Effects of a College Education

A college education has numerous impacts on an individual other than just a better education. Individuals who have attended college and graduated tend to be more successful in life than those who didn't. There have been studies through the years that provide evidence showing that a college education can be very beneficial to a person and have major impacts on their lives. The most comprehensive review to date on the question of the impact of college is found in Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Terenzini's book, How College Affects Students.They used over twenty-six thousand practical studies completed over a period of 50 years in order to what aspects of a person's life is affected during college. They concluded that an individual's cognitive skills and intellectual growth; changes of identity, self-concept, and self-esteem; changes in relating to others and the people around them, attitudes and values, moral development, career choice and development, economic benefits, and quality of life after college are all affected while the student attends college.The details concerning cognitive skills and intellectual growth suggest that â€Å"students make statistically significant gains during the college years on a number of dimensions of general cognitive capabilities and skills† (p. 155), including the ability to deal with conceptual complexity, formal abstract reasoning, critical thinking, the use of evidence and reason to address ill-structured problems, and both written and oral communication. Most of these benefits seem to occur during the first two years of college.Research on the net effects, or changes that can be accredited to the college experience itself, rather than other potential influences, of these outcomes suggests that college has a â€Å"net positive influence on diverse measures of critical thinking† (p. 156), reflective judgment, and intellectual flexibility, above the maturity level of individuals who didn't attend college. Perhaps â€Å"college is the one [experience] that most typically provides an overall environment where the potential for intellectual growth is maximized† (p. 156).Although the may not be dramatic, changes concerning identity, self-concept, and self-esteem during the college years consistently support a significant positive effect, are evident. The evidence tends to support generally linear gains in academic and social self-concepts, as well as â€Å"students' beliefs about themselves in such areas as their popularity in general and with the opposite sex, their leadership abilities, their social self-confidence, and their understanding of others† (p. 203). In addition, they gain in self-esteem.With the caveat that much of the research on the net effects of college on these particular outcomes is too often confounded by age and normal maturation, and absent controls for family background or other relevant characteristics, Pascarella and Terenzini concluded that â€Å"post-sec ondary educational attainment appears to be related positively to changes in students' ratings of themselves relative to their peers† (p. 204), in terms of both academic self-concept and social self-concept. Such effects, however, appear to be small, mostly indirect, and interrelated with other characteristics.As far as changes in relating to others and the world around them, Pascarella and Terenzini concluded that, â€Å"students' relational systems change during the college years,† including increases in â€Å"students' freedom from the influences of others, †¦ in non-authoritarian thinking and tolerance for other people and their views, in intellectual orientation to problem solving and their own world view in general, in the maturity of their interpersonal relations, in their personal adjustment skills and general sense of psychological well-being, and in their more globally measured levels of maturity and personal development† (p. 57). It is believed th at â€Å"the early college years may be somewhat more influential than the later ones† in their effect on these outcomes. The authors also state that â€Å"the weight of evidence therefore fairly clearly supports popular beliefs about the effects of college in helping to reduce students' authoritarianism, dogmatism, and (perhaps) ethnocentrism and in increasing their intellectual orientation, personal psychological adjustment, and sense of psychological well-being† (p. 259).One of the more ample topics concerning research on the impact of college over the decades has focused on charting changes in the values and attitudes of students in five general areas: (1) cultural, aesthetic, and intellectual; (2) educational and occupational; (3) social and political; (4) religious; and (5) sex and gender roles. Pascarella and Terenzini found that the evidence for change during the college years is both plentiful and consistent, in that â€Å"colleges, as their founders and supp orters might hope, appear to have a generally liberating influence on students' attitudes and values.Without exception, the nature and direction of the observed changes involve greater breadth, expansion, inclusiveness, complexity, and appreciation for the new and different. In all cases, the movement is toward greater individual freedom: artistic and cultural, intellectual, political, social, racial, educational, occupational, personal, and behavioral† (p. 326).The research on the net effects of college support a consistent but modest influence â€Å"above and beyond the characteristics students bring with them to college,† as well as independent of â€Å"changes that have occurred in the larger society† (p. 326) Long considered an important goal of American higher education, the character education and moral development of students has only recently gained the systematic attention of researchers.Evidence to date suggests that â€Å"college is linked with stati stically significant increases in the use of principled reasoning to judge moral issues,† and that the college experience itself has a unique positive net influence on such development and may be accentuated differentially, from one institution to another, through the student peer context. Furthermore, the key to within-college effects in fostering moral reasoning may â€Å"lie in providing a range of intellectual, cultural, and social experiences from which a range of different students might potentially benefit† (p. 66), such as certain curricular or course interventions.Conditional effects in that regard are, in particular, more positive for those of high levels of cognitive development. Nevertheless, any influence in that direction seems to be long-term and consistent, and may even be linked ultimately to â€Å"a range of principled behaviors, including resisting cheating, social activism, keeping contractual promises, and helping those in need† (p. 367). Ind ividuals may change their career paths or interests while attending college. It is clear that students frequently change their career plans during college,† and that they â€Å"become significantly more mature, knowledgeable, and focused during college in thinking about planning for a career† (pp. 487–488).In terms of net influence, one of the â€Å"most pronounced and unequivocal effects of college on career is its impact on the type of job one obtains† (p. 488), offering an advantage through occupational status and influence. Whether by socialization or certification a college education offers access to better positioned, and potentially more satisfactory, mployment. Study of the economic benefits has also attracted the attention of post-secondary education researchers, especially since this factor â€Å"probably underlies the motivation of many students who choose to attend college rather than enter the work force immediately after high school graduati on† (p. 500). In terms of net effects, it appears that a bachelor's degree â€Å"provides somewhere between a twenty and forty percent advantage in earnings over a high school diploma† and an estimate of financial return on such an investment is â€Å"somewhere between 9. and 10. 9 percent† (p. 529).As I've said before, a college education has numerous impacts on an individual other than just a better education. Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Terenzini, while not the first to do so, are two people who have studied research to find the impact of a college education. Their research actually has evidence to support the argument that a college education is a valuable thing.

