Essays about the value (or lack thereof) of a college education in today’s world are easy to find. Most of them, however, are written by people whose college years are long behind them. Regardless of their opinions or approaches, these writers often miss the juicy details of day-to-day lived experience. This essay, published on Medium in July 2015, was written by Alex Kern, a software developer and student at University of California Berkeley, and it goes to the heart of student life.
Read it here: Kern, "Don't drop out: Why there's still value in college"
- Although Kern is strongly in favor of staying in school and graduating, he has a number of complaints about and criticisms of the college experience. What are they? Summarize them. Does he present his criticisms fairly? Point to specific examples to support your assessment.
- While Kern details several good arguments for leaving school, he makes it very clear that staying and graduating from college was the better choice for him. Still, his experience as a full-time STEM student at a prestigious university is likely very different from the experiences of many students. How well are you able to identify with Kern’s depiction of college life? Despite any differences in your situation, how applicable do you find his advice? Why? Which of his arguments resonated with you most? Why?
- Read (or re-read) Owen and Sawhill’s essay in Ch. 16 of your text. Those authors, for the most part, support the idea of finishing college. But are they and Kern really talking about the same thing? Why or why not? How might Kern respond to their essay? Why do you think so?
- Kern states that “school is a catalyst for experiences that teach you your physical, emotional, and mental limits. When combined with academics, an undergraduate program offers you the greatest variety of opportunities to acquire new skills….” Based on your own experience, do you agree with Kern’s claim? Even if you are just beginning your college journey, you have probably already had an experience or two that tested your limits and offered a learning opportunity. Describe such an experience. Using Kern as your They Say and your description as evidence, argue a position that supports or rebuts Kerr’s assertion.
They Say I Blog 
In the beginning of Alex Kern’s article “Don’t Drop Out” he seemed a bit confused in why he was in college. As the article goes on he starts to explain why it was important that he did stay in school. Mr. Kern’s main focus is that college prepares you for the real world and strongly believes that a college education makes you more likely to get the job of your dreams. I agree with him on that statement because the more knowledge you have the better you would do at that job. Kern also stated that “school is a catalyst for experiences that teach you your physical, emotional, and mental limits.” I also agree with this statement because being a freshman in college I have been pushed to my limits already trying to balance Football and studies.
One blogger I analyzed was Kayla. According to Kayla,”These classes are going to help you become a better well rounded person because you will know more than just your major”. I agree with kayla’s statement. The more you know about you major, the further ahead you would be. Competition is growing and the more knowledge you have, easier things are going to be for you.
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College has had its pros and cons in this first month. I agree with Kern’s claim because most of the things she states, I have experienced. A few examples are time management, learning new skills to help me gain knowledge towards my major, and graduate college with many opportunities at success after college. There have ben many opportunities for me to learn new skills to prepare me for my future. I have help from a lot of sources on campus where I do not feel left alone or helpless as a freshman. My limits have been tested more than two times but my most challenging experience so far has been my online class. I had never taken an online class before so I didn’t know how that was supposed to work out and I started a week behind. Luckily I was able to catch up in this class but it took a lot of time and hard work. My professors teach me new things everyday that will help me succeed in life after college. The opportunities are infinite. You also have to learn quickly that you are not in high school anymore. When I say this I mean you are own your own now and a huge part of this first month of college has been learning to manage my time wisely. My business seminar professor taught me about time management. My major is Computer Information Systems and I have two courses that teaches me new information about Microsoft office applications daily. If I was not in college, I would not be informed about a lot of this information. College is a huge key in success in adulthood. Percentages show that most jobs hire people with college degrees. By attending college it prepares you for the real world instead of just being left alone.
