The essay "College Pressures" written by William Zinsser discusses the college students' struggle with economical, parental, peer, and self-induced pressures. It emphasizes the importance of "being true to your hopes and dreams and not be the prisoner of expectations that aren't the right one's for you." The author's purpose is not just to find ways to lessen the pressures college students suffer from, but to persuade students to find more joy in learning to rediscover their inquiring minds. .
We have noticed several short student "notes" to "Carlos" (the Dean of Students). The author draws the reader's attention to his essay using these short notes to establish his idea of college pressures. That also begins to set the author's humorous tone of the essay and show his sympathy to the college students who are under great pressures.
Some of us believe that the author writes the essay from college students' point of view. It can found that in many sentences the author uses "we" as the subjects referring to the students. The author is privy to the students' hopes and fears, and he understands what they want and what they are thinking about. We can tell that the author is showing his sympathy and hopes. Several sentences can prove that:.
"I wish them a chance to savor each segment of their education as an experience in itself and not as a grim preparation for the next step. I wish them" (Paragraph 6).
"I tell them to relax. They can't. Nor can I blame them." (Paragraph 12-13).
"Poor students, poor parents." (Paragraph 21).
However, others also argue that the author stands on an educator's point of view. The author is not only giving suggestions to help the students to release from the pressures, but also he is revealing the problems in American education system and evaluation in universities. They have these evidence to support themselves:.
"The transcript has become a sacred document, the passport to security.