College is now a vocational school for the hard sciences and strict accademics.
It is no longer a place to become a well rounded individual.
(we have arrived at brave new world where classic literature is no longer known)
It is no longer a place to become a well rounded individual.
(we have arrived at brave new world where classic literature is no longer known)
Agreed. Nicely stated in sentence 2. Of all the lit I ever had to take, little of it was of the classic variety, and that wasn't anytime recently. So it isn't just today's schools.
Having said that, one can function just fine in this world in business or other, w/o a strong background in classic lit. I don't have one. Frankly, while I agree with you, I also have little interest in fiction lit of any kind. I can't get through half a novel to save my life. I eat up non-fiction however.
But you're right, there's no well-roundedness coming out of secondary or post secondary schools these days other than what students make for themselves. That can also be done apart from school however, although schools are a fun place to do such things b/c students have more time than the average person in the routines of daily life.
I dont know about that. I would consider myself, and many of my friends, much more well-rounded than I was four years ago, which was still pretty well-rounded.
Regarding the classics, I'd have to somewhat agree with you there. They are no longer as highly regarded as (I'm sure) they were, but I went to a pretty good high school with good advanced classes, in which we thoroughly picked apart Dante and Chaucer and Shakespeare and such.
It is no longer a place to become a well rounded individual.
(we have arrived at brave new world where classic literature is no longer known)
I started college later than most. I'm 40 now, and am in my third year.
I go to a for-profit technical university, where you would expect the program to be more vocational.
The education is more rounded than I had expected. The required courses for my science degree include English, History, a Foreign Language, Psychology, Literature (classic), and the Public Speaking course in which I'm now participating.
I'm sure that this university is an exception, but schools like this still exist.
"we have arrived at brave new world where classic literature is no longer known"
What do you mean by "brave new world"?
A culture that worships instant gratification and technology is bound to arrive at a brave new world were learning the works and ideas of classic literature, the foundation of our civilization, is no longer needed. But we do this at our own peril.