College Cultures and Student Learning (Arum & Roksa)

This article discusses how the format of college makes the student learn less than they actually should. While this may be true, I find grade school to be filled much more with empty space. In grade school, we would sit around for long periods of time waiting for the other students to quiet down, our class periods would be so short we would barely have enough time to absorb the knowledge before hustling off to the next class, and most of school was a social playground. It was always a huge concern, who was “popular” or not. 

In college, everything is completely different. We don’t have to worry about who is popular; we are all different groups of people and have friends that fit our personalities perfectly.. We also are going to a school we have hand-picked and decided to go to because it would fit OUR needs and interests. The process of selecting a college is so careful and personal that it is inevitable that we are able to grow more in college than in grade school, where we are all just thrown together since we live nearby.

While time may be wasted in any classroom, I thoroughly believe college — with all its teachings on how to live your life as an adult, how to be responsible for yourself, etc. — is a far better use of a student’s time than grade school ever was.

One final thing I feel a need to express that I think all educational systems are extremely flawed in is the grading system.