<p>Well, the “large gap” between the students may have more to do with the number of people going to college these days than it has to do with this particular generation.</p>
<p>These kinds of articles and studies are somewhat depressing, not because they point out something wrong with the younger generation, but because they point out the lack of imagination every older generation really has.</p>
<p>Why would our kids need to waste time and brain space on memorization the way we did? They have memories outside of their heads, with their tablets. We don’t even understand what it is they are doing with their minds and with their learning because asking them to pursue it and measure it the same way we did is just silly. </p>
<p>Nothing has changed the way the mind is used as much as the computer. But none of us really understand because it wasn’t until we were out of school that it became the information tool it is today.</p>
<p>Also, just in general, I agree with the quote: Parents tend to get the children they deserve. ;)</p>
<p>You have a good point about the difference computers and the internet make. However, in our area it seems that some of the schools that service the lower middle and lower class populations are no longer assigning and/or grading homework. Why? Because so few of their kids were actually doing it anymore that they would have had to fail too many students if homework counted. We all know that homework isn’t always effective or worthwhile, but I know several moms who are lamenting that their middle schoolers never have any homework or outside reading to do. They feel their kids aren’t studying and learning enough.</p>
<p>"Although I agree that students are likely to increase studying and thus learn more if a school adopts tough standards, and perhaps gives Bs and Cs to students who were just average, the problem is that in today world of grade inflation such approach would kill the academic career of many students, in particular if those grades are given in college classes. I will explain.</p>
<p>Suppose all other schools out there give good grades (the current average GPA in US private schools is 3.3). If a student has a bad semester and gets a couple of Cs and a couple of Ds, there is no way the student can possibly recover his GPA. One semester kills the academic career of the student in terms of applying to jobs and grad school. Grade inflation makes no room for error.</p>
<p>In the old times one could get a few grades, wake up because of the bad experience, dedicate himself/herself and still raise his/her GPA to above average. Not today.</p>
<p>Because of that, IMHO, teachers and professors need to be very careful when dispensing grades. Trying to teach a lesson by issuing a D today is much different than it was 30 years ago. Teaching a lesson by issuing a D is equivalent to cutting ones hand off so as to teach them not to rob. In particular if the school has a policy of no retakes."</p>
<p>^^^^ This. I wish more professors really understood just how badly it hurts.
Everyone seems to bash my generation, but for those of you who graduated before me, you cannot possibly realize how lucky you are. Back then, it was not nearly as competitive, and you were at least given a reasonable assurance that you would have a stable life after college. That has been taken from us, and now, even if we put in as much effort as you had done, it is never good enough… So in a way, I sympathize with self-entitlement to an extent, because we just want the opportunities that those before us were entitled to.</p>
<p>Of course, but the concern expressed in the article is that this generation is so unprepared for the harsh realities of the world that there will be an epidemic of depression and despair. They are unprepared for even simple realities such as that they can’t be texting all day long in a real job–or at least they shouldn’t. I fear for the lost productivity resulting from their distraction and questionable work ethic. Already you see they can’t quite focus on their retail jobs because they are constantly stopping to check their cell phones every few minutes. Though I admit older people have this problem too…</p>
<p>No, within reasonable limits that almost all CC parents are within, parenting won’t change how children behave when they leave home, and it has limited influence even before that, as documented in “The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do” by Judith Rich Harris.</p>
<p>Smart, tall parents tend to have smart, tall kids. Do they deserve to do so?</p>
<p>I pretty much agree with what everyone is saying here, as an 18 year college freshmen I’d have to agree my peers’ outlook on life is pretty unrealistic as a whole. The student loan crisis is an example of this.</p>
<p>But what can we take away from this? </p>
<p>Is this a permanent mindset and most of us are set up to fail?</p>
<p>I agree with those who have talked about the widening gap in education.</p>
<p>What it takes to get into colleges today (even state schools, whose numbers of applicants are increasing while number of seats are staying consistent) is beyond what it took to get into college forty years ago (minus the implementation of AA, which provides a gateway for females, certain communities, and other disadvantaged groups). And on the other hand, less kids are graduating from high school and discipline problems in the classroom seem more rampant. </p>