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Question Number 1:
In the Article, “Don’t Drop Out: Alex Kern on the Value of College Life”, Kern has a variety of complaints and criticisms toward college experiences. In the reading he talks about the different advantages that attending college may have on people who decide to not drop out of college. According to Kern, “An award — a degree — does not mean you’ve “made it.” The hard work remains to be done” (Kern 3), Kern’s point is that just because you receive a college degree doesn’t mean that your accomplishments in life are done, there’s a lot more work that has to be done in order to succeed in things in the future. Alex Kern disagrees with people that has the mentality that “A degree in [English/Sociology/Philosophy/etc.] doesn’t translate to skills in the workplace. Why not learn something practical?”(Kern 2). In making this comment, Kern urges us to get out of our comfort zone and take different fields of studies that we aren’t use to, to help expand our knowledge of different things and not just have knowledge for one specific topic but to have it for many others that way we can be a well-rounded person. Lastly, in the reading, Kern states that “Perhaps the most evident and off-cited reason for staying in school is that the classes you take leave you with tangible skills. While this may be true, it misses the point — the most valuable courses don’t prescribe what to learn, but how to learn” (Kern 2). In other words, Kern believes that its essential that by staying in college and taking courses it will help you have tangible skills but what’s even more important is that those valuable courses helps advise you ways on how to learn important skills in which then you could use in the real world.
In my opinion, I think he presents his criticisms fairly because he states what statement or idea he doesn’t agree with and explains how they think of it before criticizing it himself. For example, in the article he said, “A degree gives you a safety net to fall back on. This didn’t strike a chord with me because I don’t want to spend the better part of my youth constructing a safeguard. I want to do something I love — now” (Kern 1). Another example is when someone stated that “if you don’t have an elaborate five-year plan, you’ve already failed” and his response to that was “You don’t need a “life plan.” You probably don’t even want one. College is an invitation to discover yourself. Take advantage of that” (Kern 3). Based on those examples it shows how he points out what he thinks was wrong about different ideas and stated his thoughts and opinions about it which is fair for both whoever he’s disagreeing with and himself. Instead of just saying his thoughts about something, he provided reasoning as to why he doesn’t agree with a certain statement and that’s important when writing a persuasive argumentative type of writing.
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They say that going to college and getting your bachelors,
Doctorates etc will help you get a higher paying job and more benefits. I agree somewhat, yes college will help you succeed more in your field but some of the most successful people never went to college or even finished high school.
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I personally agree with Kern’s statement “school is a catalyst for experiences that teach you you’re physical, emotional, and mental limits. When combined with academics, an undergraduate program offers you the greatest variety of opportunities to acquire new skills…” First coming here I wanted to study Biology, but now that I meet people and experienced my first six weeks here I think I wants to change my major and study business here. I want to own my own spot and not be controlled by someone else. That’s what I have learned here so far.
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Kern makes excellent points in his article, college is well needed but only to expand you and help you in wonderful ways. And what I mean by that is, college pushes you to further limits that you yourself never thought you could achieve. We all have goals that we all want to achieve rather its from attaining a degree or changing the world for the better or getting rich, thats how individuals are we all are different. I agree with what Kern was saying, college does in fact open up more opportunities to acquire more skills for us, even if the skills have nothing to do with our major. He also makes a great point on if you dropout you can miss the years of your life. My experiences with college so far is, its getting more and more challenging I feel college is going to better me as an individual. Why do I need to go to school? College can educate you further than you probably believed in yourself. However, going to college doesn’t teach you how to get rich, it teaches you how to think, how to think differently. I also agree with Samuel, experience is key, especially what you learn in and out of class. Basically you need a little bit more of experience to get more knowledge, because it would be easier to attain what you were trying to learn. People need to carefully decide whats best for them, I do feel attaining a degree can be very beneficial.
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College is not always for everybody, sometimes it takes a lot in a person to actually get up and go to college to get a good education about something that they’re interested in. Sometimes people who don’t even go to college become more successful than people who did go to college and I agree. However, i also do agree that kern makes good arugments why college is important and why people should attend college not only just for education but to get to explore different things than just knowing the little things. I do think that there is a higher advantage for people who go to college to get a better job than people who don’t. I also agree with melanie And Sara that going to college and getting an education can get you more likely to get the job of your dreams.
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As I read the article “Don’t Drop Out”, I developed a total different view for college. I thought about how many college students may feel this way. It kind of made me think about the fact that college isn’t for everyone, but if you make the decision to drop out, what is your back up plan for surviving and becoming successful. I also thought about how it seemed selfish in a way because there are lots of kids who want to go to college, but they don’t have the opportunity to go or to get that experience being on campus and starting that chapter in their life. Many different kids don’t get to experience college due to various reasons. For instance, some just simply don’t have the funds to do so. Better yet, some kids go to college but have the wrong attitude and spirit. They have no motivation or drive to be in college or finish. I personally don’t believe college is for everyone. There are tons of people who are successful without college education. Now, I do believe, everyone should make an effort to go to college and get the feel. In my opinion, college isn’t just about school, it’s about the social experience, you getting to make lifelong friends, you find out who you really are, and you also mature in many areas. College is very important for many different reason, but some people feel otherwise. Alex kern did an excellent job with explaining his experience with want to drop out of college. One thing that stood out to me was how he looked at everything from all angles. He knew that if he took a break, it would be extremely hard to get in grind mode. I enjoyed reading this article and I encourage others to read it also.
