The Mitochondria is the Powerhouse of the Cell

Like most kids who grew up going to an American public school, I was required to take an entry-level biology course that covered the basics of DNA, Punnett Squares, and cell functions. While we didn't dissect any animals (thank God), we were required to look at both frozen and thawed pieces of liver  under  a microscope, and analyzed slices of plant structures in order to evaluate their cellular structure. That being said, if you asked me to explain any of the topics listed above, you'd be out of luck. The only thing that I remember from my 10th grade bio class is the well known phrase... "The Mitochondria is the Powerhouse of the Cell".  In fact, if you ask any student from my generation to write an essay on what they learned in public school, you'd probably end up with the following:

1. The Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

2. If the teacher doesn't get here in fifteen minutes, we get to go home (It's the law)

3. Jeopardy and Kahoot are not just games, They're life or death competitions

4. "Shoulders Are Distracting"

5. And Lastly, "Wikipedia is not a reliable source and your college professors will not let that slide in a presentation." 

Of course I'm being kind of tongue-in-cheek here, but in my secondary education experience I heard every single quote in this list in some form. But at this point, you are probably wondering how any of this pertains to class, or any of the books we were required to read. I bring this bleak outlook on the American public school system up  because so many of the novels we have read in class talk about the importance of education and the luxury of education. In the Vicar of Wakefield, we hear about the education of Primrose's daughters, and how it makes them more eligible for marriage, in Tom jones, we briefly hear that despite his behavior, Tom has been raised as and educated like a Gentleman, and we see Jane Austen defy gender norms of the eighteenth century as a literate woman and author. In the past, education was valued, and having some sort of education made it possible to advance in society. This is where my issue with the American schooling system exists. Students, regardless of grade level, are tired, burnt out, and desperate for a break. Furthermore, there are so many people in America who pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a degree and find out that there isn't a surplus of jobs in their chosen field like they were promised in high school. Anymore, people are choosing careers based off of income level rather than how much they like the job because it is increasingly impossible to "Love what you do, do what you love" because nothing is affordable. It is incredibly frustrating that college students can't hang out with their friends because it might cost too much and make the next tuition payment bounce, or that they have to work and go to school, and do homework, so by the time they are done with everything, there is no time for social interaction and they are (yet again)  stressed, burnt out, and desperate for a break. Of course (and fortunately) this is not everyone's experience, and Americans are extremely fortunate to be able to receive an education, but there are so many people who scrape together the funds to invest in a higher education, only for their education to not invest in them.