42% of college graduates never read another book after college - Page 5

ApK · 04-14-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthem

And they had such high aspirations!

Or is it ASHpirations? It's a loss worth PINE-ing over. And to think a publisher MAPLE a stunt like that again sometime.

OApK

MrsJoseph · 04-14-2011, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

Or is it ASHpirations? It's a loss worth PINE-ing over. And to think a publisher MAPLE a stunt that again sometime.

OApK

Janette55 · 04-14-2011, 03:05 PM

What I would like to know is where they took the survey; where did they collect their data from? What part of the country, SES, ages, gender, race and such were used in this study.

You can say 10% of college students have never read a book after finishing college, but how many college students were asked? If only 100 students were asked, then it is not a large enough test group. What about the thousands who have graduated, how many of them are reading? Were the students from Jr. colleges, private colleges, public ones, and/or Ivy league colleges or just from one of those institutions? What about locations, in the east, south, north, west, and majors, that can be a factor in what is read.
And are they talking about colleges or universities, there is a difference between the two. Many (me included) will use the word, college/university, interchangbly but there is a difference. When someone asked if I went to college, I can say, yes, I did; but I really went to a university, Ohio University.
And that is just college students, as others have stated, what about the other areas that could be considered reading, but seems to have been left out of the study.

To me they are not giving any evidence to back up their stats.

Something that is not being considered is that some of the games, role playing ones, have a lot of reading in them. Not as much as a book, but still, the kids are reading dialogue between the characters. And what about the cheats? How many kids buy the mags, or go online and read those to learn how to complete a certain task? My son has printed out 12 pages of info to read on what, where and how to do something to obtain something. That is a lot of reading, and he had to read sections to find the one specific task he was looking for.

ApK · 04-14-2011, 04:11 PM

Like some others, I have more fundamental skepticism than mere methodology.

Was such a study every really done? By the group stated? Do the result really match what is stated or are the statements merely someone's own misinterpretation, misstatements, or outright fabrication?

Easy enough to find out, I guess, if anyone was interested enough to make a phone call.

Remember this factlet, folks: Statistics don't lie. People do.

ApK

jessicalynn · 04-14-2011, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sufue

I don't know about all of the rest of the statistics, but this one rang sadly true for me. Just about the only time in my life that I HAVEN'T read books constantly for pleasure (and a bit of learning too) was while I was in college. Mostly I was just too busy to read, but also I think I was rebelling a bit against having to read a lot of assigned books. Somehow I've always disliked being told what books to read, and then having to analyze them to someone else's satisfaction. I even remember hating The Hobbit, a book I like so much that I voluntarily re-read it every few years, during the time I was assigned to read it in an English class!

So, during my college years, I too read little or nothing for pleasure. This is probably a sad comment on our educational system, but luckily, I found my way back to reading pretty quickly after graduating. However, I can easily see how lots of folks might never find their way back...

This was true for me also. I worked 30 hours a week to pay for school when I was in college so between work and school I literally had no time to read for pleasure. I remember looking forward to summer and winter breaks so that I could finally have time to read novels again!

Latinandgreek · 04-14-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

That's me, too

I'm horrible to go on walks with...I get distracted if we pass a bookstore and I always want to linger (expect in my local Books-A Million, the book selection is horrible and I've been there often enough to know it...but it'd be great if I wanted to by unnecessary doodads)

Me, too. My husband shuts up every time we pass a bookstore and prays I didn't notice, because that if I enter it, I will be in there for a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

And in fact they have an online presence for their used and out-of-print books.

http://www.goodwillbooks.com/

Thanks for the link!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessicalynn

This was true for me also. I worked 30 hours a week to pay for school when I was in college so between work and school I literally had no time to read for pleasure. I remember looking forward to summer and winter breaks so that I could finally have time to read novels again!

Me, too. I worked every evening, and I had to get up at dawn so that I had time to do my required readings. I tended to read very light novels, graphic novels and YA lit to offset my heavy school reading load (that is, when I found the time to read. Looking back, I have no idea how I managed to withstand that tempo).

GeoffC · 04-15-2011, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

Me, too. My husband shuts up every time we pass a bookstore and prays I didn't notice, because that if I enter it, I will be in there for a while.

neilmarr · 04-15-2011, 08:00 AM

GREAT NEWS -- MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS READ ON!!!

Fifty-eight percent of college students read books after graduation ... even though they don't have to.

Everything can be turned on its head simply and positively. Neil

wyndslash · 04-15-2011, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilmarr

GREAT NEWS -- MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS READ ON!!!

Fifty-eight percent of college students read books after graduation ... even though they don't have to.

Everything can be turned on its head simply and positively. Neil

i am now more inclined to reading fiction that actually interests me

sometimes i feel ashamed because other people seem to be reading the quality stuff like classics

ApK · 04-15-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilmarr

GREAT NEWS -- MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS READ ON!!!

Fifty-eight percent of college students read books after graduation

You should have stopped here.

Quote:

... even though they don't have to.

Nothing to support that. Of the other 58%, perhaps most had to read for work or other reasons.

But I like the spin, regardless.

GeoffC · 04-15-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilmarr

GREAT NEWS -- MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS READ ON!!!

Fifty-eight percent of college students read books after graduation ... even though they don't have to.

