense of affinity within their communities in order to communicate the academic standards for their college as well as to help attract students. Once students are enrolled it is critical to provide them with the services they need in order to retain them. This is where I believe there is still a lot of work to be done, specially