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1、GoingtoCollegeH.L.Mencken[1]UptoafewyearsagotherewasnothingmoregenerallybelievedintheUnitedStatesthanthateducation,andespeciallyeducationoftheso-calledhighervariety,wasavaluablething,andworthanysacrificeoftimeandmoney.Thenotionhademanated,originally,fromthePuritansofNewEngland,whocherishedi
2、tastheycherishedtheirromanticbeliefinhotandeternalhell.Withthepassageoftheyearithadpermeatedthewholecountry,andonlyafewforlorniconoclastschallengedit.Thestudyofbooks,itappeared,couldtransformanyplowboyintoaLincoln,and,whatwasevenmorewonderfulandalluring,intoasuccessfuldealerinhighgradeinves
3、tmentsecurities.Afterthelatewar,withmoneyflowingfreely,alltheyokelsofthelandbegansendingtheirprogenytocollege.[2]Theresultwasagreatcongestioninthehallsoflearning,andthatcongestionstillcontinues.Insomeofthestateuniversitiestherearesomanystudentsthatmerelykeepingtrackofthemenliststheserviceso
4、fwholehordesofbookkeepers,topsergeants,policemen,andaddingmachines.Theycramtheclassroomstosuffocation,maketheadjacentbootleggerrich,anddrivethesweatingprofessorsfrantic.Therearenotenoughcompetentteachersinthecountrytohandlethem,andsoagreatmanyunpreparedaspirantshavehadtobecalledintohelp.The
5、seaspirants,Idaresay,dothebesttheycan,butcertainlyitisnotmuch.Whiletheyarelearningtheirtrade,theirpupilsarelearningnothing.[3]Someofthelatter,moreearnestthantheaverage,nowbegintoprotest.They6complainthattheirtimeiswastedbypedagogicalignoramuses.Insomecollegestheypublishedstenographicreports
6、ofthelecturestheyareforcedtolistento,seekingtoshowtheworldwhatbilgeisinthem.Inotherstheydenouncethefacultyintheircampuspapers,andsogetthemselvesexpelled.Everywherethereseemstobearisingdoubtabouttheefficacyandutilityoftheeducationalprocess.EverytimeIrefertopedagoguesinthisplaceIreceivescores
7、oflettersfromstudents,describingtheimbecilitiesthatoppressthem,andfishingforsupportfortheirapparenttheorythatitwouldbewisertoquitcollegeatonceandgotowork.[4]Thistheory,unfortunately,Ifindmyselfunabletosupport.For,despitetheriseofskepticismonthesubject,th