Tristen Zienkiewicz Emily Jarema-Carrol English 111: Synthesis March 24, 2014

College Motivational Probs

Motivation is a key detail for success. Yet a lot of college kids are lacking it. Maybe its because of the college atmosphere; maybe its the transition from high school to college; whether or not they are college athletes; not to mention the social media keeping them entertained. Lets see what authors; Amanda Ripley, Paulo Freiere, W.J. Reeves, and Greg Gutfield have to say about these subjects and what their effects on motivation are. The transition from high school to college is a big reason college students arent motivated. The lack of motivation is the reason people dont finish college or even go in the first place. Not to mention if they are on a big college campus with lots of things going on at all times, tons of people and a big campus to navigate why would people want to do all the work and dedication when youd rather have the time of your life instead of learning. After all this isnt like high school like Paulo freieres banking concept. Paulos theory can be summed up by these statements: a. the teacher knows everything and the students know nothing; b. the teacher thinks and the students are thought about; c. the teacher chooses the program content, and the students (who were not consulted) adapt to it; (241).

The first quote is saying teachers know it all and students know nothing and this is the reason high school students just repeat what they are told and receive the letter grade to advance to the next level. Since the teachers know everything and the students know nothing the teachers do all the thinking, they are the ones that come up with the syllabi and teaching strategies which is most likely not the best way for everyone. The students are never consulted or able to give their opinion. In college there is no correct answer you just need to prove that you understand what is being asked of you, that you take it upon yourself to learn the knowledge needed. There is no next grade to get to; you dont have to pass a certain class to get to the next one (even though it is suggested). No one really cares if you dont pass your class, you dont get held back, all the classes you take are for yourself in pursue of your career. Parents wont be there nearly as much, if at all to push you, especially if youre not close to home. I n most cases no coaches there to make sure your grades are in check, because the vast majority do not play sports in college. While the students are in high school they are very attentive to keep everything above average or outstanding to get attention from colleges and since they are student athletes and student comes first the grades and sports go hand in hand, the point in college sports is to keep the athletes interested in going to college to earn a degree. Author of the article The Case Againt High School Sports Amanda Ripley says College scholarships rewarded high-school athletes, and the search for the next start player trickled down to even to grade school. As more and more Americans attended college, growing ranks of alumni demanded winning teamsand university presidents found their reputations shaped by the success of their football and basketball programs (3). But the best of the best is not a lot, it isnt just anyone

who gets to play in college, it is hard to get to that level. As to where the majority of students in high school participate in sports. The colleges are giving these kids attention for their sports, which brings attention from the community, teachers, peers and the community, giving them more of a reason to go to school. College classrooms are not full of teachers that are as supportive or friends you have known a long time and appreciate your accomplishments. There is much more motivation and drive while youre in high school but when college comes you are treated much more like an adult and given choices, which high school students are not used to. You can choose how or when to study, how or if you want to learn and how to spend your spare time as a new adult. Freire is saying the teachers and coaches hold the high school students hands, help them, make sure things are going good to keep them eligible and successful. Ripley would agree because the pressure of scholarship money keeps the kids going, that is their goal. Once the students get into college and reach that goal of scholarships they are thrown out on their own and dont know what to do at first and even if they do find it all out they still know that high school is a lot easier. The thought of how much easier it used to be stays in their minds and allows them to procrastinate and ultimately make things harder. The harder things get, the less they want to complete the tasks asked of them. Social media tends to be a little more important as you become and adult and have more choices and influence with it. College students use the social media more while they are bored, have down time, or are looking for something interesting to check out. Lots of college students can relate that they hate how much time they can waste being on the internet or social media sites for no real reason when they can barely pay attention in a lecture or when they want to study. Kind of like how Greg Gutfield says in his article Mad About You. Gutfield

says; I hate that I can spend hours on the web devouring countless blogs about media types who mean nothing to me, but can barely handle a five minute conversation with my 82-yearold mom (423). Its probably because the social media realm is mindless, it takes no effort but since you are kind of involved and interested you seem to be more entertained by it. Maybe they should study more in this way. Maybe if the students were learning more about themselves, were more entertained or could relate, they might consume more knowledge. In W.J. Reeves article titled College Isnt for Everyone he goes on to say They sit in my classes, all together, in self-imposed segregation, speaking in their native language. These people in both instances just choose to be where they are more interested. People in college usually arent where they want to be, and have to takes classes that make them feel lost. Schools may be able to get the kids to do their work or go through the motions but just like the bilingual kids in Reeves article people will always want to pay attention to or follow their interests. These college students are lacking the motivation because they do nt want to be there, they would rather be doing fun things, socializing, or making money. A lot of these college students feel like they dont have a choice though, they think they need to go to school. Whether they feel obligated from friends and family, or they think they need it to get the desired job. This quote from Reeves in his article College Isnt For Everyone is knowledgeable; (The Futurist, 2000) that 70% of the workers in the coming decades will not need a four-year college degree, but, rather, an associate degree from a community college or some type of technical certificate. Thus, moms and dads, who foot the bill, delude themselves that going to any four-year college will make their sons and daughters literate, analytical, culturally aware, technologically advanced, and therefore employable. (341) Reeves is making

the point that people dont always need to go to school to make in life like a lot of people think. A lot of millionaires never went to college. Four years at a university is not always necessary to make good money, and many college kids know this. Since the kids know that the college isnt fully necessary they have a lot less motivation. These college kids do what most people would, they play it safe. Go to school, drag on, go through the motions and get their degree then go from there. The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving what four times four really means. (240) This quote is said by Freire and he is referring to how the schooling system in high school works but this is still what college kids do to make it through and get their ideal grade point average. When the students just memorize and repeat it is a very dragging process and why would college kids want to do that? Partying, going to sporting events or working a job to get money seems a lot more appealing to most students. In grade school there are threats from parents to keep your grades up, from coaches to stay elligable, friends not to be a loser because high school is easy and from teachers to try to motivate you. In conclusion, college kids are unmotivated for many reasons. Some reasons are; the harsh transition from high school to college; no more coaches keeping them in check and social media leading them to more interesting forms of entertainment. The authors; Amanda Ripley, Paulo Freiere, Thomas Reeves, and Greg Gutfield made points to support the reasoning behind the lack of motivation.