Post-Secondary Education In Mike Rose's Blue Collar Brilliance

In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.

In the Essay “Blue-Collar Brilliance”, Mike Rose writes about the knowledge and skills a blue collar worker gains from their experiences in the work field. Rose talks about his Mother’s job as a waitress and how she learned certain routines throughout her experience as a waitress. In the essay, Rose mentions his uncle with an eighth grade education and how he used the knowledge he gained at the Pennsylvania Railroad to improve the company and advance in his career. Rose writes about how blue-collar workers are generally seen as less intelligent individuals to their white-collar counterparts. Rose gives examples on the little things blue-collar workers do such as a mover determining how to get an electric range down a flight of stairs and a plumber seeking leverage in order to work in

There is an expectation for this generation to attend college after graduating high school. There is also a stigma held by those higher on the social ladder, one that the less educated blue-collar workforce is inferior to others. In Mike Rose’s essay “Blue Collar Brilliance” he compares the level of education to the experience gained through challenges, and contends that blue collar employees are of equal intelligence to higher educated employees. This article is written to challenge the misconceptions that other classes hold about the amount of education that a person receives, and how It affects their work ethic. Through the use of pathos, ethos, and logos Mike Rose forges a connection with the audience to convey this message.

Many people in today’s society tend to believe that a good education is the fastest way to move up the ladder in their chosen. People believe that those who seek further education at a college or university are more intelligent. Indeed, a college education is a basic requirement for many white collar, and some blue collar, jobs. In an effort to persuade his audience that intelligence cannot be measured by the amount of education a person has Mike Rose wrote an article entitled “Blue Collar Brilliance”. The article that appeared in the American Scholar, a quarterly literary magazine of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, established in 1932. The American Scholar audience includes, Company’s , Employees,

Have you gone to college? Does going to college really mean that you are more intelligent than someone who didn’t go to college? Well, in “Blue Collar Brilliance”, the author Mike Rose believes that the amount of schooling a person completes does not necessarily measure their intelligence level. Many people believe that those who have completed and earned a college degree are more intelligent than those who haven’t. I agree with Rose that this isn’t always the case. Education is not only something that we can gain in school, but in our everyday lives.

In the article, “Blue Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, Rose explains how one can learn all sorts of things without the need for school or teachings. In 2001, Rose writes about his mother’s, uncle’s and his own experiences of learning special skills and habits they picked up from their jobs and personal life outside of school. His mother Rosie, quit school when she was in seventh grade to help raise her siblings. When Rose was young, he would observe Rosie while she worked as a waitress in a 1950’s Los Angeles restaurant. Although Rosie quit school to help her siblings succeed, some of them made it through high school and some did not. Her brother Joe Meraglio, left the ninth grade to work for a railroad in Pennsylvania, joined the Navy, then went back to the railroads. His last move was to finally join his older brother at General Motors, that being the start of his 33-year career there. Rose found out that his mother and Joe learned a lot of useful information while working at their jobs. He listed a lot of competent yet specific demands that a wide range of blue-collar and service workers needed to know in order for them to be having the jobs that they do. He tells all he’s learned from these jobs and how much it really takes for you truly be able to perform them, which is a lot more than a person thinks. Having a blue-collar job is just like teaching yourself how to cook, it requires a lot of focus and hard work, an understanding of what is being said to you in many different ways, and the ability to use quick thinking and

In this article, Murray argues that many people go to college when it is not actually necessary for them to do so. He begins by explaining that obtaining a liberal education, while it is important to cultural participation, is not a good reason for everyone to go to college. Instead, he says that this education should occur much earlier, beginning in elementary school. Murray also believes that the in depth analysis of information that occurs college is too difficult for most people to enjoy, and many simply aren't academically capable. Even for those who are able, he claims that four years of college is much more than most professions actually need. He states that many people believe that getting a degree is the key to getting a

