“My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to in America. You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement. You could buy a house with almost no money down. You could become rich. You could instantly become famous.”
Thus begins “Two Kinds,” a short story by the acclaimed Chinese-American author Amy Tan. Telling the tale of two cultures, the story tells of Jing Mei, a young American girl whose mother, having lost everything in China, wants to realize her own dreams through her daughter, whom she hopes will become a child prodigy. While this story of parent-child conflict is universal, the mother's unfailing belief in her daughter's destiny is distinctly (ясно, заметно, определённо, несомненно, бесспорно) American. Pervasive (проникающий, распространяющийся повсюду) throughout our entire culture, the idea of the American Dream can be seen in the songs of such musicians as Elvis and Bruce Springsteen, the literary works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Tennessee Williams, and many of our Hollywood movies. Sometimes it is endorsed as something positive and worth striving for; at other times it is harshly criticized. Members of marginalized or minority groups in the US, such as African-American folk singer Tracy Chapman and Latino writer Junot Diaz, seek to show how it is not. But, no matter how people choose to view it, what exactly is this dream that looms so large in American consciousness?
The basic idea that most people have of the American Dream is the one which Tan expresses at the beginning of her story. It is the idea that a person can go from rags to riches, beginning with nothing and ending up with a big house, a stylish car, and enough wealth to ensure an even better future for one's children. However, the dream is actually more complex than this. In Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, which is one of the most famous literary explorations of the American Dream, we meet Willy Loman, an aging salesman who has fallen into a depression and ultimately commits suicide due to his conflicts with his family members as well as his own feelings of inadequacy. He is a man who has sought the American Dream and failed to achieve it. However, while Willy is indeed preoccupied over financial matters (his family is in deep debt), we soon realize that money is not what he yearns for. We learn that as a young man he chose to become a salesman not for material gain, but for recognition and affection. He recalls seeing an old salesman who was loved by all his clients and, after his death, was honored with a splendid funeral attended by hundreds of salesmen and buyers. For Willy Loman the American Dream consists not in wealth or even fame, but in honor, respect and love. Instead, he ends up with only failure and pity from the tiny smattering of people who attend his meager funeral. However, while Arthur Miller criticizes the American Dream by revealing the havoc it wreaks on a man and his family, he also expresses some admiration for it and suggests that there is a degree of nobility in the way Willy has lived and died. “A salesman has got to dream,” says Willy's neighbor Charley at the funeral. “It comes with the territory.”
In order to better understand the origins of this dream and its role in our history, we need only look at on object we use everyday: our money. Examining the US dollar bill, we see three mottos written on the seal. One of these is “E pluribus unum,” which means “Out of many, one.” This is the classic idea of democracy handed down to us from ancient Greece, the idea of uniting a diversity of people into the single entity of a nation. This idea is common to all democratic nations and is not unique to the United States. However, the next motto, “Novus Ordo Seclorum” (“A new order of the ages”) brings us closer to the idea of the American Dream. The United States was founded not merely because of colonists' disputes with Britain over taxes, but on ideas of justice and liberty. In declaring independence from Britain and later drafting the world's first written constitution, the founding fathers were essentially creating a new nation from scratch, a new order. This required a great deal of optimism, imagination, determination, and indeed a great deal of dreaming. However, it is the last motto - “Annuit Coeptis”- that most clearly reveals the American Dream at its essence. Translated into English, it means, “He has favored our endeavors,” and this “He” is implied to mean God. Needless to say, this motto is perplexing and indeed more than a little disturbing, for it implies that there is something exceptional about the United States, that our actions have some sort of divine sanction. However, looking at our country's history of expansion from coast to coast and intervention in world affairs, we definitely see that this is the exact attitude behind many of our actions and decisions. And while the US is by no means the only nation in the history of the world to have held this belief, it has perhaps taken it to heart more than most others.
Far from being a simple desire for riches or advancement, the American Dream is a complex phenomenon that has produced many reactions and counter-reactions in people. In the last century it led some people to support and give their lives in a very controversial (спорный, сомнительный; дискуссионный) war—the Vietnam War—and inspired others to march in protest of that same war. It has led some to ignore questions of ethics in their pursuit of wealth and fame, while it has led others to devote their lives to the task of making a difference in their country and the world. It is the dream of Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel and also the dream of Martin Luther King. It may be interpreted in hundreds of ways, criticized, rejected or pursued. But, no one can question that it is an integral part of our culture's foundation and invariably is here to stay.
