Prompt: Choose an issue of importance to you-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
I will paste my essay below. Please feel free to make any necessary corrections or improvements. Thank you!
"Education" is defined as the deliberate transference of society's collective knowledge from one generation to the next. In essence, the goal of education is to pass on the intellectual skills needed to create knowledgable and productive members of society. However, in today's fast-paced, get-rich society, the goal of education has been replaced with a far more selfish motto: "Getting a college degree means making more money." It is a modern idea that college is just another stepping stone in the process of securing a high-paying career. This misplaced ideology is an issue of grave importance in today's society because it can lead to a hinderance in the education of future generations. The value of a college degree should not be reflected in the amount of money that can potentially be made from it, but rather in the knowledge and skills learned in the process.
In modern American culture, higher education is available to virtually every capable mind. To many, going to college is not a choice, but rather a predetermined course that must be taken in order to meet professional goals. The idea today is that since college is expensive, it is wasteful to spend time and effort majoring in something that cannot be traded for a high-paying job. In other words, people see a college diploma as a tool: they are valuable because of what can be achieved in the end. Those who view college degrees as "tools" are the people who ask questions like, "How much money can English majors make?" or "What decent job could I possibly get with a major in Philosophy?" So many students have passed up an opportunity to study something that they are truly interested in simply because it would not lead to a "practical" career. Consequently, more and more students choose to major in subjects like Business, Engineering, or Pre-Medicine, which are not always honest pursuits. Those who study what they are interested in find a greater appreciation and enjoyment in their education, and their overall experience is richer.
College students should seek fulfill the goal of education: to further the knowledge and skills beneficial to their individual development, and the development of society as a whole. In other words, individuals should seek to acquire knowledge necessary for improving every aspect of their life, not just to benefit themselves in their prospective career. For instance, a college education further enhances the abilities to process and communicate ideas clearly, think critically, make intelligent and informative choices, etc. These are important skills required in developing the human mind and creating a more well-rounded individual. The student who simply glides their way through their required courses just for the end result of getting a degree will not benefit much from their educational opportunity.
A college degree should not just be viewed as a piece of paper which determines financial success; it should be seen as tangible proof that the goal of education has been fulfilled in that particular individual. I plan to keep this ideology in mind as I pursue my college degree. Currently, I do not know for sure what I want to study, but I do know that I want to emerge from college with a well-rounded education. I aspire to someday wear my cap and gown proudly, knowing that the degree I have achieved will forever be a mark of my academic growth.
I will paste my essay below. Please feel free to make any necessary corrections or improvements. Thank you!
"Education" is defined as the deliberate transference of society's collective knowledge from one generation to the next. In essence, the goal of education is to pass on the intellectual skills needed to create knowledgable and productive members of society. However, in today's fast-paced, get-rich society, the goal of education has been replaced with a far more selfish motto: "Getting a college degree means making more money." It is a modern idea that college is just another stepping stone in the process of securing a high-paying career. This misplaced ideology is an issue of grave importance in today's society because it can lead to a hinderance in the education of future generations. The value of a college degree should not be reflected in the amount of money that can potentially be made from it, but rather in the knowledge and skills learned in the process.
In modern American culture, higher education is available to virtually every capable mind. To many, going to college is not a choice, but rather a predetermined course that must be taken in order to meet professional goals. The idea today is that since college is expensive, it is wasteful to spend time and effort majoring in something that cannot be traded for a high-paying job. In other words, people see a college diploma as a tool: they are valuable because of what can be achieved in the end. Those who view college degrees as "tools" are the people who ask questions like, "How much money can English majors make?" or "What decent job could I possibly get with a major in Philosophy?" So many students have passed up an opportunity to study something that they are truly interested in simply because it would not lead to a "practical" career. Consequently, more and more students choose to major in subjects like Business, Engineering, or Pre-Medicine, which are not always honest pursuits. Those who study what they are interested in find a greater appreciation and enjoyment in their education, and their overall experience is richer.
College students should seek fulfill the goal of education: to further the knowledge and skills beneficial to their individual development, and the development of society as a whole. In other words, individuals should seek to acquire knowledge necessary for improving every aspect of their life, not just to benefit themselves in their prospective career. For instance, a college education further enhances the abilities to process and communicate ideas clearly, think critically, make intelligent and informative choices, etc. These are important skills required in developing the human mind and creating a more well-rounded individual. The student who simply glides their way through their required courses just for the end result of getting a degree will not benefit much from their educational opportunity.
A college degree should not just be viewed as a piece of paper which determines financial success; it should be seen as tangible proof that the goal of education has been fulfilled in that particular individual. I plan to keep this ideology in mind as I pursue my college degree. Currently, I do not know for sure what I want to study, but I do know that I want to emerge from college with a well-rounded education. I aspire to someday wear my cap and gown proudly, knowing that the degree I have achieved will forever be a mark of my academic growth.
