Current Connection: 2.1

In the article "After the Tuition Bill, the Fund-Raising Pitch"  posted at The NewYork Times, by Amy Zipkin, a reporter, reports that after getting to college and letting the tuition cost build up and begin paying on them colleges start hitting up for more money.

As every student goes through school from preschool all the way to their senior year they nor their families have had to pay for the students education. Education, setting students up for life, something our country labels as "free" is something that many surrounding countries are jealous of. How "free" is a education though?

As soon as the student leaves high school they make the big choice of what to do next. Some jump right into the work force, some run off to start a family, some skip to college but of course their is always the few that have a mixture of all. The ones who skip to college after the hard work of senior year and filling out the piles of paperwork realize that the "free" has ended and it's time to start giving in the big bucks.

When you get to college of course the bills start to pile. Student loans, room and board, books, and of course gas and food. Many colleges ask their alumni (graduated college students) to donate money to their facility and try to use a mixture of ethos, pathos and logos to get the freshly graduated alumni and alumni of all kinds to donate as much as they can get.

According to the article "Judy Marrazzo, an entrepreneur who runs GoCampusing, a college touring company on Long Island, said she received calls about four times a year to contribute to her daughter’s school, a well-regarded private university in the greater Philadelphia area that she declined to name while her daughter was still enrolled.

She said she gave $100 once. 'I think it’s terrible,' she said. 'I’m spending $60,000 a year and they are asking me for more money. Are they kidding me?" 

If all through preschool all the way to senior year not a single family had to pay for a child's education but why now in college you have to pay such a large amount then be hounded to pay more? Why do colleges need all this money when you're in lower grades you pay nothing? 

Where is all this money really going or is the high costs and hounding of donations to make up for the "free" education from preschool through senior year?

Current Connection: 1.2 Booked Up

The New York Times reporter Bruce Feiler in his article entitled "Overscheduled Children: How Big A Problem?" shares the rationale for such a decision.

Students in school have many responsibilities especially the really active students do for sure. Feiler in his article said, "Michael Thompson, a clinical psychologist and the author of 'The Pressured Child,' tried to put me at ease. 'As a general principle, there is a line between a highly enriched, interesting, growth-promoting childhood and an overscheduled childhood,' he said. "And nobody knows where that line is." Where is the line for students who are very active?

"Now that the school year is under way, my wife and I are busy managing our children's after-school schedules, mixing sports practices, music lessons, homework and play dates." says Feiler in his article. With the many different activities that children have it does not only affect the schedules of students but also their parents. Especially for students who can not drive and have to have their parents transport them to all the different extra curricular activities.

Also Feiler mentioned in his article, "'Is the child getting enough sleep?' he asked. 'Does the child have enough time to do his or her homework?'" Which goes on top of the extra curricular activities students have excessive amounts of homework along side of the activities of students.

This is a connection to myself because as a very active student like myself being involved in many clubs, school, and the community it is very stressful at times. With all the extra curricular activities and homework is does seem like as a student and a person I am "booked up."

In honor of Homecoming week this week at Batesville High School it really challenged my scheduling of all the extra activities and school work.

Current Connection: 1.1 Homework Overload

Education Articles reporter Johnathan Hardcastle in his article entitled “Do Kids Have Too Much Homework” shares the rationale for such a decision.

Do kids have too much homework? A basic question with an obvious answer to most students, but is this helping meet the goals of a true education? Some schools assigning this large amount of homework could be considered as over kill and ultimately being a saboteur to student’s educations and learning as a whole.

Are the stacks of various subjects of homework causing schools to not meet the goals of a true education? According to Johnathan Hardcastle In the article “Do Kids Have Too Much Homework” says that children and parents are overwhelmed by the amount of homework that it was finally destroying their family life and causing psychological damage. Over all this does not sound healthy or like a way to “learn”.

According to the previous article that a study performed in 1997 by Michigan State University showed that children at the time were spending just over two hours per week on studying. This study was performed over 15 years ago. Could anyone imagine the increase of study time that could have multiplied over 15 years with the class subject

I relate to this because on top of all the extra activities giving to myself and other students by the school, and the mounds and mounds of homework from various subjects like Algebra III, Spanish II, Oral Communications and many other subjects it is a little overwhelming at times. Usually not to overwhelming if organized properly. That is only the basic course it would be terrible to be in an advanced track courses.

Many students are put in these awkward and complicated situations. Many stumble through with stress and arguments, others keep their mouth shut and move on cause the educational system will never change. Is this sabotaging student of the true goals of an education?