For decades, students have been told that college is the next step after high school graduation. Society reiterates this by glorifying individuals that have completed a degree and looking down upon those who do not have one. The problem is that many students have not acquired the necessary tools nor have the motivation to be successful while pursuing post-high school education. Some argue that college provides the foundation of liberal studies that will improve career opportunities. Charles Murray disagrees in his essay, "Are Too Many People Going to College." He states, "Most people should be getting the basics of a liberal education. But for most students, the place to provide those basics are elementary and middle school." (Graff, 238) This raises the question, is a four-year education the best option for all students. College provides many benefits that would be difficult to find elsewhere, such as, writing skills or cultural growth, but college is not meant for everyone. A college education does not guarantee a prosperous career, instead, gaining work experience or completing a trade school is a more intelligent option for the majority of potential students.

Or to just work hard each day and hope that the energy and time they are spending will be recognized one day is basically what separates blue collar from white collar in societies eyes. Our civilization had become completely judgmental depending on the income one obtains per our and from there they classify individuals. In the article Blue Collar Brilliance by Mike Rose, He emphasizes to his readers how an individuals educational background should not be part of classifying ones knowledge, intelligence, ability to think and solve problems, and also the general skills they might have. Instead society should take under consideration their hard work and dedication for such position, and value it as any other career, no matter the amount of education needed for such. I agree with Roses argument that individuals’ educational background should not determine their position in society, and that working classes should not be divided. However it is not arguable that certain careers required a huge amount of higher education that

When it comes to embarking on post secondary education the views of it’s importance and relevance is controversial. In Murray’s Op-Ed piece, “Should The Obama Generation Drop Out”, he believes a college education is unnecessary. I, however disagree with Murray’s notion. College is necessary according to a person’s career choice and it’s requirements.

It is a well known fact but there are many people including counselors, parents, teachers, and friends who resist saying it out loud for fear it will sound like discouragement and negativity: college is definitely not for everyone. The pressure on high schools students, especially those that excel, to attend a college or university is enormous. And in the case of a bright, industrious and motivated high school student, attending a college or university is an obvious career choice. For those students, it's only a matter of what university to attend, whether one's SAT score is high enough, and the availability of the money. Then there are the millions of high school students who are not really personally motivated but are being pressured by their counselors, teachers and parents should they attend college if they really don't care? This paper examines those issues.

Today, many students are settling for jobs immediately out of high school instead of furthering their education in college. Students should consider how necessary college actually is for their lives in the future. It provides one with a significant amount of opportunities, a greater knowledge about their career plan, and a better sense of responsibility.

One question that comes to mind when graduating high school is, “should I attend college?” For many graduates this question have a very obvious answer. A high school graduate may state that, “college is the best option if one is trying to get a higher level of education, and will help one compete for a higher paying job.” However, in my opinion most graduates do not consider the fact that going to college is a very big decision to make and that the schoolwork will not be easy. Going to college is not the best choice for every high school graduate because many students cannot handle college, colleges’ lower standards, and not all jobs require a college degree.

The decision to obtain a higher education beyond high school is no longer a question of if, but when. This is the question that author Caroline Bird discusses in her article, “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” written in 1975. This text strives to convince students, parents, and advisors that obtaining a degree might not be in the best interest for those involved. Circling around the idea that college is a requirement and no longer an act of free will. Bird starts the article off strongly by building her credibility through her own personal research and other credible sources as well as appealing to readers through logical reasoning using numerous statistics, but fails to convince readers and discredits her ultimate goal through a disconnect in her use of analogies.

After high school, a choice that many students have to make is whether to go to college or not. There are many factors that go into one’s decision. There are pros and cons to going to college and also there are pros and cons for not going to college. But the decision that will give someone the better opportunity to have a more successful life is to go to college. The money that one will earn after getting a college degree will be more than the money a person will make without getting a college degree. As our society has continued to evolve, education has become the optimal route to professional success: pursuing a degree is the best way to receive training, to gain expertise in a given field, and even to guide you and help you make choices