More handpicked essays just for you.
An academic essay on self development
An academic essay on self development
An academic essay on self development
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Is college the best option? Today, many students are attending college and with college becoming more expensive, many question if college is the best option for students. A degree can increase a student’s chance of obtaining a job, on average making more money than the average person without a degree, and expanding a student's mind and knowledge. For other students college might not be the right choice because they don’t have time or the money. It may lead them into financial burden, so college will not be a smart investment in their eyes. College can be a smart choice or the wrong choice, but it depends on the student. A four and a two year college are not for everyone, but it is the best option for many students. Using experts from higher …show more content…
In the essay, “Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff points out that colleges do not acknowledge any of these skills to develop them into “academic work” (264). The essence of Graff’s argument is that many do not acknowledge the skills that people have as educational though it can help improve and person's work and mind. With certain skills put into work, it can lead them into obtaining a job and becoming a skilled worker. Although some might not need college because they are highly skilled, there are some who do not need college for other reasons. A four and two year college is the best option for students, but it is not for everyone because it would not be a smart financial choice. College may not be the right choice if the student does not receive a good return of investment. According to Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, “…not all college degree or college graduates are equal” (209). Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s point is that the amount of money someone makes depends on their job. For example, someone with an educational background might make less than someone without a degree. Depending on what field of study a student goes into will reflect how much they will make and if their return of investment is worth going to college. For those who receive a dreadful return of investment may not be able to pay their students’ loan which will lead them into debt. Financially, college will not be a smart choice to invest in for everyone. Most believe a four and two year college is the best option for students because on average students with a degree make more than someone without a degree, but not everyone will agree. Some people will say that not everyone needs a degree to make a lot of money because there have been rich successful people without a degree. Yes, it is true that there are
Leonhardt believes college is worth it because there is a greater benefit for a college graduate will have. “Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree.” Leonhardt makes a good point that college is worth it because college graduates are financially stable than those without a degree. College graduates make a whole lot more of money than a high school graduate.
According to “Hidden Intellectualism”, Gerald Graff says that “ Everyone knows some young person who is impressively “street smart” but does poor in school” ( Gerald Graff 244). He explains that to many people believe that one who is so intelligent in life cannot do well in academic work, and he or she needs spend extra time on his or her school works than things in sports. However, Graff used his own anti-intellectual experience to verify his opinion that street smarts are simply as important as school smarts, and he recommends school should take all these street smarts and apply them into good academic environment. Graff also believes we should allow students read literature or any things they first feel interested, for example “George Orwell, which is a writing on the cultural meanings of penny postcards is infinitely more
If someone asked you which was more important, street smarts or book smarts, what would be your answer? Gerald Graff, the author of an essay called Hidden Intellectualism, contemplates on what he thinks because there are pros and cons to being street smart and being book smart.
Co-author of “They Say/I Say” handbook, Gerald Graff, analyzes in his essay “Hidden Intellectualism” that “street smarts” can be used for more efficient learning and can be a valuable tool to train students to “get hooked on reading and writing” (Graff 204). Graff’s purpose is to portray to his audience that knowing more about cars, TV, fashion, and etc. than “academic work” is not the detriment to the learning process that colleges and schools can see it to be (198). This knowledge can be an important teaching assistant and can facilitate the grasping of new concepts and help to prepare students to expand their interests and write with better quality in the future. Graff clarifies his reasoning by indicating, “Give me the student anytime who writes a sharply argued, sociologically acute analysis of an issue in Source over the student who writes a life-less explication of Hamlet or Socrates’ Apology” (205). Graff adopts a jovial tone to lure in his readers and describe how this overlooked intelligence can spark a passion in students to become interested in formal and academic topics. He uses ethos, pathos, and logos to establish his credibility, appeal emotionally to his readers, and appeal to logic by makes claims, providing evidence, and backing his statements up with reasoning.
In “Hidden Intellectualism,” Gerald Graff pens an impressive argument wrought from personal experience, wisdom and heart. In his essay, Graff argues that street smarts have intellectual potential. A simple gem of wisdom, yet one that remains hidden beneath a sea of academic tradition. However, Graff navigates the reader through this ponderous sea with near perfection.
