Unit 6 Matriculation Fixation

.,Unit6MatriculationFixation,ObsessiveInterestinattendingeliteuniversities,.,Structure,Para1-6theincident(1-2;3-4;5-6)Para7-8theauthorscommentselicitedbytheincidentsPara9-14commentsontwotypesofcollegeobsessivesPara15conclusion,.,DetailedStudy,.,.,.,(1)Twoyearsago,IwaslanguishinginthewaitingroomofaPhiladelphiahospitalwhenacompletestrangerunexpectedlybegantellingmeabouthisdaughterscollegeplans.Asmy79-year-oldmotherwasrecoveringfrommajorsurgerythatafternoon,Icouldnotgivehimmycompleteandundividedattention.Butasthebriefingsessionworeon,Ididmanagetogarnermostoftherelevantdetails.(2)Thegirl,brightbutnotbrilliant,hadbeenacceptedtoafirst-tieruniversitywithoutfinancialaidbuthadalsobeenacceptedtoalocal,second-echelonuniversitywhereshewaspromisedafreeride.Moneybeingtight,withothercollege-boundchildreninthefamilyqueue,themanhadpersuadedhisdaughtertoaccepttheseconduniversitysoffer.Nowhewasworriedthatshewouldonedayruethisdecision.Becauseshewouldbegraduatingfromalessprestigiousinstitution,fewercontactswouldbemadeandfewerdoorswouldbeopened.Herdegreewouldputherwithinstrikingdistanceoftheyellowbrickroad,butnotphysicallyontheroaditself.,smartbutnotoutstanding,verynearto,roadtheroadofgold,ametaphorforsuccess,sinceitwasalocaluniversity,therewouldbefewerchancestoestablishanetworkofinterpersonalrelationshipsthatcouldbepotentiallyhelpfulinthefuture.,.,(3)Asamanoftheworldaccustomedtobeingtoldthemostintimatedetailsaboutcompletestrangersmarriages,careersandhobbies,Ihadlongagoacquiredtherequisiteskillstomediatethiscrisis.Itoldthemanthatmanyofmyhighschoolclassmateshadgraduatedfromthesecond-tieruniversityinquestionandhadgoneontoliverich,fulllives.(4)ItoldhimthatImyselfhadgraduatedfromasecond-echelonPhiladelphiauniversitynotunliketheonehisdaughterwasentering,andhadmanagedtocarveoutanicelittlenicheformyself.ItoldhimthatmycollegedayshadbeenamongthehappiestofmylifethatthesunneversetwithoutmythankingGodfortheilluminationandinspirationprovidedbymytalented,dedicatedprofessors.Pressedforbiographicaldata,IexplainedthatIwasafreelancewriter,tickedoffalistofmycredentialsandsaidIwasprettyhappywiththewaymycareerhadturnedout.(5)Themanhadneverheardofme,hadneverreadanythingIdwritten.Thoughhetriedtofeigninterestinmypatheticcurriculumvitae,Icouldseethathewasdevastated.Byfollowinganacademicpathsimilartomine,hisdaughter,whowasalsoplanningacareerinjournalism,wasgoingtoendupasbigafailureasI.(6)Ineverdidfindoutwhyhewasvisitingthehospital.,securemyselfagoodandcomfortablepositionbyhardworkandgreateffort,urgedtogivepersonalinformation,.,(7)Imentionthisincidentbecauseitillustratestheneuroticgabbinessthatafflictsparentswhenitcomestimetosendtheirchildrentocollege.IknowwhereofIspeak.Nextfall,mydaughtergoestocollege.Threeyearslatermysonwillfollowsuit.Iwillbesorrytoseethemgo;overtheyearstheyhaveprovedtoberemarkablyamusing.Buteverydarkcloudhasasilverlining.Oncemychildrenhaveleftthehouse,Iwillneveragainhavetoparticipateinamindnumbingdiscussionaboutwheremychildrenormyfriendschildrenormyneighborschildrenaregoingtocollege,andwhy.Onthissubject,Iamcompletelylappedout.