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i agree with Alex Kern on this post a lot. he made some very valid points about the value of college. I can understand why people feel like dropping out because of money related issues or because they say it is too hard and they just don’t know where to begin with college life. For the most part, mostly every succssesful person has a college degree and it has lead them to their dream job. College forces you out of your comfort zone and it gives you a sense of reality and what the work life is really about. College doesn’t only teach you new learning material but it tests your physical,emotional and mental capabilities. Every field of study in college has worth and it really helps you aquire tangible skills for you to use in your future. One thing Kern said that i really liked was “College introduces you to a community of friends who challenge you everyday.” College is a great networking tool and it is always great to have a college degree to have a safety net to fall on.
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While reading “Don’t Drop Out”, Kern doesn’t know for sure what he wants to do about college. There are many ups and downs to the decision to stay or to go. He explains how you might not always get a good paying job even if you went to college. Sometimes coming out of college you don’t get anything. Most of the time college is teaching people life lessons, and many other ways to start off their lives. Kern in my prospective has a lot of reasons to and to not go to college, and I think in the long run, he should definitely go.
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The reading I read was “Don’t Drop Out” by Alex Kern. The reading is about a college student and his friends who were offered a job as a Y Combinator. The only thing is they had to take a single semester off to peruse their startup job. Alex was unsure if he wanted to take a semester off so he went online to seek advice. He didn’t receive the advice he wanted until he found an article called “Academia and Autodidacts.” No one was a surprised as he was when he made his decision to stay in college. He says, “Yet once I was addorded it, I reneged not out of fear, but out of understanding” (Alex Kern).
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I also agree with Kayla when she said that ” College is not just about getting good grades but making sure that you develop as a person” I find this statement extremely true. Some college students just go through the motion and try to get good grades and don’t pay much attention to the material. If you’re just in school to get good grades then you’re not going to benefit later on in life.
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Constant pressure is applied to young elementary, middle, and high school students not only to decide on a life-long career, but also attain a degree in whatever it pertains to. Students are told that the key to making “big bucks” and obtaining the desirable “two kids and a white picket fence” lifestyle that is glorified in the media is to excel in school K-12 in order to gain admission into a university. Recently, critics have questioned the value of college education commonly citing the Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerburg phenomena as well as other similar stories where college drop-outs have become multimillionaires. On one side, educators view college education as the only way to success. Whereas, others consider college a waste of time. The truth lies in the middle. College can certainly be beneficial to the careers of most students and can prove a very wise investment. However, not every degree is worth the cost of tuition. One poster, Justin Gorton, claims “college is almost a necessity to teenagers today if they want to have a long and successful career.” First, it is difficult to define a successful career, but if money is the main determinate, then I agree that college education, in most cases will provide a more lucrative job. Another poster, Samuel Ballantyne, notes that “though college is expensive, the memories, fun, and failure you will experience will strengthen you.” I agree that their is an aspect of the college education that can not be measured in terms of salary. It is important to consider this emotional aspect of the college experience when considering if college is the right option for an individual.
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I do indeed agree with this blog. When dropping out of school in any grade; it will put you in a bad position later in life. when dropping out, it shows you cannot stick with something when it gets hard. Plus with no education, you will most likely not be able to get a successful job. college does play a big part in life because most jobs need to have a degree in certain things. Without a degree I don’t think you will make it far in life. It just takes hard work and it will pay off in the end.
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Some of the criticisms are that there are bad classes taught by bad teachers and they are a waste of your time. I find his advice good i think you should also stay in school, because if you stay in school you will get a good education and be able to get the dream job you always wanted. i believe they are talking about the same thing because they both want people to stay in school and graduate from college.I think people need to stay in school to have success in life.
