Harvard Grads Say Goodbye to Books: The Shocking Trend in Modern Education

Even though they might be part of the intellectual elite, Harvard students Could finish their studies without picking up a piece of fictional literature during their tenure at the nation's eldest institution of higher learning.

Rebuking her fellow 25,000 students at the institution tracing its roots back to 1636, Claire Miller asserts that the university ought to mandate them to read at least one book.

In The Harvard Crimson, the campus paper, Ms. Miller has advocated for making an English course mandatory for students, who annually pay over $56,000 (£44,350) in tuition fees.

She posed a query to her colleagues, saying, "Can anyone recall when they last finished reading an entire book from start to finish?"

For someone like me, an aspiring English major, this happened just last week. However, when you inquire about similar experiences from fellow students in different majors, they often respond with a shrug.

Students at Harvard frequently gripe about the reading assignments.

They find any tasks demanding they produce over 25 pages to be dull or daunting (unless they're delegating this to ChatGPT). It's quite uncommon for us to be tasked with reading an entire book, and even less frequent that we manage to complete them.

‘Blame rests with Harvard’

It was a scathing criticism of the students at a university that in recent years has improved. recognized more for their political activism than for thorough academic research .

Ms. Miller also notes that the responsibility lies with the university.

“Many expository writing courses do not mandate that students read complete novels. This also applies to numerous classes that fulfill the requirements for arts and humanities.”

"Such courses remain highly beneficial, yet they cannot substitute for the study of literature .”

She contends that one issue lies in the insufficient reading standards set for American high school students.

“Yet precisely because of this, Harvard bears the responsibility towards its students to reignite their appreciation for literature.”

Research conducted in the US indicates that "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. is the most commonly assigned book for Harvard students.

This often shows up on the reading lists for students pursuing English literature, political science, history, philosophy, religion, law, social work, theology, sociology, and media and communication studies.

Ms. Miller reluctantly acknowledges, "I fully realize that numerous individuals do not care for reading—understandably so—and mandating a course might not alter this perspective. There's nothing wrong with disliking reading; similarly, I derive no pleasure from completing three weekly problem sets for my calculus class."

Nonetheless, education isn’t just about enjoying what you study; requirements ensure we receive a comprehensive education. By taking this course, more Harvard students could start appreciating the value of both literature and humanities, possibly even leading them to read for enjoyment someday.

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