A philosopher once said ”A child educated only at school is an uneducated child”. As we are living in a world where everyone knows the importance of schools and the meaningful of being educated, then why does he believe that a child is illiterate when he only studies at school? Are schools actually limit on areas of study and overlook the essential of real life experience? In the article “Hidden Intellectualism”, Gerald Graff claims that schools and colleges are might at fault due to their omission of the “street smarts”-knowledge necessary to deal with reality-, and their failure to invest them into academic work. By stating the fundamental of intellectualism and the influence of personal interests, he informs readers that those street smarts,
Gerald Graff the author of Hidden Intellectualism points out that the poor should have a better education. He too thinks that street smart people are able to complete jobs that the educated cannot. But he goes a step further in saying if we were able to provide a form of education that worked around the environment of the working class It would make an ideal educational benefit that would end in the result of educated people regardless of their economic situation. Furthermore, it would provide them with better pay since they are educated. Graff talks about what is taught in schools are outdated that no one wants to read about Shakespeare anymore, the students feel like a fish out of water when all the material is based on old traditions and
In his essay "Hidden Intellectualism," Gerald Graff argues that intellectualism is not something that can only be taught through proper education like school or college, but with subjects that people consider non academics as sports, cars, or popular culture. The writer considers "street smart" to those people who learn things outside of an academic environment, for example in the streets of their neighborhood or their parent’s professions like being a mechanic. The writer argues that educators should let students decide on the subject that they are more interested to learn, this would open up possibilities for the student to excel in his academic environment as well as his own interests. I personally agree with this 100 percent this would
Street smarts are intellectual resources that are ignored by schools. It is the most informal version of intellect, generally relating to hobbies that seem anti-intellectual. Gerald Graff’s journal article Hidden Intellectualism shows that everyone is an intellectual whether they are aware of it or not. Using mainly ethos, he describes how sports can be a form of intellectualism because of the use of logic. He says it beautifully here, “I see now that sports provided me with something comparable to the saturation of life by argument… that my preference for sports over schoolwork was not anti-intellectualism so much as intellectualism by other means.”
In recent discussions of education, a controversial issue has been whether or not to go to college after high school. On the one hand, some argue that starting your career after high school is the smart thing to do. On the other hand, however, others argue that the smarter decision would be to continue your schooling by going to college to get a degree. In sum, then, the issue is whether or not college is the right decision for you. My own view is that you should go to college because it helps you build character, start a tradition, and gives you experience.
It is evident that Gerald Graff’s article is bias because he avoids talking about acquiring academic intelligence through academic learning rather than non-academic ways. For instance, Graff shows bias when he generalizes our way of seeing educated life and academics. He said that, “We associate the educated life, the life of the mind, too narrowly and exclusively with subjects and texts that we consider inherently weighty and academic. We assume that it’s possible to wax intellectual about Plato, Shakespeare, the French Revolution, and nuclear fission, but not about cars, dating fashion, sports, TV, or video games.” (Graff 264-5). Graff clearly thinks that everyone associates educated life with academics, when in reality this is not true. He believes that
“Hidden Intellectualism” written by Gerald Graff, is a compelling essay that presents the contradicting sides of “book smarts” and “street smarts” and how these terms tied in to Graff’s life growing up. Graff felt like the school was at fault that the children with more “street smarts” were marked with the reputation of being inadequate in the classroom. Instead of promoting the knowledge of dating, cars, or social cues, the educational system deemed them unnecessary. Gerald Graff thought that “street smarts” could help people with academics. In his essay, Graff confessed that despite his success as an “intellect” now, he was the exact opposite until college. Where he grew up in Chicago, Illinois, intelligence was looked down upon around peers
One question that comes to mind when graduating high school is, “should I attend college?” For many graduates this question have a very obvious answer. A high school graduate may state that, “college is the best option if one is trying to get a higher level of education, and will help one compete for a higher paying job.” However, in my opinion most graduates do not consider the fact that going to college is a very big decision to make and that the schoolwork will not be easy. Going to college is not the best choice for every high school graduate because many students cannot handle college, colleges’ lower standards, and not all jobs require a college degree.
In “College Is a Waste of Time and Money,” Caroline Bird, a college lecturer makes very good and valid points that college is wasting time and money. She describes how society has pushed students into getting higher education right out of high school. Leaving us with the question, are students getting a higher degree of education to better their future or to keep them busy and paying an institution.
Not too far in the distant past having a college education was a rarity. Now it is becoming less of a rarity and more of the norm. In today’s society, it becomes more beneficial for you to have a college education. College is something that doesn 't have to be for everyone and there are some great ways for individuals to pursue a decent career and still earn enough money to make a living. If you’re willing to put in the time, effort, and money to pursue a college education then you will most certainly reap all of the many benefits it has to offer.