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Some criticisms he is getting is that some classes are bad and the teachers are bad and school is a waste of time. his description of college life is to stay in school and to graduate to get a good education in life and to get the dream job you always wanted.They ae both talking about the same thing because they both want people to stay in school and to get a good education.
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Some criticisms he is getting is that some classes are bad and the teachers are bad and school is a waste of time. his description of college life is to stay in school and to graduate to get a good education in life and to get the dream job you always wanted.They ae both talking about the same thing because they both want people to stay in school and to get a good education.
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Some criticisms he is getting is that some classes are bad and the teachers are bad and school is a waste of time. His description of school is to stay in school to get a good education and to get the dream job you always wanted. They agreed on the same thing they both want kids to stay in school to get good education and to graduate getting the job you always dreamed of.
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there trying to say if you drop out of college, you most likely wont get the job of your dreams; maybe not a job at all. college gets many people jobs, yes college can be hard but once you graduate and get that job, you feel so much better. college is very good for you so don’t drop out.
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I believe that Alex Kern brings up many strong points about college. He argues that there is so much more to college then getting a degree. He’s right because college is filled with many different experiences. While you are going for a degree at a school, you meet people with all different types of interests. Also, these people can become a good friend and enlighten you on a subject you never knew about. Another reason the author brought up, was the resources college’s give students. If an individual is attempting to create a business/idea of their own, they have the ability to access campus resources or go to a professor for advice. There are so many intangible values learned on a college campus. Connections can be made and lessons can be learned. I believe that college is an investment in yourself and that you can earn more then just a degree.
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Prior to reading Alex Kern’s “Don’t Drop Out”, I had already been an advocate for going to college for a well-rounded education, learning community, and self-discovery. Kern’s blog had only served as an impetus to my beliefs, although his beliefs were never fully intact. Ironically, Kern had always dreamt of an opportunity to take him out of classes, yet rejected it once it was presented to him. He says that “the most valuable courses don’t prescribe what to learn, but how to learn.” While I fully agree with this statement, I disagree in that his statement is biased based on his own experiences. Yes, HE might have been taught how to learn. However, for the rest of everyone, they can only be taught how to learn if they put effort as well. I know of many students who attend lecture halls with hundreds of students that never pay attention or just try to get by with a passing grade. Kern also grabbed my attention when he states that “it’s possible to expand your knowledge of different disciplines outside of college…But you won’t.” I felt that that was a very bold statement to make. He continues on, saying “You won’t because it’s hard. You won’t because you don’t know where to begin…”, and he continues on with this. How would he know if he’s never been put in that situation? He’s only ever been in college. I have a feeling that he makes these statements to reassure himself of his decision to stay in college. That he made the right decision. I definitely agree that staying in college has invaluable lessons, experiences, and benefits that people are starting to forget about. However, I wouldn’t completely dismiss and discourage people from venturing outside of college.
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I agree with the points made here about the other benefits to college, though I don’t believe that many families in the US currently have the money to spend on college for these side benefits. College is an expensive investment for your future that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I was basically told by my parents that I have to finish my college education in four years because that’s all that we could afford. I have no time to play around with my education or take time off because that jeopardizes my family’s budget. I think the cultural and exploratory benefits that go along with a college education are important and a great factor in a college education but many students can’t afford to take the time to do anything but focus on the next four years. I believe if your family really can’t afford a college education, you shouldn’t force it and go into debt.
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Alex Kern made great points about college. Also I agree that college isn’t just about the degree its about meeting new people and seeing their views on things. Colleges lets students give good ideas and they will help you to make it a great idea. Colleges gives you connection to smart and successful people. I believe having a college degree will let you get a meeting with a top business but it wont get you the job automatically. You will get the job by working hard and being able to speak to a person.
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“Age of Ignorance”
College is and always has been, a method to fund money for “professional education”. Schools are overpriced and in many cases not necessary. Although there are fields that require hands on learning environments, there are also many fields that do not. The desire to learn in most cases comes from within your own personal motivation and diligence. Colleges, like many grade schools, sets forth a very mechanical/traditional environment, where students are “forced” to learn. Even simply looking at the break down of requirements to gain a degree, there are many courses that hold no relations to your field of work. College should be used as a tool to aid in learning, however there should not be such a heavy burden on it as a requirement to be a success. Students that are taught at home for instance, are able to focus more on the task at hand, and not be influenced or distracted by those around them. It has become a known fact, that although many refuse to admit, peer pressure influences us all to a certain degree. We all have that point in our lives where we desire to fit in with a crowd. The well-known phrase “college experience” holds a very significant example of how schools are more a method of social gatherings, rather than a place to learn.
