What Women Should Know Essay, Research Paper

Karen Pratt

Composition I 10:00

Analysis Essay

September 22, 2000

What women need to know about Universities

A woman should gain many things from a university education. Simply obtaining passing grades and graduating with a diploma are not the only benefits of college. Another benefit should be the development of confidence and self worth. They should also be exposed to a diverse population and to beliefs that differ from their own. They should form lasting relationships with other people from this time in their lives. They need to grow, to change, to mature and to experience everything college has to offer. Women should be encouraged and supported by faculty, not just taught as a number. Finally, they should gain real life experiences, not just “book learning.”

Universities today are not providing adequately for their students. SAU is as guilty of this as any other college. All too often, students are allowed to blend into the crowd. Students are not encouraged to be individuals. They are too often judged by someone else’s pre-set standards. They are made to feel as though they must look a particular way, dress in popular fashions, drive the right automobiles, and associate with certain people just to be accepted. Universities, SAU not excluded, still allow sororities, fraternities, and other organizations to include or exclude people on a whim. Those fortunate enough to be accepted look down on those who are not. Universities also overlook the needs of entire groups of people, such as older college students and commuters.

Another area that SAU and other universities fail in is support for students. Advisors are often too busy to sit down and counsel students. Students must plan out everything and spot their own deficiencies, then try to remedy situations on their own.

A final area that needs improvement in all schools is that of preparing students for the real world. Too often, all lessons come from a book. Faculties should provide students with genuine life and work situations. More practical experiences would help all students. There are people who graduate from college only to find they hate the jobs for which they have been trained. This might be avoided if there had been real world experiences.

In summary, too many of today’s colleges and universities are teaching at the students, instead of simply teaching students as people. Until these college and universities recognize that everyone is not the same, this will not change. They should see that each individual has things to offer, and not expect everyone to conform to a rigid set of expectations. The world would be a truly boring place if everyone were just like everyone else.