(8)Thislackofinterestdoesnotstemfrompureselfishnessorunalloyedcontemptforotherpeoplesoffspring.Rather,IfeelthiswaybecauseIfindalmostallconversationsaboutthecollegeselectionprocesstobebanal,self-aggrandizing,self-flagellatoryorpunitive.Idrathertalkaboutcribbage.Whydoestheauthorsaythathewillneverparticipateinamind-numbingdiscussionaboutcollegeselectionprocess,oncehiskidshavelefthome?Theauthorbelievesthatsuchdiscussionsaremeaninglessorevenharmful.Here,heseemstosuggestthatforthoseparentswhohappentomaketherightselectionsfortheirchildrenorwhosechildrengotoprestigiousuniversitiessuchatopicwouldbeself-aggrandizing,butforthosewhofailtomaketherightselectionsorwhosechildrengotolessprestigiousuniversitiessuchatopicwouldbeself-flagellatory.,.,(9)Themostinfuriatingconversationistheonewheretheparentclearlyseeksadecisive,career-validatingmomentofemotionalclosure.Suchindividualsbelievethatsecuringadmissiontoatop-flightuniversityprovidesachildwithanirrevocablepassporttosuccess,guaranteeingalifeofuninterruptedeconomicmirth.ParentssuchastheseupwardlymobilechuckleheadsexudeanalmostPrussianbelligerencewhenannouncingtheirchildrensdestinations,congratulatingthemselvesonajobwelldone,whileissuingasottovocetaunttoparentsofthelessgifted.Forthem,thehardpartofchildrearingisnowover.Juniorwenttotherightprepschool,madetherightfriends,signedupfortherightactivitiesandisnowheadedfortherightschool.NowwecangettheheckoutofhereandmovetoTuscany.(10)Butinreality,lifedoesntendatageseventeen.Ortwenty-one!Inreallife,somechildrengetthefinesteducationsbutstillbecomefirst-classscrew-ups.Myownprofessionisfilledwithpeoplewhowenttotherightschoolbutendedupinthewrongcareer.Someofthoseboysandgirlsmostlikelytosucceedaregoingtoenduponwelfareorskidrow.Atwhichpointtheyllneedparentalinput.Orcash.Aparentsresponsibilitydoesntendoncethekidsleave.Aparentsresponsibilityneverends.ThatswhyNaturegivesyouthejob.,Themostannoyingconversationistheonewheretheparenttriestobeemotionallysettledonceforallbyselectingforthechildagoodcollegethatguaranteeshisorherfuturecareer.,happinessandsatisfactionwitheconomicsuccess,theirchildrensentryintotopuniversities,laughingquietlyatthoseparentsoflessgiftedchildren,Achildissupposedtoentercollegeatseventeenandgraduateattwenty-one.,absoluteandhopelessfailures,eventuallyliveonsocialwelfarefortheirsurvival,.,(11)Asecond,farmorenumerousclassofobsessivesconsistsofpeoplewhosuddenlyrealizethattheirBrandXchildrenarentgoingtomakethecut.Seventeenyearsofunreadtextbooks,unvisitedmuseumsanduntakenA.P.Coursesarenowfinallytakingtheirtoll,andthosegrandiosedelivery-roomdreamsofAmherst,Bard,andDukearesuddenlygoingupinsmoke.Bashfully,shamefacedly,miserably,theseparentsnowmumblethenamesoftheglamourlessinstitutionstheirprogenyareskulkingoffto.Invariably,theyarecollegesyouneverheardofintownsnoonewantstovisitinstateswhosecapitalsonlyrepeatwinnersonJeopardy!canname.Themarkethasspoken,theglumparentalexpressionsseemtosay.Mychildisanidiot.,Theirchildrenfallintothecommonvarietythatarenotlikelytoachievemuchandcannotpossiblybeadmittedtoprestigiousuniversities.,Theobscureuniversitiestheirchildrenaregoingto,whichtheyfeeltooashamedtoletothersknowabout.,.,(12)Butonceagain,realityhasawayofupsettingtheworstlaidplansofmiceandMensa.Somekidsarelatebloomers.Somekidsarebetteroffinalesscompetitiveenvironment.Lotsofpeopleachievehugesuccessinthissocietywithoutadegreefromaprestigiousuniversity.Justbecauseyourchildhasfailedtoclearthefirst,oreventhetwentieth,hurdledoesntmeanyoushoulddisownhim.Matissedidntgetrollinguntilhewasinhisforties.BillGates,DavidGeffen,MichaelDell,GraydonCarterandMadonnaareallcollegedropouts.RonaldReaganattendedtinyEurekaCollege,whileWarrenBuffetwenttoFootballUinLincoln,Neb.DespitewhatyoumayhavereadinF.ScottFitzgerald(whodroppedoutofPrincetonin1917),lifedoesnthavejustoneact.ThereisoftenActTwo.AndActFive.Nottomentionthesequels.Matriculationfixationreachesitsdottiestformduringtheobligatorycampusvisit.Hereitisneverentirelyclearwhatparentsarelookingfor,particularlyinhigh-profileinstitutionswhoserenownhasinsomewayprecededthem.DuringarecentvisittoM.I.T.,Iwatchedthefirstsecondsofanadmissionsofficevideopokingfunattheuniversitysreputationasanerdfactory.Whilemywifeanddaughterwatchedtherestofthevideo,whichassuredapplicantsthatM.I.T.nerdswerehardtofind,Itookastrollaroundthecampus.Isawalotofnerds.AndIdonotmeanthisasacriticism.,makeprogress,whosefamehasmoreweightthantheseinstitutionsthemselves.Theauthorsuggeststhatsomeparentsthinkmoreofthefameofauniversitythantheuniversityitself,henceitisneverentirelyclearwhatparentsarelookingfor.,.,(13)Laterthatmorning,aguideshowedabunchofusaroundcampus.Atonejuncture,shepointedoutarestaurantwherestudentscouldgrabafast,inexpensivemeal.“Howmuch?”askedonehigh-strungmother.“Abouteightbucks,”shewastold.Thewomanshuddered,notingthatforkingoverfordinnereverynightcouldgetprettydarnedexpensive.(14)“Itsgoingtocostyougrandtosendyourkidtoschoolhere,”Iinterjected.“Dontstartworryingaboutdinnerprices.”(15)Sincethatvisitthisfall,thisincidenthasbecomeaninvaluablepartofmyrepertory.Now,wheneverIamdragoonedintothe30,000thinterminableconversationaboutthecollegeselectionprocess,Iindicatethatsedulousmonitoringofon-campusrestaurantpricesshouldbeavitalcomponentofthewinnowingprocedure.PeoplewhohearmesaythingslikethiscantdecidewhetherIaminsensitiveororneryorflat-outdumb.Well,letsjustputinthisway:IwasneverM.I.T.material.,.,你印象最深的？,.,Whatisthesignificanceofthisessay?(1)Theideathatgettingintoelitecollegemakesabigdifferenceinlifemaybewrong;(2)Toalargeextent,whatcontributestoapersonssuccesslaterinlifearehispersonaleffortsandabilitiesratherthanhiseliteuniversityattendance.,.,Reflection,1.中国的观念教育：家庭、学校、社会2.成功的定义3.成功与快乐的关系,.,在这个故事里，晃动着许多人熟悉的影子。蒂姆小时候，是个无忧无虑的孩子。但自打上小学那天起，他忙碌奔波的人生就开始了。父母和老师总告诫他，上学的目的，就是取得好成绩，这样长大后，才能找到好工作。没人告诉他，学校，可以是个获得快乐的地方，学习，可以是件令人开心的事。因为害怕考试考不好，担心作文写错字，蒂姆背负着焦虑和压力。他天天盼望的，就是下课和放学。他的精神寄托就是每年的假期。渐渐地，蒂姆接受了大人的价值观。虽然他不喜欢学校，但还是努力学习。成绩好时，父母和老