A University Education is Necessary in American Society

“There is no divide in American life that hurts more than the one between those we consider well educated and those who are poorly or inadequately schooled” (Spayde 60). According to John Spayde, author of “Learning in the Key of Life," a university education is a defining role in the well-being and success of people in today’s society. Similarly, John Henry Newman, in his essay, “The Idea of a University,” believes too that education gives “man the clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, an eloquence in expressing them, and force in urging them” (49), thus making him a well rounded human being. In fact, many people today agree with the ideas of these two writers, that a university education is the first step to becoming successful in one’s life. Therefore, in today’s educational system, a person has the ability to grow as a member of his or her society and culture, gain knowledge for a career in the “real world” and mature both spiritually and physically.

“’The whole world’s a classroom’” (Goethe qtd. in Spayde 58) perfectly illustrates how education must relate to society and culture, because everyday people are faced with new challenges. It is, therefore, a good education that can help them face such challenges and learn some of the most important life lessons from everyday experiences. This can happen at work, with friends or family, from a new book or an outdoor adventure. It is from these challenges that individuals find their strengths and weaknesses and grow from them. Moreover, “…Learning takes place across the span of a lifetime, not just in sixteen years of formal schooling, and that what is being learned takes root and through connections we make in co...

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...wledge from a classroom environment or a hands-on, real world encounter, the world is full of opportunities to grab and learn from. The University Education system simply puts the access in the palm of someone’s hands. With that, a person is able to become a mature, successful, active member in today’s society, full of wealth and knowledge.

Works Cited

Lunsford, Andrea A. Commentary on John Henry Newman's "The Idea of a University." The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: St. Martin's, 2000. 46.

Newman, John Henry. “The Idea of a University." The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: St. Martin’s, 2000. 46-50.

Spayde, Jon. “Learning in the Key of Life.” The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: St. Martin’s, 2000. 58-63.