It also goes to say, how we can’t expect to build interest in a field, when there is a constant stress on grades. Everyone develops skills at a different rate and in different ways. The best way to learn is to do so building off your strengths to aid you with your weaknesses. Through college course selection, you often find yourself with a professor who has their own way of teaching, which may or may not be viable for your way of learning. In short, the significance of grades tied to the significance of a bachelor’s degree, is just a method for those with so called “experience” to be put ahead of the line in the job market. To overlook someone’s skill simply based off of a different outlook on this is not only being ignorant but placing inexperienced individuals into fields they don’t belong in. Kern stresses the importance of schools from the teaching of your limits. In my opinion, we can achieve and surpass these limits through self-drive and determination. Knowledge can’t be achieved by force, the student has to hold an interest, which along with education can only really be achieved on your own time.
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Question #4
Yes I agree with Kem’s claim because college is a privilege, and a fabulous opportunity. Taking a lot of classes can become over whelming, you can become inpatient. After attending college will you be able to use that degree? sometimes we can experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to make financial advancement. Making fast money can side track you we sustain difficult obstacles everyday that can cloud our judgment. I was very reluctant to come back to School after being out of school for many years at times I feel extremely stressed , its possible that if I come across a better opportunity with better income I just might take the offer. If Kem’s had of stayed in school he may not have had the experience to share with us today. Although you can become well rounded with College experience getting your education will help but it can be time consuming, College isn’t for everyone.
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I agree that college definitely matters. You can still get a good paying job if you don’t go to college, you are just going to have to work really hard. College opens up windows for different job opportunities. You can do what you want and like to do by going to College. You can also get a really high paying job by going to college.
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I really enjoyed reading this article because I was also about to dropout myself after this past semester. College plays a vital role in your life in order to succeed at something that you want to do. I didnt like how you focused on the major millionaires that made their money by nopt going to college. Some never even went to college and just had a great idea one day and made millions. College is preperation for the real world nowadays. You must learn as much as you can and as fast as you can in order to be in and out with your degree. I agree that college teaches you many things that will be very helpful in everyday life. I also agree with the fact that you said experience is key and college is all about experience.
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College is an option, its not required, I personally think every person should know whats good for them. College the biggest decisions you make in once life. I think what people should being happy living the moment because you never what will happen the next day, you might spend a decade in college and ended up getting sick couldn’t continue in the work force. College should be a place where you find your self and continue in things you like because you wont be successful
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There is a huge pressure on telling people to get college degrees, and many people are not prepared to finish a college degree. I do not think college is right for everyone, but I know in order to achieve my goals I will need a college education.College gives the opportunity us the opportunity to meet different people with different background.
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Wow! I really enjoyed reading this article. This article really supports the idea of staying in college, and it does such a great job at it. First, because it tell yous why college sucks, he shows you that he feels the same way you do but then provides lots of great reasons to stay in college. Then, he provides a great example of hes own personal experience where hes shows that hes hated college and then decides to stay in it because it eventually pays off. I think he really connects with the audience that’s reading hes article or at least he really connected with me. This article should really be shown to more college students because of all the reasons he shows that staying in college pays off and the connection he makes with college student is just great and really inspiring.
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In Kern’s “Don’t drop out”. On The Value Of College Life he states that Young adults are pressured into finishing high school and then going straight to college, preferably a four year. He states that it really depends upon the person because we all have financial, mental, and emotional limits. He goes on to state that a lot is learned outside of the classroom, rather in the classroom.
I totally agree with him because you come across different individuals at a university who all have different backgrounds and different needs. Sometimes having a degree from a college doesn’t really get you a higher paying job. He made a good point that you learn a lot more outside of the classroom, as well in the classroom. By the relationships you develop and establish outside of graduating.
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Kern says a lot in his article, but mainly he says college is a good idea. Dropping out would be a bad idea for many reasons. He decides to stay in school and finish. There are tons of reasons stated why college is fun. I agree with Kern. I think that college is a good idea, and that I definitely shouldn’t drop put.