<p>So you have kids who get into great schools and are proud of themselves because they made it that far, and then they don’t go any further than that. Going to an Ivy doesn’t guarantee anyone a job; it seems that employers are getting smart about weeding out applicants who go to college and learn absolutely nothing (and even if you can talk smoothly in the interview, it’s only a matter of time before you’re fired) and then rely on their degree to get them a spot in the workforce.</p>
<p>Does college prepare students for the real world, though? Honest question, as I don’t know. And if college doesn’t, is it the college’s fault or the student’s fault? Surely we still see college as a means of getting a job, right?</p>
<p>I read a study recently comparing the different generations: the “Silent Generation”, Boomers, Gen X, Millennials. Each generation in the study was to list a couple things that defined their generation. The Millennials were the only ones that left out “work ethic”. That said, the general consensus was also that they are very tolerant of others and great at collaborating. (And they have awesome music)</p>
<p>And I agree with the above posters who pointed out, esp xtheswedex, that the Millennials are graduating into a pretty crummy world. It’s great that they are embracing ridesharing, not so great that its because they cant afford cars. My kids are starting college next year but I know they watch their parents work themselves to the bone as salaried indentured servants 6 - 7 days a week always fearing downsizing, and probably are resolving to do the minimum at work themselves.</p>
<p>Honestly, the generation that annoys me the most is my parent’s. They went to college in the age of the “Gentleman’s C”, even liberal arts majors could find jobs, they could put two kids through college and afford a house on one salary, and didn’t put a lot of effort into parenting imo. Sometimes I think our “helicopter parenting” is actually a reaction to being plunked down in front of “Sesame Street” as children instead of being read to. And now thanks to their lobbying in Congress we still haven’t tackled Social Security or overhauled Medicare.</p>
<p>My college students know they are not special or entitled. They know they are special in a sort of “everyone is special in their own way” type special…but…really…not. </p>
<p>I see a lot of kids who are very entitled and never work for anything. Frankly, I can’t stand those kids. And they have a very dim future, most of them anyway.</p>
<p>And if you plant limabeans, you’ll get limabeans… ? </p>
<p>But the “seeds” of children are formed at conception and they grow in the womb for 9 months before we have any impact on them. You might have imagined a beautiful bean plant for your family, but as the seedling sprouts you realize you got a squash plant instead. Our homes may promote hard work and responsibility, but each child will embrace the example differently. Frankly, I’d like to take credit for how my kids have turned out, but I know that if they did not have a basic innate drive and ambition, my parenting wouldn’t have produced it. I have friends who (from all outward signs at least) parented the way H and I did, but have not seen the same results.</p>
<p>That said, I fall more on the side of nurture than I do nature. Parenting can still help each little sprout become the best, healthiest plant of their species possible.</p>
<p>The nature vs nurture talk reminds me of the movie Looper which touched on the debate. Nurture was the winner in that movie pointing out several times that a parent has a huge impact in one’s life.</p>
<p>This article is the worst. They sound like they are afraid of change or progress.</p>
<p>I find it interesting that they only showed pictures of females and minorities, no white males, and make them look idiotic. </p>
<p>"‘Our culture used to encourage modesty and humility and not bragging about yourself,’ Twenge told BBC News. ‘It was considered a bad thing to be seen as conceited or full of yourself.’"</p>
<p>Um… and women and minorities you picture shouldn’t be ambitious, intelligent, and go-getters in life?</p>
<p>Compared to 1960… life is different now! Move on now! We are ambitious and we are going to IMPROVE this world!!!</p>
<p>“Studies suggest weaker students actually perform worse if given encouragement at boosting their self-esteem.”</p>
<p>This is the most hilarious statement ever. Excuse me? Oh please, just make us all depressed so you can shove more pills down our throats and keep the status quo… I don’t think so! Asta Lavista I received encouragement and I got almost straight A’s since… without is the opposite! Anyone who knows anything knows this is a cuo and rats you know what! They want us to stop thinking outside the box, well guess what we are not going to stay down!</p>
<p>Then again, that shouldn’t be overdone, since too much exposure to failure can be counter-productive down the road. It’s good for them to get a little exposure to failure but not too much.</p>
<p>My parents weren’t referring to genetics, they were referring to upbringing. If your parents tell you you’re more special than everyone else…that’s what you tend to believe. So ,“if you plant corn, you get corn.”</p>