Redcoats, Patriots and Bunker Hill Essay

As the winter of 1783 drew near, the last of the British troops sailed from New York leaving behind an independent nation. A land destined to be the richest and most powerful state in the galaxy of nations. It is possible that some of the redcoats marching into the dreary ship that cold November day had attacked Bunker Hill eight years ago, and stared at astonishment at the hail of bullets coming their way from the muskets of the patriots. The British had gone on to win the battle but at enormous cost, losing more than half their men. It was supposed to have been an easy battle. Their superiors, the officers of the most powerful army on earth had thought that they would overwhelm the enemy and had opted for a frontal assault, only to see their men mowed down repeatedly by a thinking and able enemy. The Battle of Bunker Hill has been enveloped in hagiography by every American historian as a victory in defeat, an American Dunkirk and as one of the first military engagements of the war of independence. It is all this and much more. Its’ importance in shaping history also lies in the two crucial mental victories it gave to the American troops. First, it changed forever the stereotypical image of the Patriots being a rag tag bunch of homegrown militia who could function adequately only under the competent and trained officers of the British army. Second, it brought immense pride to the Patriots and served as a rallying cry, a force mobiliser for the many engagements that were to happen in the next eight years. The British were confident of their military prowess and with good reason. They had fought the French all over the world in The Seven Years war, which lasted from 1756 to 1763 and â€Å"lock(ed) horns (with them) on every continent where the two had outposts†. (Allan, T., P 100)   They had mobilized troops effectively over vast distances, achieved tremendous expertise in military logistics and training and won brilliant battles. The firepower and strength of their navy enabled them to blockade ports and intercept supplies. Canada and Florida had come to them from the French and the Spanish after the Treaty of Paris and British hegemony extended over huge tracts of the inhabited world. The world was theirs to rule and they were a truly awesome military power. The Patriots were in their eyes a motley group of undisciplined part time soldiers, made up of planters, traders and frontiersmen with very little knowledge of arms and the mechanics of warfare. In America, the colonists had fought alongside the redcoats against the French and the Spanish in The Seven Years War but always under the command of British officers. In fact, they had been badly mauled when the Indians of the Northwest went on the warpath in 1763, and had turned in desperation to the British for succor. â€Å"The colonial militia was unable to master them, and in the end it was British regulars who put down the uprising.† (Allan, T., P 101) Many of the militia had joined only for personal advancement. As Lieutenant Scott, a Bunker Hill veteran was to say later â€Å"I lived in a country town; †¦ I was very ambitious †¦ I was asked to enlist as a private soldier; †¦ I offered to enlist upon having a lieutenant’s commission, which was granted. I imagined myself now in a way of promotion if my captain was killed; I should rise in rank, and should still have a chance to rise higher. These, sir were the only motives of my entering into the service; for as to the dispute between Great Britain and the colonies, I know nothing of it† (Sommers, R.J.) Thus, notwithstanding the small setbacks on their way to Boston, a very confident British army looked ready to overrun Boston in the summer of 1775. As the British ships began to arrive with troops ready for battle, Major General John Burgoyne was to remark â€Å"What! Ten Thousand peasants keep 5000 king’s troops shut up! Well, let us get in and we’ll soon find elbow room.