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Alex Kern
“Dont drop out”
i so agree with Kern on the “Dont drop out” article he is expressing both the bad’s and the good’s of college, however Kern seems to be having a hard time making a decision as to whether he can stay in college or not,but then again i also understand because that is what the vast majority of college students are thinking, whether to continue with the hardwork or to drop out and find something else to do.I would like to say that i agree with Kern because right now i am experiencing the exact things in college, though it is important for me to finish college i also think about what i can do without college. Nothing really.
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I found what Alex Kern had to say very interesting because I have recently been hearing his argument quite frequently. His argument is that people should look at college as a wonderful experience and a part of your life where you get to spread your wings and find your true self. Personally, I would have to agree with him because I have stopped looking at college as “I need that piece of paper” to actually looking at it as a way of improving my skills and way of thinking. I started looking at the big picture other than just thinking about the money and the good jobs your able to get out of it.
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The author Alex Kern in “Don’t Drop Out” is very persuasive in his opinion about education. Although the title throws you off, especially when you are undecided with your major, Kern relates to reality and makes a great argument. I agree if you sit out the first year, getting back into school isn’t ideal. Although I can’t stand to go to school, it’s my only option so I have some type of career. However, We shouldn’t be judged based on our education, we all our intelligent in our ways. When students get overloaded with loans, dropping out almost seems like the best option. Most students don’t get the opportunity to go to college, and aren’t offered the financial help they need. Which makes it easy to fall into easy habits of working full-time to live in the moment. Most of us who graduate from college barely use our major to apply to work. College isn’t always the ticket to the best job, experience plays a huge role as well.
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I encourage everyone to pursue a college career even more so if it is an available option. Also if a students are currently in college to not drop out. Having a education background is so important in today’s society. Alex was put into a situation where he was offered a job and by taking the job it would require him to leave college for one whole semester. He decided not to take the job which was the best idea and made him happy. The article that inspired him to make this decision was one article online in particular. It states how a college degree gives you a safety net to fall back on which is very true. College is the best decision to do and no one will regret the fact that they did.
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Kern was saying that getting a college education to get his dream job never motivated him to stay in school. Also getting a degree didn’t catch his attention because he did not want something that he could fall back on, he wanted something he loved. Also dropping out to build a business is fashionable. But here is the problem with that, you can miss out of the opportunity to: Meet people your own age with different world-views or ethnic backgrounds, Enjoy more free time than you know what to do with, leaving room to adventure, Live in a fraternity, sorority, cooperative, or any other student-centered community. Expand your mind” in an environment where it’s socially acceptable. Watch dance, choral, theater, and other kinds of performances featuring your classmates. Build awesome stuff and meet life-long friends, and Wear sweatpants every single day. The bottom line is that college can be one of the most enjoyable times of your life.
Also I agree with what Joanna B when she said, “There are a lot of people that have been very successful who never went to college but, that does not apply to everyone.” Also, “College is a time for growth and to try new experiences and the problem is, people only focus on the educational aspect but, there is so much more to it that people have yet to realize.” But what Justin Gorton says is also very true by mentioning one must have experience in the class room and real world in order to succeed in life. Also we no longer live in the American Dream which is why college is almost a necessity to teenagers today if they want to have a long and successful career.
While Kern is probably wrong when he claims that, dropping out to build a business is fashionable, he is right that you want a career that you love to do. Also the fact that college can be one of the most enjoyable times of your life should excite everyone about going to college. Mainly to meet a diverse population of student, meet life-long friends, expand your mind in an environment where it’s socially acceptable, and wear sweatpants every single day. On the other hand Joanna B’s statement, “College is a time for growth and to try new experiences and the problem is, people only focus on the educational aspect but, there is so much more to it that people have yet to realize.” Is very important also, giving that college is more than just textbooks, it is also a learning experience for the real world. Also, Justin Gorton makes a true statement when mentioning, we no longer live in the American Dream which is why college is almost a necessity to teenagers today if they want to have a long and successful career.
