Mosqueda 1

Amanda Mosqueda

Professor Beadle

ENGL 115

5 October 2017

Project Space Rough Draft

College is a space considered to be monstrous due to the feelings of stress, anxiety, and

depression that it in invokes as a result of the massive expenses that college brings; as well as the

immense amount of responsibilities it requires. This justifies why college can be viewed as

monstrous which therefore, exposes peoples fears of being unsuccessful and reveals their values

of education. These consequences are real, modern issues in which author Chuck Klosterman,

discusses in the novel Monsters. College may have negative aspects however, some may argue

that this space allows students to gain an education; and provides them with many beneficial

opportunities. Although, these are facets seem profitable the detrimental features of a college

space are outweighed.

College can be perceived as a monstrous space for students due to the multitude of

expenses they are charged with. Students have to pay for tuition which can be very expensive in

order to enroll in their classes as well as additional class expenses that are required. There are

certain online programs students are compelled to use in order to complete certain assignments

or homework; and these programs may require registration fees. It is also necessary in certain

courses to purchase textbooks; it is common a professor will ask their students to obtain multiple.

Another fee that some students like myself are obligated to pay are housing charges which are

pricy and add up quickly. In connection to housing charges, it is mandatory for students who

dorm to purchase a meal plan. These charges can cause fear for students because they worry that
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they will not be able to make the payments. As a college student, I can relate to this problem;

many students like myself are not capable of commuting to school due to being long distant

residents so we are obligated to live in student housing. From my own experiences, I can

understand how challenge it is to afford the multiple fees without the help of substantial financial

aid. My experiences relate to the ideas discussed in Understanding Rhetoric which claims, We

trust certain kinds of people more than others because they are well informed about the subject

at hand. (Losh, Alexander, K. Cannon, and Z. Cannon 46) Accordingly, my own encounters

allow my claim that college can be a monstrous space to be more credible. Thousands of students

struggle with these payments resulting in stress and anxiety, thus relating to the idea that the

monstrous aspects of college reveal the values of education. Students worry about not being able

to afford their bills because they value education and this stress negatively affects that.

Stress is common among many college students which supports the monstrous

accusations of a college space. Grades are one of the number one contributors of stress and it is

challenging to maintain a high-grade point average. Some students are enrolled in many units

therefore, more content to learn, more assignments to complete, more materials to purchase, and

more tests to study for. All aspects cause students to stress and experience fears of not being

successful. Students are concerned that they may be spending significant amounts of money and

not pass their classes. There is a significant increase in the amount of responsibilities people gain

during their transition into college. For example, an increase in the amount of homework that is

assigned, students must pay bills, they may get a job and essentially, they are all on their own.

These are all important responsibilities that can cause feelings of anxiety due to fear of not

meeting deadlines, not being able to afford bills, and not being able to manage school and work.

This topic can relate to Klostermans idea that zombies neatly encapsulate our fears and
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anxieties about modern life. (Klosterman 40) Concerns of not meeting payment deadlines or

passing classes are modern life fears that college can invoke.

Another factor that supports the claim that college can be considered a monstrous space

is depression. Depression has been an outcome in a large percentage of college students. One

explanation is students struggle with transitioning into college. It can be very challenging for

them to adapt to a new routine, new surroundings, and new obstacles that students are faced

with. Most students are not locals and therefore their relationships become long distant which is

a leading basis to depression. Students may need some time or assistance getting adjusting to the

new sense of independence that is gained in college. They miss their family, friends, and familiar

surroundings causing

them to be homesick. This can lead to students experiencing feelings of loneliness which then

results in depression. They may isolate themselves, participate in unsafe choices such as drug use

or other illegal activities, lose motivation in school which can cause their grades to drop. These

are all effects are symptoms of depression. The most monstrous outcome of depression that

could result in is suicide.

A negative aspect of the space of a college is the high impaction levels. Impaction is

another factor of stress due to the fact that students pay thousands of dollars yet are still limited

to the classes that are available to them due to the high attendance rates. The unreliableness of

enrollment causes students to experience anxiety due to the lack of confidence that they will be

able to take the courses they desire. Many students are placed on waiting lists which is a huge

inconvenience. Another problem caused by impaction other than full classrooms are limited

parking which therefore means limited resources for students due to over crowdedness.
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Some results of a college space have a connection with the concepts explained in

Understanding Rhetoric. Its stated that Different identities also influence how I see the world.

(Losh, et al. 123) This connects to the fact that college can alter a students identity. They may

have lower self-esteem, have a negative appearance such as more provocative, neglect their

hygiene, or become careless. Monstrous spaces can also change a persons tone causing them to

be more pessimistic and less confident.

College can be evaluated as a monstrous space due to the negative outcomes that it is

linked to such as stress, anxiety, and depression which result from the many expenses as well as

the responsibilities college requires. These many issues linked to college can connect to

Klostermans statement the zombie is a metaphor for our modern, task-filled world, in which

the problems we face seem to multiply faster than we can solve them. (Klosterman 40) As a

fellow college student I can perceive a connection to Klostermans statements, that the fees we

are charged with, the endless homework that is assigned, the tasks of everyday errands, the

responsibility of a job are all overwhelming; and can seem never-ending. The modern fears of

being unsuccessful and the values of education are made visible through this space.
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Works Cited

Losh, Elizabeth M. Alexander, Jonathan. Cannon, Kevin. Cannon, Zander.

Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing. 2nd ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, Macmillan

Learning. 2017. Boston, MA

Hoffman, Andrew J. Monsters: a Bedford Spotlight Reader. My Zombie, Myself: Why

Modern Life Feels Rather Undead. Klosterman, Chuck. Bedford/St. Martin's, a Macmillan

Education Imprint, 2016. Boston, MA