Summary Of Colleges Prepare People For Life By Freeman Hrabowski

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When people think of college they tend to focus on whether it may or may not set them up for a successful financial future. However, in his article “Colleges Prepare People for Life”, Freeman Hrabowski reminds us this is not the sole purpose of a college education. Mr. Hrabowski builds his argument by adjusting a template that introduces us to the ongoing debate over the merits of a college education. After, Mr. Hrabowski has introduced the popular opinions on the topic he empathizes that both sides are missing the bigger picture. In Mr. Hrabowski’s opinion as president of the University of Maryland, “When we focus so heavily on monetary inputs and outputs, we ignore the question of what it truly means to be educated, such as contributing …show more content…

In making his comment, Hrabowski is imploring prospective students to gain as much information as possible, while also calling on colleges to advise students on what educational path they are best suited for. Ultimately, I agree with Mr. Hrabowski, that with an informed decision, students will be provided with that best possible situation to thrive in the future. Mr. Hrabowski makes several arguments for colleges including; the need to provide guidance for students, a college education creates leaders, and …show more content…

I agree with people who advocate for colleges providing guidance to students, because from my personal experience it has been tough to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. Naturally, offering in-depth guidance to students is time consuming and costly, but I would counter that they are short-term concessions to the potential long-term gains from pointing future alumni on their pathway to success. Said future alumni can be looked at as future financial donors. As president of the University of Maryland, Freeman Hrabowski puts it, “Students need strong counseling to identify the best possible options” (261). Mr. Hrabowski’s point is simple, without proper advising, students can struggle to decide on a career field. Furthermore, it can be argued college students are being molded into future leaders. For example, certain college courses prepare students for situations in their future workplace, such as: presentation skills, public speaking, and the ability to work in teams. When thinking of leaders who benefited from their college education, Mr. Hrabowski thought of Walter Sondheim and had this to say, “Sondheim’s education helped him get a job. More important, it helped