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College is a time of exploration, adventure and of course a time of learning. Going to college has definitely been the highlight of my life so far. Having the option of joining any club I have interest in, taking classes that I actually enjoy and being able to make friends that share the same passion and dream that I have has definitely made my college experience great so far. College is full of new experiences. As Kern states, “school is a catalyst for experiences that teach you your physical, emotional, and mental limits.” I agree with this statement because I can personally relate to that. My college experience has definitely tested my mental limits but has also taught me much strength, dedication and leadership skills. I agree with the statement Kern makes about how there are people who never went to college that are successful. Although that may be true, I believe with a college education, these people would have been even more successful in their endeavors. In my own personal opinion, college is not only a time to further your education in academics but also a time of self exploration, the gain of knowledge in life skills and also an education in friendships and relationships in which you make in your college career. Many people overlook these things and believe that college is strictly a time for academics when in my opinion its for many other things as well.
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“If you don’t have an elaborate five-year plan, you’ve already failed.”
“Screw that. You don’t need a “life plan.” You probably don’t even want one. College is an invitation to discover yourself. Take advantage of that.”
This one quote stuck out to me because it is very true, that college should be a place where you discover yourself. Problem is, it does not feel like that anymore. Once a person enters college, one must have their major planned out already becasue then you have to start taking classes occordingly to you major from year one to when you finish. I want to believe in what Kern is saying, becasue I do, but in todays world, it almost hard to do that. That again use to be my thought process becasue of the pressure today and how you can so easily be looked down upon for not knowing what you want to do, but then Kern said something interesting, “I speak from experience and observation when I say that if you’re going to make a company, you can probably prototype it while in school. If it begins taking off and classes are getting in the way, that’s the right moment to call it quits on college.” This is coming from someone like us, not a person in higher power talking about “young adults” and how they do nothing in todays world. It is coming from someone who uderstand the struggles and pressure we feel in todays world. This article is an awakening it feels like on how to move foward toward the future and be happy with where ever that path takes you.
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I enjoyed what Kern had to say about college and thought that everything he was saying was very relatable. Kern states on page three, “Every single field of study has intellectual worth, whether you appreciate it or not.” He feels that having a degree in liberal arts is still meaningful and disagrees with what people say; that it is not practical. Kern mentions how professors overload students with work and it makes students not enjoy the learning process. I agree with him and believe that professors should be a little more understanding and realize that we cannot do one hundred things at once. Another criticism he makes is that “If you do not have an elaborate five year plan, you’ve already failed.” Kern disagrees and honestly so do I. Yes, I believe you should have an idea of what you want to do with your career, but there’s one major obstacle standing in our ways and that’s life. Life is not perfect and not everything is going to go according to plan. Kern had a very challenging major and that definitely played a role on how his college experience was going to pan out. Personally as a nursing major, I feel that balancing out a social life and academics can be challenging, but it is do-able. Kern says, “You owe it to yourself to have a little (more) fun.” This is so true and the times where I am just so stressed over all the schoolwork I just think the weekend is near or summer is near. I just feel that there definitely needs to be a safe haven away from the academic world. I think a lot of older people like many parents think that college should be so serious and I do not disagree, but I think Kern is right and that students should not be all work and no play. We should meet new people and join clubs.
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In a generation where everyone assumes they can become internet stars, Kern’s article strikes a chord that is not often heard. He flat out states that a college education is necessary in order to become successful, because we are not all going to become innovators and the next faces of modern technology or social media. Nothing is worse than seeing people strive to be nothing more than the person in front of a webcam. I think it’s really important, especially for young adults, to understand and acknowledge that a backup plan is necessary. Of course college does not guarantee more success, but at least it’s a step in the right direction. A degree goes much farther than a few hundred followers online on any job application.
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#4) i agree with kern’s claim that “school is a catalyst for experiences that teaches you your physical, emotional, and mental limits.” Over the summer i was really debating on whether i wanted to be in high school and do college classes. But i finally worked up the nerve to take the compass test, i passed english but not reading. I had to retake the reading test three times before i even passed to be accepted to take college classes. at the beginning i had no faith in myself and i didn’t even want to try. But that experience taught me my limits and also taught me not to try something just because it will be difficult. I am glad i went out of my intellectual comfort zone and took the compass test to be accepted into college.
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#2) kern depiction of college life is difficult, there will be decisions that will be hard to make because any move you make can affect your future. i find Kern’s advice very helpful.I am sure there will come a time in life where i have to make a huge decision in my life and he gave good resources to rely on, like talking and asking for family and friends decisions, or going online and reading about other people’s similar experiences.Kern’s argument about how many successful has college degrees really resonated with me because he said “checking boxes doesn’t make me happy.” Because in the end it is all about being happy with your decisions.
