Kota Funakawa
Professor Owen JAMES
ARW section AI
10 June 2007
Meiland Essay Final Draft
ARW section AI
10 June 2007
Meiland Essay Final Draft
The Usefulness of College Education
What are you studying for? Some people may answer “for my future’s job” or others may answer “just for my curiosity” but “Shift Happens” written by Karl Fisch denies these answers. It suggests “The top ten jobs in 2017 do not exist yet.” and “The half-life of knowledge is about two years and getting shorter. Can you accept these claims? Most of you maybe say “No” and my opinion is same as you, therefore, this essay argues the usefulness of college.
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essay’s topic because the main affirmative claim for the topic is the information which we are studying now becomes out-of-date soon but Meiland says the content of study is less important(5). For 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 they are learning it, they use particular topic. After acquired, however, the way of thinking is employed not only when think about particular topic but also anytime. The importance of intellectual skills and attitudes will not be out-of-date. In addition, 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 At first it looks like that the old laws became out-of-date, but it isn’t because the new law is made to cover just new extent and existing laws keep their effect for their own fields, they didn’t become useless but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. All of these reasons proved the necessity of college.
Secondly, the college allows students exchange opinions. This point is similar to Meiland’s argument that students should ask questions in class (19). College is made for pursuing the truth so their opinions require to be examined by others’ sceptical suspending view(14). For example when students are asked question, they have to answer. If they don’t know specific or have the idea with no evidence, they can’t answer so they 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 answerer. Taking examination also leads getting the new perspective. As you see, when they are asked, they might be unable to answer because of the questioner’s new perspective. It is important, however, for them because the new perspective allows they rethink their own opinions. If they could accept it, they can correct their 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.
There is an objection against my opinion which argues the fact students are studying now become useless at the latest our graduation, in addition, it extinguishes students’ motivations. Consequently, 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 is cause of students’ losing motivation. Furthermore 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, this point is emphasized that the college is really useful. This is because college allows students to learn fundamental things and to exchange their claims. Some people, however, challenge on this point because college education seems like waste of time but it’s not. The reason why it’s wrong is the acquisition of something radical and others’ opinion is one of the most important things for living and if you don’t do those, then it is waste of time, therefore, college education is useful.
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(5). For 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 they are learning it, they use particular topic. After acquired, however, the way of thinking is employed not only when think about particular topic but also anytime. The importance of intellectual skills and attitudes will not be out-of-date. In addition, 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. All of these reasons proved the necessity of college.
Secondly, the college allows students exchange opinions. This point is similar to Meiland’s argument that students should ask questions in class (19). College is made for pursuing the truth so their opinions require to be examined by others’ sceptical suspending view(14). For example when students are asked question, they have to answer. If they don’t know specific or have the idea with no evidence, they can’t answer so they 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 answerer. Taking examination also leads getting the new perspective. As you see, when they are asked, they might be unable to answer because of the questioner’s new perspective. It is important, however, for them because the new perspective allows they rethink their own opinions. If they could accept it, they can correct their 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.
There is an objection against my opinion which argues the fact students are studying now become useless at the latest our graduation, in addition, it extinguishes students’ motivations. Consequently, 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 is cause of students’ losing motivation. Furthermore 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, this point is emphasized that the college is really useful. This is because college allows students to learn fundamental things and to exchange their claims. Some people, however, challenge on this point because college education seems like waste of time but it’s not. The reason why it’s wrong is the acquisition of something radical and others’ opinion is one of the most important things for living and if you don’t do those, then it is waste of time, therefore, college education is useful.
Work Cited
Meiland, Jack W. College Thinking
: How to Get the Best Out of College, 1981. (The ELP Reader, 2007 7-10)
Karl Fisch. Shift Happens
(http://arwicu.wetpaint.com/page/AI+Meiland+Essay+Preparation)
Meiland, Jack W. College Thinking
: How to Get the Best Out of College, 1981. (The ELP Reader, 2007 7-10)
Karl Fisch. Shift Happens
(http://arwicu.wetpaint.com/page/AI+Meiland+Essay+Preparation)
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