Social Class

Honestly, this article has opened my eyes to how social class affects our lives drastically. Though it affects us in everyday life, I am more concerned with college. Something that I take very serious and look forward too, as every day goes by it is always on my mind. During my life i would say that I am apart of the upper middle class. Meaning, that am I and my family are not even close to being apart of the upper class. Speaking from the words of my mother and father "I don't want you to struggle like we did to raise you guys. We've together have had to work everything that we have right now, and lately we're going to be doing this for a long time, unless you change something." I know personally how social class affects us in life, and this article has expanded the horizon of even more things I didn't know, that I know know due to this article. What this article is arguing is that, the college experience is purely based on what you do in college, in other words, the experience of a student’s college year is purely based on their pathway that their respective university provides for them. Also arguing that our future lives depend on the pathway we take and how we use college to benefit and advantage.

This brings me to the polar opposite of using college as benefit. It is classified as the “party pathway.” This is the lifestyle of college students not to worry about education, but more of a good time. Many students get caught up in the “college fun” by joining sororities and fraternities and participating in more social events rather than remaining focus on their studies to become successful. Thus, people use this pathway often exit college without any aspirations of becoming successful in life.

Moving up the scale comes the mobility pathway, where you are not apart of the upper class but coming from the middle class, more specifically coming from the working class. These select group of students are coming in with no advantages, are working to better themselves so that can go to the top. Also, the average “mobility” student doesn’t have her/his to support, they receive financial aid, and they don't depend on family success, but they will work hard for it.

Now here comes the professional pathway, highly relatable to today's Ivy League schools. People who are from the upper class who have the highest percentage of success when they exit college. These particular students come from families who were “able to focus on studies without having to support themselves or family.” (Pittelman, 222). They also are the “mediocre white students who gained admission through ties to people of the institution such as alumni, donors, faculty members, administrators, etc.” (Schmidt, 173). They are students who are privileged enough to have the finances, and take the bigger job opportunities to have the best chance to be successful after college.

The term “striver” is commonly associated with the mobility pathway students, the students who are not yet a part of the upper class but the hard workers who enable themselves to do better every chance they can in college.

The term “achiever” is used for the small percentage of students excel in life due to their college experience, students of the professional pathway.

The term “socialite” is used for the students who were given the opportunity to become successful but would rather be a part of “partying” instead of focusing on their respective majors.

This article shows me three different experiences that college students have. In which, being successful has to deal with how much money and power you have. Those less privileged are the ones who work the hardest to become a part of the upper class, and those of the lower class who have barely any hope if any, and will not become successful in life.