17. Lots of College Freshmen Are About to Dump Their High-School Sweethearts

    This article presented by The Atlantic, and written by Caroline Kitchener talks about how the weekend after Thanksgiving the majority of high school relationships for now Freshmen in college end. Kitchener states the most college Freshmen only go back home during Thanksgiving break, meaning they only see their high school girlfriends or boyfriends after four months, making this encounter awkward and decisive for the couple's future. Kitchener calls this the "turkey drop." She states the cliché idea of what college is supposed to be like, with parties, drinking and having reckless fun, and argues on how having a high school, long-distance relationship instead of going to parties and meeting new people does not seem enough fun. She explains that this sad reality of "trial and error" of finding your soul mate in college will only end once people realize that this ideal college experience is not what college is about.
   Kitchener uses an informal writing, this way she connects with the audience that are high school and college students. She also uses many analogies throughout the article. Kitchener mentions movies about college and raps that give advice on college. "From movies like Animal House, Van Wilder, and 21 and Over, we get this idea that college is the only time in our lives when we can do stupid, drunken things and not get in too much trouble.  The bridge of Asher Roth’s legendary rap anthem, 'I Love College,' offers freshmen just one piece of advice: 'Do something crazy!'" She also quotes researchers such as,  Dr. Christopher Thurber, a psychologist at Phillips Exeter Academy. The purpose of this article is to inform the cycle that goes on with high school relationships once they go on to college.



http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/lots-of-college-freshmen-are-about-to-dump-their-high-school-sweethearts/281860/