† (Allan, T., P 107) General Thomas Gage, the British Commander in Chief, shared this brashness. A few days before the battle, he had written to say, â€Å"They will undoubtedly be lions whilst we are lambs, but if we take the resolute path they will undoubtedly prove very meek.† (Allan, T., P 108) As day broke on June 17, 1775, about 1200 ill equipped and under trained American soldiers were readied on Breed’s Hill to face the advancing redcoats. As thousands of people watched from the top of churches and houses in nearby Boston, 2500 British troops, supported by heavy cannon fire from the ships attacked the American barricades at three in the afternoon.. The patriots, under the command of Colonel William Prescott let the British come right up the hill before opening fire, practically from where â€Å"they could see the whites of their enemy’s eyes† (Battle of Breed’s Hill/Bunker Hill) Casualties were heavy and the redcoats retreated in consternation. The battle lasted for nearly three hours before American ammunition ran out. The British had to make three charges before they could take the defenses on the hill. The last charge was at bayonet point with the heavily outnumbered Americans fighting with rifle butts and rocks until they were ordered to retreat. One of the last to leave the American lines was, General Joseph Warren. The hero lingered only to lose his life with a gunshot in the temple. The cost to the British was terrible. The hollow victory lost them a thousand men including many officers; nearly forty percent of their total force. The militia lost four hundred.   The British then went on to capture both the hills and Charleston was cannon balled until it burnt to the ground. After Bunker Hill, a chastened Thomas Gage wrote, â€Å"They showed a conduct and spirit against us they never showed against the French, and everybody has judged them from their former appearance and behavior.† (Allan, T., P 108) The British would never forget Bunker Hill. It was the pushover that never was, the small dune on the outskirts of Boston where the Americans proved they could fight. The fighting was to continue for six more years during which time redcoats and patriots were to engage in battle as north as Quebec and as south as South Carolina. Most of the fighting however continued in the broad vicinity of Bunker Hill, on the seaboard between Philadelphia and Boston. At last, on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed and Britain recognized the independence of its American possessions. The war that had started at Bunker Hill, in the summer of 1775 finally ended. The infant nation stretched from Georgia in the south to the Great Sea in the north, from the Mississippi in the West to the Atlantic in the East. The Bunker Hill Monument stands on Breed’s Hill, in an overdeveloped area in Boston. There is no hint or sign of the redcoats or the patriots who volleyed and bayoneted here more than two hundred years ago. Works Cited Allan, T., ed., â€Å"Winds of Revolution†, History of the World 1700-1800, Time Life Books, (1990), ISBN 07954 0984 8 Battle of Breeds Hill/Bunker Hill, â€Å"Military Science†, WPI, (2004), 21 June 2006, Sommers, Richard J. â€Å"Ambition.† Parameters 30.4 (2000): 171. Questia. 21 June 2006 . Bibliography Allan, T., ed., â€Å"Winds of Revolution†, History of the World 1700-1800, Time Life Books, (1990), ISBN 07954 0984 8 Bailyn, B., â€Å"The Battle of Bunker Hill† The Massachusetts Historical Society, (2003), 21 June 2006, Battle of Breeds Hill/Bunker Hill, â€Å"Military Science†, WPI, (2004), 21 June 2006, Battle of Bunker Hill 1775, HistoryCentral.com. (2004), 21 June 2006, Beard, James Franklin. â€Å"Cooper and the Revolutionary Mythos.† Early American Literature 11.1 (1976): 84-104. Questia. 21 June 2006 . Sommers, Richard J. â€Å"Ambition.† Parameters 30.4 (2000): 171. Questia. 21 June 2006 . Webster, Daniel. Daniel Webster’s First Bunker Hill Oration. New York: American Book Company, 1910. Questia. 21 June 2006 .

