In the Basement of the Ivory Tower (Mine: Why College Isn't For Everyone)

Atlantic Monthly ^ | June 2008 | Professor X

[Zack Nguyen]

...I work at colleges of last resort. For many of my students, college was not a goal they spent years preparing for, but a place they landed in. Those I teach don’t come up in the debates about adolescent overachievers and cutthroat college admissions. Mine are the students whose applications show indifferent grades and have blank spaces where the extracurricular activities would go. They chose their college based not on the U.S. News & World Report rankings but on MapQuest; in their ideal academic geometry, college is located at a convenient spot between work and home. I can relate, for it was exactly this line of thinking that dictated where I sent my teaching résumé.

...A few weeks into the semester, the students must start actually writing papers, and I must start grading them. Despite my enthusiasm, despite their thoughtful nods of agreement and what I have interpreted as moments of clarity, it turns out that in many cases it has all come to naught.

Remarkably few of my students can do well in these classes. Students routinely fail; some fail multiple times, and some will never pass, because they cannot write a coherent sentence.

In each of my courses, we discuss thesis statements and topic sentences, the need for precision in vocabulary, why economy of language is desirable, what constitutes a compelling subject. I explain, I give examples, I cheerlead, I cajole, but each evening, when the class is over and I come down from my teaching high, I inevitably lose faith in the task, as I’m sure my students do. I envision the lot of us driving home, solitary scholars in our cars, growing sadder by the mile.

[donna]

but that's their choice- they are legal adults, after all

That's what you learned in college. That western civilization can survive depravity. It can't.

"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness."
- George Washington, Circular Letter of Farewell to the Army, June 8, 1783 -

[Citizen Blade]

That's what you learned in college. That western civilization can survive depravity. It can't.

College students, like any other adults in our society, can live their lives as they see fit, within the law. However, you seem to believe that large numbers of college students are engaged in orgies and whatnot. Like I said, I went to some very liberal colleges, and didn't see anything like the level of debauchery you seem to believe exists there.

What do you base your opinion on here? When did you go to college? Do you have kids in college? Do you know anyone currently in college? Or are you taking some breathless reports about some college kids acting badly and extrapolating them onto the average college kid?

[donna]

Well, here are some stats; but, I must say I’ve lost interest in discussing this with you. Political correctness is the denial of reality - that’s what you learned in college.

College Binge Drinking in the 1990s: A Continuing Problem
Despite having a legal drinking age of 21, binge drinking in the United States remains very prevalent among college students. Using the popular 5/4 definition of “binge drinking”, one study found that, in 1999, 44% of American college students (51% male, 40% female) engaged in this practice at least once in the past two weeks.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/cont_problem/rpt2000.pdf

Many College Freshmen Drink at Levels Far Beyond the Binge Threshold Aaron M. White et al, 2006:
One can also look at the prevalence of “extreme drinking” as well. A more recent study of US first-semester college freshmen in 2003 found that, while 41% of males and 34% of females “binged” (using the 5/4 threshold) at least once in the past two weeks, 20% of males and 8% of females drank 10/8 or more drinks (double the 5/4 threshold) at least once in the same period, and 8% of males and 2% of females drank at least 15/12 drinks (triple the threshold).

[Enchante]

Twink!!

Happy New Year!!!

I hope that you and your family enjoyed wonderful holidays.

How come we’re hardly ever on the same threads? Long time....

[Twink]

Happy New Year to you, too :) Did you get back to this area?

Thanks, yes our holidays were wonderful. Busy at times but also really relaxing. It was fun with everyone home either on school or work vacation. We had a Rose Bowl Party so it softened the blow of the loss ;)

Yep, it’s been a while.