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Benefits of attending a community college
Benefits of attending a community college
Benefits of attending a community college
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Liz Addison in her essay “Two Years Are Better Than Four” in They Say I Say lists numerous advantages two-year colleges have over the other degree. Community college is something to which people should pay close attention while reading because it appears more than once throughout the text. The paper will be based on college and its importance, and the words community college mean a two-year college where people can go to get a feel for college or to get their start.
The article, “I Owe It All to Community College,” by Tom Hanks highlights the transformative impact of an accessible and inclusive community college on his life, emphasizing its role in providing educational opportunities, aiding personal and professional growth, and advocating accessible higher education for all. In the text, Hanks states he was a struggling student with low test scores, resulting in his final decision to attend a nearby community college due to financial constraints, despite applying to prestigious universities. Furthermore, this school offered diverse educational experiences, including a wide range of classes and programs that attracted students from different backgrounds seeking career advancement. Attending this school
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.
Yasin Kuri Marcia Cree ENG 101 October 7, 2017 Success at an Affordable Price The article “Two Years is better than four” is written by Liz Addison. She claims that community college matters, unlike Mr. Perlstein who thinks that college must come to an end. Addison expressed her view that the community college also has significant importance in comparison with the university. Besides, she also mentioned that community colleges do not receive the attention and admission from the education system “College as America used to understand it is coming to an end” (Addison 211).
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.
For this paragraph I'm going to disagree with the essay Two years are better than four written by Liz Addison. The main idea of her essay is that university is for the pillage and community college aren't. The reason why I disagree with her is of what Addison said on page (257) " If I were a candidate for office I would campaign from every campus. Not to score political points, but simply to make sure that anyone is looking to go to college in this country knows where to find one.
From being a senior in high school, I have come to expand on my knowledge about college tuition and how community college works. I have learned that college tuition is not all that easy to pay, no matter what your family income is. Since there has been a grand controversy on whether community college should be fee for its first two years, many people have determined the pros and cons to the argument. Personally I believe that community college should be free for its first two years for two different reason. The first being that many family can not afford for there child to go to college and the second being that it give students the opportunity to get a short experience of how college will be.
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.
“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…).
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.
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.
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.
However, I was blinded with the ideas of my family and my college goal. I could not have been proven wrong until I experienced it myself. My worldview is at a change as I continue to unravel a different perception of community colleges that I could not have seen without this experience. My misconceptions of community colleges were changing with my personal experience of programs and materials, and interactions with professors and students at Contra Costa College. Therefore, community colleges can be viewed as both good and bad based on the needs of the individual.
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
