This article opened my eyes. It showed me more about social class than I knew about and how social class affects our lives drastically. Especially in college, which is something I look forward to everyday. I am not in the upper class, my parents had to work for everything they have earned and gave to me. I was never granted anything in life because I am upper class, I have always had to work for everything in life. Social class plays a huge role in your life and this article showed me how. This article is arguing that student experiences during college, and class trajectories at exit, are fundamentally shaped by the structure of academic and social life on campus. Arguing that the experience of a student’s college year is purely based on their pathway. Arguing that our lives is dependent on the route we take in our college years and how we use college to our benefit.
If I go to college and take the party pathway, I should not expect to exit college and be successful in life. The party pathway is basically just going to college to have a good time and not worry about education. This is a pathway that many college students take because they get caught up in all the college fun. They do not remain focused on their studies and end up exiting college without any hope to truly be successful in life.
The mobility pathway is completely different from the party pathway. Not coming from the upper class, coming from the middle class, working class, but working your way to the top. This is the pathway of coming into college determined to better yourself. Not coming from any advantages in life, but working hard to make it to the top. The mobility pathway student does normally does not have the family around him/her to support, receives financial aid, and is not dependent on their family for their success but will work hard for it.
The professional pathway in college is extremely common in Ivy League schools. This is where a student from the upper class is successful in college. When the student comes from private tutors or coaches and a family to depend on for finances. The students in the professional pathway are the heart the competition to be admitted into these Ivy League schools, they are easily admitted over someone in the middle class who stills achieves excellent grades. These are the students who take the bigger job opportunities and have the best chance to be successful out of college.
The term “striver” is used to describe the Mobility Pathway students. Those who are not in the upper class but work hard and strive to better themselves everyday and every chance they get in college.
The term “socialite” is used towards the students of the party pathway. Those who were given the opportunity to succeed in college but chose to live their college life in the party scene instead of focusing on their studies.
The term “achiever” is used for the small percentage of the students, normally form the professional pathway who achieve success because of their college experience.
This article showed me how there are three different experiences in college. Being the most successful is only awarded to those who come from a family of money and power. A high class student will have an easy time in college because they were granted all the assistance that was needed for that student to succeed. A middle class student will struggle trying to better themselves and achieve higher than what is expected of them. A lower class student would be in a community college, having no hope.
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