Editorials & Other Articles

Judi Lynn

(160,554 posts) Thu Jul 25, 2013, 03:49 PM Jul 2013

Are We Setting Up Working-Class Kids To Fail In College?

7/25/2013 @ 3:18PM |
Are We Setting Up Working-Class Kids To Fail In College?

college middle class

By Carrie Sloan

It’s a depressing idea: College—that integral part of the American Dream, and a key ingredient in social mobility in the U.S.—could actually prove to be not as helpful for working-class kids as it is for their more affluent counterparts.

And the two sociologists proposing this controversial theory didn’t arrive at their conclusions lightly, either. In “Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality,” Elizabeth A. Armstrong and Laura T. Hamilton describe the year they spent living on the dorm floor of a large Midwestern university, the more than 200 student interviews they performed over the course of five years … and the 2,000 pages of field notes that followed.

In other words, they immersed themselves in the scene to see what was really happening on campus—or at least inside one particular dormitory hall, from which, they say, it’s easy to extrapolate.

LearnVest spoke to Hamilton, as well as undergrads who describe themselves as working class, to find out why this could still be happening in America in 2013, and what you need to know to choose the right school.

More:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/07/25/are-we-setting-up-working-class-kids-to-fail-in-college/?ss=forbeswoman

4 replies

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Are We Setting Up Working-Class Kids To Fail In College? (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jul 2013 OP

At least in large public institutions exboyfil Jul 2013 #1

I can see this tabbycat31 Jul 2013 #2

while I like the idea of community colleges that accommodates the working student of lesser means, CTyankee Jul 2013 #3

It's certainly hard to keep up with fellow students especially in a smaller private college Gormy Cuss Aug 2013 #4

exboyfil

(17,863 posts)

1. At least in large public institutions

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Thu Jul 25, 2013, 04:06 PM

Jul 2013

you can always find a group like you to hang with. I came from a middle class background, paid my way with scholarships, loans, and work. I did not have the best skill set for college, and I did not do as well as I could. I never felt disadvantaged by not having a car, not pledging a fraternity, or having extra money to spend on clothes and entertainment.

At least in engineering you have less cronyism in getting internships. If you pull the grades and stay engaged in the process, chances are you will connect with an internship. The big thing is that you must work your butt off.

That was in the early 1980s. I can see how it is much harder for kids now days. My income is a little bit better than my dads at the college age of my kids (but family income is less since my wife does not work), but the tuition cost is out of sight in comparison.

tabbycat31

(6,336 posts)

2. I can see this

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Sat Jul 27, 2013, 04:50 PM

Jul 2013

Back when I was in the corporate world (I got out), I was a 20 something interviewing for corporate jobs (affluent area) where most of my competition went to better schools and had a laundry list of activities, unpaid internships, etc.

One question that a rental car company asked me was what activities I did in college, which I replied "working full-time" which was the WRONG answer for her. It was clear that they were not looking for someone like me. I promptly ended the interview.

CTyankee

(63,912 posts)

3. while I like the idea of community colleges that accommodates the working student of lesser means,

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Sun Jul 28, 2013, 08:39 AM

Jul 2013

my experience in one was pretty eye-opening. I wanted to take a class to learn Italian. The professor was wonderful but the students were really undisciplined. They were disrespectful to the professor, got up and left during class (bathroom I guess) with regularity, brought in trays of food from the cafeteria and wolfed it down during the class and didn't do the homework.

I wasn't taking the class for credit since I already had a BA and MA and all I really wanted was to study Italian. My guess was that these students had to take a foreign language to get their Associates Degree, but they really weren't interested in the subject. When I took Italian II next semester there were only a handful of students, mostly older like me and taking advantage of free courses for seniors 62+ years old.

I just hope that class was an outlier. I felt sorry for the professor...

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)

4. It's certainly hard to keep up with fellow students especially in a smaller private college

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Aug 2, 2013, 06:35 PM

Aug 2013

I was from a low income family and unlike most of my classmates in many ways. They had expensive cars, parent-paid credit cards, and spent breaks on the slopes, in Europe, or on a parent-arranged "internship." On my breaks I worked for a temp agency doing entry level clerical work. During the school terms I had work study jobs and would have worked more if not for the fact that the college was in a rural area with few opportunities. My classmates went to concerts or to visit friends on other campuses each weekend; I got to the big city once every other month for a day trip. I lived in fear of not having good enough grades to sustain my scholarships; some of my classmates blew off as many classes as possible.

Still, spending four years in this weird little universe did show me how the other half lives--and thinks. That was valuable when I entered the white collar business world.

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