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I agree with Kern that school teaches you limits. Sometimes you get so overwhelmed with everything going on in your life and all of your assignments and you may not know your limits until that happens. One night you may be so overwhelmed because you just worked nine hours and now you have to do three hours of homework, so you have a breakdown. Now you know your limits both physically and mentally. Even though I have just started college, a time that has tested my limits would be when I go into my class for the day and I get assigned multiple assignments and then the next few days I get assigned more assignments from my other professors. After this I usually feel very stressed and like I am at my mental limit.
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I agree with Kern’s claim about testing the limits with new experiences when beginning college. I am just starting college for the first time and it has definitely been different than anything else I have ever done in my life. I have never been a big fan of writing, nor have I ever been a very strong writer but the writing class I enrolled in has shown me that writing really isn’t all that bad and I’m not as bad as I thought I was. I have also noticed that being in this class is really helping me expand my horizons and in the long run I help me become a better skilled person in general. I can relate to what Kern’s says because if he would have never stayed in college then he wouldn’t have been able to experience the journey and be able to learn new skills he may not have learned even though the class wasn’t for his specific major. This writing class isn’t particularly important for what I want to do but it has definitely been a great learning experience for me and is going to benefit me as a person.
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In Alex Kern’s essay, “Don’t drop out”, he strongly believes that you should stay in college even if its not for you. Kern says, “You may dislike a field of study, but its important that you study things you dislike for some amount of time to be a well rounded person.” he criticizes subjects that don’t deal with computer science because that is his specialty, any thing else he could care less about. Kern writes “Avoid bad classes at all costs.” however, most of the time you can’t pick and choose your classes, if your major requires certain classes that might not be the biggest appeal to you, you have to suffer through them. This part of the essay does not make sense to me.
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Question number four Kern says “school is a catalyst for experiences that teach you your physical, emotional, and mental limits. When combined with academics, an undergraduate program offers you the greatest variety of opportunities to acquire new skills”. I agree with that statement because college is hard. You have to study, pay attention in class, take notes, do well on homework and test and many other things. There will be times where you might forget your homework is due that day or a homework assignment might be really is hard that takes you a long time to do. College isn’t easy and that’s why college isn’t for everyone. I have experienced some things that push me to my limits, like physiology. It is very hard and I have a test in there every Monday, I study very hard and still got some low test scores but I keep trying harder and I go to tutoring and they help me out a lot.
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Although Kern was strongly in favor of staying in school, many people criticized the college experience. Some believe that founders do not need college. In the article, Kern states that college classes only teach you the things necessary to pass the course. This leaves little room for open interpretation and creativeness. While education is important in the classroom, the life experiences outside of school are also a necessary to overall life experience. Kern says, “…school is a catalyst for experiences that teach you your physical, emotional, and mental limits.” In other words, the classroom offers experiences that carry over to the real world. Kern presented his criticisms fairly, while also offering a rebuttal and explaining the importance of staying in school.
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A agree completely with Alex Kern. I think that college is a wonderful opportunity and has so many things to offer you. It can offer you many things that are completely un-related to education and learning. Kern says how in college he met his best friends and how there are many clubs and activities that people can get involved in to make college more enjoyable for them. He says how there are many ways to be successful without going to college, but if you go to college you can be even more successful and reach your full potential so who wouldn’t want to do that?
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I agree with many of these responses. Those who expanded on his comments about college testing your limits make incredibly good points. As I am only a couple weeks into my first semester in college, I have already noticed that college does things differently than high school. I truly thought that my private, college preparatory high school tested my limits, but I was so wrong. It definitely tested me but college challenges me on a more individual basis. It has forced me to decide what I want my experience to be like. High school is really good at preparing that path for you so that all you have to do is follow it, but college is so open-ended. To me, it is so important to attend college. All of my friends that are older than me continued to tell me that after my first year of college, things will be so different and I’ll be so much wiser. I believed them, but not as much as I do now. The experiences I’ve had and decisions I’ve had to make have molded me. I’m even more independent and each day I feel as if I’m becoming more and more prepared for my career.
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