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College Students of the Twenty-First Century

cynical - somewhat angry - somewhat frustrated - somewhat sarcastic -- but true.
Just a note - there are lots of sarcastic undertones to this


I am flabbergasted at the reading level among college students.  I would think the word percolate would be easy to read aloud, pronouncing the word properly and understanding what the word means.  Am I missing something? Am I abnormal because I know what this word means, and how to pronounce it?  Are big words such as presumptuous and distinction, or even small words as cliche and naive for some reason difficult for college level students to read and understand?  Am I the only one bothered by this?

Perhaps my shock is due to the fact that I remember percolating coffeemakers.  That must be it.  I remember black and white television and when HBO was new and did not have six channels.  It must bother me because I lived it, and therefore should not expect those born in the mid to late 1980s to understand what it meant to call friends and not leave messages because answering machines were not prevalent.  I should not expect students born after Carter was out of office to realize that remote controls for VCRs (DVDs didn't exist yet) were connected by a six foot wire.  

Are my expectations for college students too high?  Am I wrong in encouraging my son to read large words at the tender age of six?  Should I discourage him from reading and learning the meanings of words that are not required by the first grade teacher?  I mean, I do not want him to stand out as abnormal.

I suppose I should just plop him in front of a television and force him to watch power rangers or ninja turtles or some other show that doesn't teach more than fighting, instead of allowing him to watch the shows that he likes, the ones that teach something, like Higglytown Heroes, his favorite, where no one is unimportant.  

I should do that.  I should force my son to achieve the minimum standard so he does not stand out among the average kids, the ones that play fight and tease him because he has two middle names, instead of ignoring I should teach him to shout and make noise and protest because that's what they want anyway, attention.  Instead of seeking positive attention I should encourage my son to make trouble so he attracts MORE attention, instead of getting caught doing good.

That's what I'll do.  I'll raise my son to be "minimumly average".

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  • irishmuse
    February 23, 2006
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    Yes, the youth of today are extremely unaware of their ignorance. But have no fear, there are some of us that deviate from barely literate, who know how to pronounce facade, and prefer a book to a television show...all you can do is raise your son in a way that expands his mind, if he complains about being different from other kids tell him that's a good thing and that he'll be thankful later.

  • DyingonPaper
    February 23, 2006
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    I love this. You make a very good point. However speaking as someone born in 1985. I knew basically everything you were talking about, thogh it could be because I love elarning about the past..and anything really. I agree with other's above, though, you sholdn't doom your son to be stupid like most of america at large. He should have an equal chance to be smart like the rest of the minority.
    My best friend once had a quote he said with a passion.

    "America, where brains are a minority and majority rules."

  • SexyAngel0418
    February 23, 2006
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    This is an awesome column!!! I am a current college student (only 21 years old) and I completely agree with you... I am one of those not-so-average ones and sometimes it's great but sometimes it's annoying because you have people your age (and sometimes even older) asking for help or asking for instructors to go back over something and I feel like saying "weren't you just listening"... LOL... THis is awesome!@!!!

    Beth

  • rannilt
    February 23, 2006
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    strong rant: it inspired another

    NO!

    And NO!!! again.

    Do not inflict mediocrity on your son just because the rest of the world is stupid.

    You are not the only one bothered by mass ignorance found among college students. I am appalled daily by the lack of literacy evident in my classmates.

    But then, perhaps I'm an anomally. My mother taught me to read when I was four, and by the time I was five I'd been through as many novels as I could get through, including the Anne series. (These are still amoung my favourites.) Perhaps literacy is a freakish thing.

    If it is a freakish thing though, who may we blame? Chiefly, I think we need to examine the systems that are educating our children. A mass-producing assembly line might work well for industrial products, but individuals are a different story, with different, sepcific, and unique needs. One tailored class room is not sufficient for everybody's need.

    The student/teacher ratio is much higher than it ought to be. Even supposing that no distractions disrupted a school day, and that transitions between classrooms could be carried out seamlessly, a student among thirty others will still only (optimally) get fourteen minutes of a teacher's time each day. Is this sufficient time for a primary student to learn how to read, even? Having watched other young students learn to read, and having learned to read myself, I say no.

    Even if this were sufficient time to instruct a child, it is not sufficient time to nuture a child. The whole education system discourages nurturing and mentoring, and encourages 'open-thy-head-oh-bucket-and-receive-pre-digested-watered-down-information-which-you-must-memorize-or-the-boogey-man-will-get-you.'

    Although the system is not ideal, not condusive to true learning, I do not think we can blame it solely. Why is the system necessary? Because parents do not invest their time in educating their own children. They do not foster a love of literature or learning in their children, perhaps because they do not have such a love themselves, but certainly because they are not involved in their children's lives.

    We complain about the illiterate children, and the government makes some changes to the system. But we don't realize that change must come on an individual level, one child at a time, one dedicated parent at a time.

    You complain about the literacy of college students. Well and good. But realize that the literacy of the college student is the same level of literacy he or she has been expected to acheive since primary school: absolutely average.

    Until we remedy the problem where it first manifests itself, we will continue to be plagued by ignorant citizens. Does this frighten you? It should. Be terrified, reader. These illerates are the generation that prepares to arm the workforce of tomorrow and to begin the families of tomorrow. Consider the junk-food, the junk-books, the junk-drugs that today's children grew up on. Consider the increase in obesity and mental illness, consider skyrocketing statistics. Consider carefully that society might be on a trajectory it cannot redirect.

    Perhaps the stage is already completely set: perhaps intelligence must die out completely as tomorrow births new idiots.

    Perhaps we can still fight back, one vocabulary lesson at a time.

    'Minimally average' is the disease that will wipe out Austen and Plato, Hemmingway and Kafka. Do not succumb.

  • February 23, 2006
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    Disturbingly Accurate

    Disturbingly accurate regarding the current status of schools, of children and how they're learning things. It's saddening to think that the drive and ambition of the youth has plummetted thanks to television.

    I love it, thank you for the insightfulness of what today's children face.

  • Guineveres Analogy silver member
    February 23, 2006
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    "Am I abnormal because I know what this word means, and how to pronounce it? Are big words such as presumptuous and distinction, or even small words as cliche and naive for some reason difficult for college level students to read and understand"- yes ...humongous words and vibrant intellect is difficult for the majority of people today! Sometimes I feel alone in those regards until I see something bright and bold like your write.
    These college kids are going into debt to learn what they don't know! My 13 yr old daughter can read and write the words they use fluently and be bored. No, you should not teach your son to be minimally average, he is above average just by your being his mom!!! That said, great idea. I really can relate.
    Peace.
    Jennifer

  • tryst 1
    February 23, 2006
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    i think one can raise their child to be intelligent, thinking, empathetic without totally alienating him from his peers....although granted sometimes it is a fine line to walk. interesting and thought-provoking. ~tryst
  • fluofontis
    February 23, 2006
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    wow, very angry... but so true, at my college, which is a 'good' school, it amazed me that the reading level of many of the students was so abysmal. I grew up loving reading and writing, loving weaving words to form a very persuasive view that belongs to me. This, as you notice, did not endear me to my peers. You should encourage your son to do his best, of course, and I think you will and are just frustrated, but today's society, while focused on turning out college graduates, also focuses on numbing the brains of the youth. I don't believe both are really possible in the long run, but lets hope things get better. Awesome write.
    LP&CG
    Liz
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