Meiland Essay First Draft

Kota Funakawa
Professor Owen JAMES
ARW section AI
6 June 2007

Meiland Essay First Draft

　　　What are you studying for? Some one may answer for my future’s job but “Shift Happens” denies the answer. Can you accept the claim “Shift Happens” does? Most of you will say “No” and My opinion is same as you. So I argue the usefulness of college through this essay.
　　　The first reason why disagree with the claim of “Shift Happens” is that the true purpose of college is to learn something radical what won’t be useless, like how to think or the foundation of the topic. This point is suggested by Meiland “the content is not the main point. Much of the content that you are taught in college will be outmoded or discarded anyway in ten or twenty years. Learning intellectual skills and attitudes is far more important.” (Meiland 5).This Meiland’s argument is complete answer for this essay’s topic because the main affirmative claim for the topic is the information which we are studying now becomes out-of-date soon but Meiland says the content of study is less important. And there is an example. In ICU, the professors always say “Think critical. Don’t believe the information without considering by you yourself. Have your own opinion.” so ICU students must learn how to think critical. When you are learning it, you use particular topic. But after acquired, the way of thinking are employed not only when think about particular topic but also anytime. The importance of intellectual skills and attitudes will not be out-of-date. And here is another example, think about legal science. The number of laws is increasing day by day but appearing of new laws does not automatically mean the old laws became useless. At first it looks like that the old laws became out-of-date, but it isn’t because the new law is made to cover just new extent and existing laws keep their effect for their own fields, they didn’t become useless but became foundation. The foundation also won’t become useless.
　　　Secondly, the college allows you exchange opinions. This point is similar to Meiland’s argument that students should ask questions in class (Meiland 19). College is made for pursuing the truth so their opinions require to be examined by others’ sceptical suspending view. For example when you asked question, you have to answer. If you don’t know specific or have the idea with no evidence, you can’t answer so you have to study details harder and search the evidence. As a result, you get deeper understanding. At the same time questioner is getting new information from you. Taking examination also leads getting the new perspective. When you asked, you might be unable to answer because of the questioner’s new perspective. But it is important for you because the new perspective allows you rethink your own opinion. If you could accept it, you can correct your idea or make it more reliable. For those reasons, exchanging your own idea is important and the opportunity for bartering ideas is mainly given in college study.
　　　I know some people argue the objection against my opinion. The main claim is the information which you are studying now becomes useless at the latest our graduation. So a college education seems to be fairly useless. This point is described in “Shift Happens”. If it is true, for what we are studying. This fact decreases students’ motivation. And it also degrades the quality of the education because the student who has no motivation makes no effort and don’t has responsibility for his/her education. As a result the quality of the education becomes lower, the education loses the meaning still more. There is no reason to enter college if students have no motivation, therefore, a college education will be useless.

　　　In conclusion, I put emphasis on that point, college is really useful. This is because college allows you to learn fundamental things and to exchange your claims. Some people, however, challenge on this point because college education has not good aspect, it seems like waste of time. But It’s not. The acquisition of something radical and others’ opinion is one of the most important things for living and if you don’t do that, then it is waste of time. College education, therefore, is useful.