Cultural Relativism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural Relativism - Essay Example views of families who has common theme of central aspect of experience, evaluation, thought and reality which is relative to something else (Atran and Medin,46). In the video session, Rachel’s rejects cultural relativism since in his understanding, cultural relativism is similar to ethical relativism, which in turn leads to inability to criticize believes and practices of different societies (Atran and Medin,67). Despite the fact that relatives lines of thought a times leads to improbable conclusions, there is always something seductive about them, which has captivated wide range of thinkers from various traditions. The major philosophical issues of intellectual descendants of cultural relativism includes the multiculturalism which gives equal value for all cultures, racism which is a type of multiculturalism where individual has an erroneous idea about his or her race, political correctness, deconstructionism and postmodernisms. In the video summary of James Rachel, he explains the elements of moral philosophy by first defining the meaning of morality. He gives an example of baby Theresa who was born without auxiliary functions of her brain, the baby is left so that her organs can be used to help others, and this creates an argument that life is worthless without better interaction with each other. The other side argues that using other person’s life to fulfil the other is wrong and unethical (Atran and Medin, 98). Rachel also continues to explain that different cultures have unique customs and different ways of thinking. This shows that it would be very hard for a particular individual of one culture to understand these differences (Atran and Medin, 156). This makes it difficult to judge individual culture of living, the problem with this cultural relativism is that as an argument it does not make sense in universal truths of

Individual Critique Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Critique - Literature review Example 2.0- SYNOPSIS FROM THE ARTCILE The article pointed to the importance of following factors behind the economies resisting growth: The recovery from recession receive great impact from the social factors Exports of a country has a great role to play in the recovery specifically in the net exports Role of debts and foreign direct investment is also critical. Impact of united currency in the overall recovery of countries (Walker, 2013). 3.0- ACADEMIC ALLIGMENT The article asserting the agreed upon definition of recession that paved way for the economy resisting to recovery. Among large number of factors with economic and financial strategies that play role in the economic recovery, the article highlights the dominant impact of social factor. The importance of the social factor is insisted with fact that despite the high public debt levels of Germany beyond the agreed 3% of GDP (BBC, 2012); the market considers Germany as safe heaven for investment while considering Spain and Italy in tro uble. Exploration of working conditions behind provided evidence that Spain, Italy and France had heightened the private debt (as shown in figure below) during economic growth boom to increase investments and resultantly raised the wages. (BBC, 2012) In the similar duration Germany has maintained the wages level and has developed greater export base. Hence, despite being hit by recession Germany has a positive outlook while consumers in mentioned countries are concerned with paying up debts and increased competitive wage rate has low spending sentiment thereby resisting recovery with social factors (Economou at el., 2012). Moreover, the increased resistance of French economy to recover can also be traced to have a greater contribution from similar factors as given below: (BBC, 2012) Hence unlike the dominant economic notion of high negative impact, public debt only on economic recovery is contrasted with current situation. Moreover, the increased pressure of controlling the public d ebt is also countered with continuing positive outlook of German economy. Strategy of German economy is to increase export with control wage rate developed trade surplus and hence the economy is in better position to attract foreign direct investment while the economies in trouble, in contrast, are facing trouble of huge trade deficit with piled up imports as referred below: (BBC, 2012) The current conditions of France to revisit its growth estimates along with relaxing labor laws also assert the realization of over burdened economy. While deteriorating condition points to the piling up of all factors of trade deficit, extensive government borrowing along with private borrowing as well as the labor law problems. Hence, assessment highlights reasons for controlling the debt in all in a broader context of all mentioned factors; unlike traditional theories that posed all pressure on public spending only. However, this does not refer any relaxation for public debt going beyond the set l imits and due importance of controlled public debt still retains the elementary position in economic betterment. The other highlighted factor that is making exports expensive and costing the economic recovery of countries in trouble is the increased attention to strengthen the united currency. In contrary to foundation stones for Euro that promised growth in jobs and exports, the strengthening Euro has started

