Two Years Are Better Than Four
Liz Addison’s essay is a response to Rick Perlstein’s article about university importance. Perlstein’s perception of the all-important college experience is that college’s now lack student self-discovery and that colleges are forcing premature adulthood onto students. Addison reveals her positive experiences with community colleges and how they impacted her. She argues that the self-discovering college experience is still alive and well in community colleges. Addison explains in detail how very important community colleges are in society today, and how community colleges need more attention. She concludes her essay by explaining how important community colleges are to America.
Rick Perlstein, alumni of the University of Privilege, apparently grew so overly fond of his college experience that he returned to live there some years later. Perlstein received a wide awakening upon his return, when he sees that his college is no longer the self-discovery learning center that he once experienced. He sees current college student as being forced into adulthood, because of the heavy studying and work schedules students are engaged in. Perlstein is shocked at how students are now applying by means of a resume and not by the almighty book list, as he had done as a student. He comes to a dire decision that the college experience, as he remembers it, no longer exists.
Liz Addison is a community college graduate, and she disagrees with Perlstein’s opinion that “universities no longer matter, as much as they once did”. Addison believes that “the college experience of self-discovery does still matter to those who get there”. She explains that community colleges enable students to experience self-discoveries, and that self-discoveries are highly visible to anyone who walks into any community college. Addison goes on to discuss how college application essays are monotonous and require students to write about themselves in a...