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Kaitlyn Meads

Mrs. Layton

English 1010

16 November 2018

Summary of Addison’s “Two Years Are Better Than Four”

In the article “Two Years Are Better Than Four,” Liz Addison argues that community

colleges deserve to be recognized because they allow students from all backgrounds to

experience “self-discovery.” According to Addison, a four year University or “University of

Privilege,” as Addison puts it, requires applicants to prove themselves ”worldly, insightful,

cultured, mature, before [they] get to college,” leaving no room for character development. In

other words, students accepted into a University are often those with impressive qualifications.

However, there are people who lack these qualifications. Addison states that these people have a

chance to gain an education through a community college, who will accept nearly anyone. As

Addison puts it, community colleges “offer a network of affordable future, of accessible hope,

and an option to dream.” To enforce this concept, she constructs an image of a student starting at

empty and, with each class, grows a little more and becomes a little better. In summary, a

community college gives anyone with little to no educational experience hope to gain an

education and experience “self discovery.”

While many believe that college has lost its focus, Addison’s use of a rebuttal and the

use of imagery helps readers to understand that hope is not lost because of community colleges.

While I concede that community colleges are excellent options for those with no experience, I

insist that Universities still allow room to learn and grow.

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In “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission,” Claudia Dreifus and Andrew Hacker

argue that colleges have lost their focus in engaging the minds of students because they are

taking on too many roles. As Sir Ken Robinson puts it in his speech “Changing Education

Paradigms,” education is more than having a firm knowledge of the academic works. Rather, it is

an opportunity to stretch your mind to “see lots of possibilities.” Both authors conclude that

modern education needs to be reformed. Addison’s argument both supports and refutes these

claims. Similarly, she argues that the “University of Privilege” does not allow students to

discover and learn because they are expected to have academic ability before they get to college.

However, rather than arguing that public education needs to be reformed, Addison gives readers

another option: community colleges.

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Works Cited

Addison, Liz. ​Two Years Are Better Than Four

Hacker, Andrew and Claudia Dreifus. "Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?" ​The

Chronicle of Higher Education.​ N.p., 11 July 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Robinson, Sir Ken. ​Changing Education Paradigms.​ ​YouTube,​ YouTube, 14 Oct. 2010.