Common Sense 101 by Erin

Common Sense 101 by Erin - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

If I was a college professor, I would want to teach a general knowledge/common sense course. This is because so many “college ready” students aren’t actually educated to where they should be at this point in their life; in grammar, and in how to survive in this world.
I don’t disagree that they should have the knowledge that high schools prepare them with, but I highly believe they need general knowledge and common-sense education. For example, I have lost count how many people I have come across who have gone through secondary education and don’t know when to use ‘to’ or ‘too’, or which their/they’re/there to use. As someone who does know these kind of differences, it grinds my gears when people show that they don’t have that knowledge. Honestly, my biggest pet peeve is when people say, “I could care less” when they really mean “I couldn’t care less.” I have even noticed it on TV shows and movies, where there are editors.
It’s truly baffling how the human race is advancing, and yet each generation is getting dumber and dumber. How do they expect people to survive in this world without this knowledge? As a fresh adult, even with this knowledge I struggle. I can only imagine how bad it would be with a lower IQ. Also, how do our educators expect us to survive without educating us on how to do taxes, how to apply for college and scholarships, how to survive without college, what loans are, the truths about credit cards, the ins and outs of budgeting, and so much more?
The general knowledge of how to survive in this world is lacking, and it’s disgusting to watch and to live through. Therefore, if I were to be a college professor, I would teach the class about the useful things to know for life, and to somehow make sure that they know the grammar rules that they should have known long before they graduated high school.