School Life

All writers in this collection speak for themselves—and themselves alone.


Carol S. Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford University, classifies mindsets as "growth" or "fixed" and explains how the differences either help or hinder student learning. (Watch Prof. Dweck's TED Talk on this subject.)

Classification & Division • School Life • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


YouTube vlogger sWooZie describes what happened after he spotted two friends cheating on a humanities exam.

Narration • School Life • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Freelance author James Sollisch explains the nature of critical thinking by giving examples of people who shifted old paradigms.

Example & Illustration • School Life • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


By the time most students finish college, they are tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Robert Shireman, Executive Director of California Competes, helps decipher "helpful" payment-plan web guides.

Process Analysis • School Life • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, explains how he got the most out of his college education and offers advice to students now enrolled.

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Students often wonder whether they are getting their money's worth by going to college. The Economist examines the cost and return-on-investment of a college degree.

Argument & Persuasion • School Life • Third PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Novelist Teddy Wayne recounts a plagiarism episode and the lesson that he eventually learned from it.

Narration • School Life • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Rebecca Schuman, education columnist for Slate, explains how to participate in class successfully.

Process Analysis • School Life • Second PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


George Orwell, best known for the novels 1984 and Animal Farm, recounts his experiences at St. Cyprian's, an English preparatory school for boys.

Narration • School Life • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Students often do not know what it means to be professional with their professors. In this essay, sociologist Lisa Wade gives examples of improper classroom behaviors and then explains why they are inappropriate.

Example & Illustration • School Life • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Writer Karen Donley-Hayes shares her regrets during her college experience.

Narration • School Life • Second PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Reporting for Rolling Stone, Molly Knefel explores a Los Angeles high school's response to increasing police presence.

Argument & Persuasion • School Life • Third PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Essayist E. Tammy Kim follows the path of a low-income student from high-school graduation to college acceptance.

Narration • School Life • Third PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Rebecca Schuman, education columnist for Slate, describes the differences between the German and American college experience.

Comparison & Contrast • School Life • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author