Healing Literature and Society Views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Healing Literature and Society Views - Essay Example Here too prejudices and hatred held sway. The literature that tried to answer and guide people during the century, had to be either Utopian or dystopian, showing them the ideal ways of living and ideal solutions. or, hold a mirror to their mistakes by showing a world where everything is wrong. (The dystopia Novel). The solution should be somewhere in between and include all perspectives and points of view.NATURE WRITING movement started by Henry David Thoreau pointed to ways of living fundamentally divergent from the ones laid down by dominant dictates and attitudes of society. (David L.Barnhill).Other authors have followed in the footsteps giving their poetic solutions in their Fictions and Essays. Iron John , is a Work of the Vietnam war trying earnestly to heal the wounds and bring together the alienated members of the society. The book talks about the industrial civilization which cut asunder the father and son who once worked shoulder to shoulder , teaching and learning , bonded by that common experience. The father figure is no longer a reality in the war- ravaged America. He is at best a frustrated, battered man who returns from the pressures and stress of the workplace, too irritable to empathize, and at worst, a drunk, and more often, a deserter of the family. The youth are angry with the older men for pushing them into a war, butchering them without mercy while they themselves are safe .Old men fend for themselves and have not time to spend in understanding the grievance of the younger generation. Men just grow up angry at the loss of their childhood, disappointed with the barrenness of their manhood and tired of having to play roles imposed on them by society;they become...But that is wrong; for, he must have the instinctive answer to the challenge of violence. Men must not be playing roles according to societal demands. The boys, in order to achieve this instinctive wisdom, must be early on removed from their mothers and even fathers, to learn in a commune as in all ancient cultures and civilizations.( BLY) Bly's conviction is that Man must mature and discover his maleness , by not losing touch with the earth ,and the historic and anthropologic roots of Masculinity. This world demands that Man must be successful. He obeys and achieves it, but at a cost. His vitality is lost. Instead, Bly asks them to turn to the inner consciousness "from where all poetry and mythology springs."(BLY) It is his prescription to cure the crippled inner life. Bly touched a cord in all the American minds that had also been smarting under the pain. But he also invited the criticism that he was propagating a male chauvinist society. For, he seemed to address only the White and did not seem to take the Homosexuals into his reckoning. Starhawk who wrote during the same period, and against the same Vietnam war backdrop, had an utopian solution to offer. She creates an oasis of verdant ,fruitful , and happy people of multi generation and multi culture living in harmony with nature and in amity among themselves.

Discuss the importance of national culture in a business environment Essay

Discuss the importance of national culture in a business environment and illustrate its impact on conflict in international business communication - Essay Example Understanding cultural differences is the key to successful international business communications. (Zachry. P.1) Professor Geert Hofstede identifies five ‘independent dimensions’ (p.1) of cultural differences. The significance of Hofstede’s independent dimensions is a method of avoiding misunderstanding and conflict in international business negotiations. Gary Emmons in his article The New International Style of Management, suggests that the new corporate culture may be sufficient to overcome the difficulties arising out of national cultural barriers. (p.2). A new and increasing global style of business management might transcend anticipated conflicts resulting from cultural barriers. Cultural dimensions impacting cross-national business communications are: High-versus low-context cultures, monochromic versus polychromic time, silent language, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Maruyama’s epistemological types. In high context cultures such as China and Japan, communications are conducted in an implicit manner. In low-context cultures such as the United States and many European nations, communications are conducted in an explicit manner. (Tung p.5) In many high context cultures, gift giving is prevalent and a failure to understand this aspect of the culture is liable to lead to a misconceived implication of impropriety. Moreover, when engaging in the gift exchange cultural mode with high-context cultures it is important to avoid gifts which imply bad luck or ill will. This very simple failure to understand the nature of high-context culture communication modes can lead to serious conflicts in international business communications. (Tung p.6) Cultures operating on monochromic time (m-time) believe in performing one function at a time. On the other hand, cultures operating in polychromic time (p-time) function while performing several different tasks. P-time cultures have a propensity for mixing business with

North Korea and the South Korean Economy Research Paper

North Korea and the South Korean Economy - Research Paper Example Countries that have the same historical and cultural background are likely to progress in the same manner. This is because generally the same culture exists in similar geographic locations. This makes the countries to have access to similar economic resources. The population of such countries also share similar skills and are able to do particular kinds of tasks generally. The system of distribution and allocation of resources might be the same too. In short, countries with the same history and culture are expected to have similar economic policies and are likely to advance in the same manner. However, this might not always be the case. North and South Korea are the prime examples of the countries that, despite having similar ethnographical backgrounds, have different economic performances. South Korea, because of an emphasis on world trade have adopted politics that are aimed at world cooperation while North Korea has adopted stringent political policies that has made it suffer econ omically and led to increased poverty and starvation.Before moving on to discuss the different economic performances of both the countries, it is important to discuss the major events that shaped the history of both North and South Korea. The economic history of Korea can be divided into three broad categories, the Malthusian stagnation to 1910 when Japan annexed the country, the colonial period from 1910 and 1945 when Korea was considered as a mandate by countries of the West, and the post colonial period where North and South Korea performed in different ways.