Everything can be turned on its head simply and positively. Neil

Have you been on BBC.co.uk/bang ?! The Big Risk Test ?

ShooterMcGee · 04-15-2011, 09:01 AM

My daughter got the reading bug from me and always has her nose stuck in a book. She's about to graduate from high school, so I don't see that habit changing. But my boys...not so much. They have to work to find a book that really captures their attention to want to read. Doesn't happen often enough for my taste!

GA Russell · 04-15-2011, 12:55 PM

I wonder what percent of the population has had my experience.

I had a good education. We read a lot of great literature in high school and college, much of which was over my head. But current best sellers and popular fiction were all the time sneered at by my teachers. I guess it started in grammar school when the librarians sneered at The Hardy Boys.

My point being that although we read a great deal of assigned material, we were not encouraged to read what was not assigned. And needless to say, reading in school (with a deadline and a test for each book) was not particularly pleasant.

I'm sure that it was the intention of my teachers that I read only quality. And I think the result was that reading for pleasure was not encouraged.

MrsJoseph · 04-15-2011, 01:26 PM

It was the opposite for me. I had to read for pleasure to get the boring crap out of my head. I majored in English and we read more boring annoying crap than I care to remember.

The Awakening.

Oh, the horror! I abhorred that book. I'd come back from class and dive right into my bookcase.

Yeah, I had a bookcase in college...only partially stuffed with textbooks...

Anthem · 04-15-2011, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

Or is it ASHpirations? It's a loss worth PINE-ing over. And to think a publisher MAPLE a stunt like that again sometime.

OApK

Ouch!

(I cringe.)

04-14-2011, 03:05 PM	#63
Janette55 Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 2056 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ohio Device: Sony 900	What I would like to know is where they took the survey; where did they collect their data from? What part of the country, SES, ages, gender, race and such were used in this study. You can say 10% of college students have never read a book after finishing college, but how many college students were asked? If only 100 students were asked, then it is not a large enough test group. What about the thousands who have graduated, how many of them are reading? Were the students from Jr. colleges, private colleges, public ones, and/or Ivy league colleges or just from one of those institutions? What about locations, in the east, south, north, west, and majors, that can be a factor in what is read. And are they talking about colleges or universities, there is a difference between the two. Many (me included) will use the word, college/university, interchangbly but there is a difference. When someone asked if I went to college, I can say, yes, I did; but I really went to a university, Ohio University. And that is just college students, as others have stated, what about the other areas that could be considered reading, but seems to have been left out of the study. To me they are not giving any evidence to back up their stats. Something that is not being considered is that some of the games, role playing ones, have a lot of reading in them. Not as much as a book, but still, the kids are reading dialogue between the characters. And what about the cheats? How many kids buy the mags, or go online and read those to learn how to complete a certain task? My son has printed out 12 pages of info to read on what, where and how to do something to obtain something. That is a lot of reading, and he had to read sections to find the one specific task he was looking for. Last edited by Janette55; 04-14-2011 at 03:15 PM.

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04-14-2011, 04:11 PM	#64
ApK Award-Winning Participant Posts: 7,316 Karma: 67862884 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NJ, USA Device: Kindle	Like some others, I have more fundamental skepticism than mere methodology. Was such a study every really done? By the group stated? Do the result really match what is stated or are the statements merely someone's own misinterpretation, misstatements, or outright fabrication? Easy enough to find out, I guess, if anyone was interested enough to make a phone call. Remember this factlet, folks: Statistics don't lie. People do. ApK

04-15-2011, 08:00 AM	#68
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	GREAT NEWS -- MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS READ ON!!! Fifty-eight percent of college students read books after graduation ... even though they don't have to. Everything can be turned on its head simply and positively. Neil

04-15-2011, 09:01 AM	#72
ShooterMcGee Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 452 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Washington, DC metro area Device: Sony PRS-350SC	My daughter got the reading bug from me and always has her nose stuck in a book. She's about to graduate from high school, so I don't see that habit changing. But my boys...not so much. They have to work to find a book that really captures their attention to want to read. Doesn't happen often enough for my taste!

04-15-2011, 12:55 PM	#73
GA Russell Montreal wins Grey Cup! Posts: 7,583 Karma: 31484197 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	I wonder what percent of the population has had my experience. I had a good education. We read a lot of great literature in high school and college, much of which was over my head. But current best sellers and popular fiction were all the time sneered at by my teachers. I guess it started in grammar school when the librarians sneered at The Hardy Boys. My point being that although we read a great deal of assigned material, we were not encouraged to read what was not assigned. And needless to say, reading in school (with a deadline and a test for each book) was not particularly pleasant. I'm sure that it was the intention of my teachers that I read only quality. And I think the result was that reading for pleasure was not encouraged.

04-15-2011, 01:26 PM	#74
MrsJoseph Loves Ellipsis... Posts: 1,554 Karma: 7899232 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Kobo Wifi (broken), nook STR (returned), Kobo Touch, Sony T1	It was the opposite for me. I had to read for pleasure to get the boring crap out of my head. I majored in English and we read more boring annoying crap than I care to remember. The Awakening. Oh, the horror! I abhorred that book. I'd come back from class and dive right into my bookcase. Yeah, I had a bookcase in college...only partially stuffed with textbooks...

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