Carly Cleeremans
November 6, 2006
ENG 414
Miguel Gonzales
Choosing a college is one of the most exciting times in a young person’s life, even though it can be very difficult. Many students chose to complete a four-year college to receive a well-rounded education that will encourage them to realize their passion for an occupation. Other students have already chosen their career path and chose an alternate schooling method, a specialized twelve-week vocational program. Miguel Gonzales is currently making the decision between a four-year college and the vocational program. Although the four-year college would give a broader education, Miguel already knows he wants to be an automotive mechanic, which persuades him to choose a vocational program. Miguel knows his career goals, which encourage the twelve-week vocational program due to his strong, dislike for school, financial and time restraints.
After finishing four years of high school, it is difficult for students to look forward to another four years of formal education. Many students use the four-year college as a stepping-stone to decide on a major and future occupation. Since Miguel moved to the United States at the age of twelve and had to learn to speak English in public school, his writing skills are weak. To suggest Miguel go to a four-year college straight out of high school may deter him from furthering his education even for a degree in automotive training. John Taylor Gatto states, “They [students] said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around…and the kids were right: their teachers were every bit as bored as they were” (Gatto 688). Gatto is expressing how formal schooling has its flaws. Often times teachers are not taking into consideration that students learn in different ways. More often than not, standing in front of the class dictating information is not effective in the learning process. For Miguel, a formal education would keep him from doing something...