Male and Female College Students in The End of Men by Hanna Rosin

Defining today’s college student is no easy task, as today’s college student is many things and many different types of people. You’ve probably heard the phrase “typical college student,” but does anyone really know who the typical college student is? I’m sure you are picturing a young twenty-year-old hanging out on a big, beautiful campus with a large grassy area and lots of students bustling around; a scene fit for a movie. Let’s face it though, college isn’t exactly like it’s portrayed in the movies. College students are like everyone else, except they are trying to earn a degree.

I will focus on today’s female college student first. The world is evolving, so defining both genders the same way would not be correct. Today’s female college student possesses many qualities that separate her from previous generations of students. She has had to face different challenges than females of past generations, and that is what makes her stand out. For many decades, men used to be the dominating gender in colleges and universities, while women were the minority. However, society has changed and with that change, colleges have changed. Today, female college students are excelling in school. College enrollment in the United States is higher than ever before, which is great news for Americans. This is actually because of women, who now outnumber men in college four to three (Costello). Men are still flocking to colleges, but not in the same numbers as women. Now, more women nationwide aspire to go to college and graduate compared to men. The change in numbers may be small, but it is still significant. This is a big change from past generations, as forty years ago, the opposite was true: men used to outnumber women in college four to three. ...

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