American children start school at the age of five years. The first year at school is called kindergarten. It is required of all American children enrolled in the American education system. The second year at school is considered the first year of primary school and is referred to as first grade. In America, the word grade has two meanings: (1) the score achieved on an exam or in a course, and (2) a year of education in primary or secondary school. Primary school most commonly consists of five years of education, referred to as first through fifth grades.
Secondary school
Upon completion of fifth grade (the last year of primary school), American children enrolled in the American education system advance to secondary school. Secondary school most commonly consists of a total of seven years, referred to as sixth through twelfth grades. The ninth through twelfth grades are most commonly referred to as high school. Upon completion of twelfth grade, American students are awarded a certificate called the high school diploma. In the American education system, students must have obtained a high school diploma before they are admitted into college or university. Foreign students who would like to attend an American college or university must have completed coursework that is equivalent to what is taught at an American high school. Foreign students, who would like to attend an American high school, need to consider how the high school they select will give them access to the best colleges.
Undergraduate school
Students who have completed high school and would like to attend college or university must attend what is referred to as an undergraduate school. These are schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate (кандидат в бакалавры (младший специалист) В некоторых университетах и колледжах низшей ступени [junior college] - лицо, прослушавшее неполный курс, обычно двухгодичную программу из четырехгодичного курса, требуемого для получения степени бакалавра [bachelor's degree]) degree) or a four-year degree (called a bachelor’s degree (бакалавр Степень, которая присваивается после окончания четырехгодичного курса колледжа или университета)) in a specific course of study. That course of study is called the major (специализация Основной предмет, в котором специализируется студент в колледже или университете, выбирается на четвертом курсе (году обучения), непосредственно перед получением степени бакалавра. В высших учебных заведениях США предлагается свыше 1000 специальностей). While most schools that offer a four-year degree will admit students who have not yet chosen a major, all students are required to select (or declare) a major by their second year at school. Students who complete an associate degree can continue their education at a four-year school and eventually complete a bachelor’s degree.
Graduate school
Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree can continue their education by pursuing one of two types of degrees. The first is a master’s degree ((ученая) степень магистра Ученая степень, промежуточная между бакалавром и доктором, присваивается после 1-2 лет учебы в магистратуре). This is usually a two-year degree that is highly specialized in a specific field. Students are sometimes admitted to a master’s degree program only if they have a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field. However, there are many exceptions to this, such as with students who want to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree (деловое администрирование обр. программа университета или колледжа, предназначенная для подготовки менеджеров (как правило, высшего управленческого звена)). Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a doctorate degree (докторская степень), also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the course of study chosen, the ability of the student, and the thesis that the student has selected. The thesis is a very intensive research paper that must be completed prior to earning the degree. It is always required of students pursuing a PhD, and may sometimes be required of students pursuing a master’s degree (depending on the school).
Certain courses of study are only available at the graduate school level in America. The most notable of these are law, dentistry (профессия зубного врача), and medicine. Students who want to pursue a degree in one of these fields must first obtain a bachelor’s degree.
What is a bachelor’s degree?
A bachelor’s degree is the traditional degree given by American undergraduate colleges and universities. It normally requires at least four years but not more than five years of full-time college-level coursework. The two most common classes of bachelor’s degrees awarded by US schools are the Bachelor of Science degree (also called the B.S.) and the Bachelor of Arts degree (also called the B.A.). Some schools offer only the B.A. degree, even for science majors (such as a B.A. in biology). Other schools offer both the B.A. and the B.S. Bachelor degrees are what most students pursue when enrolling in a US university or college. People with a bachelor’s degree earn substantially more than those who don't. More and more jobs and careers today require applicants to posses an accredited (аккредитованный, общепринятый) bachelor degree. Some would argue that a bachelor degree is the first step to success.
All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must select a major, usually by the end of their second year. Students must complete a required number of courses (or units (Часть учебного курса, которую необходимо изучить для получения зачета [credit]. Обычно измеряется количеством часов аудиторной и лабораторной работы.)) within their major in order to graduate with a bachelor degree in that major. They may also be required to complete a number of courses in closely related fields in order to satisfy bachelor degree requirements. For example, a student who is majoring in chemistry will not only have to complete chemistry courses, but also mathematics, biology, and physics courses in order to graduate with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. In addition to the requirements for the major, students must also complete a series of courses outside of their major. These requirements will apply to all students attending the college, regardless of major. For example, all students may be required to complete courses in writing, foreign language, communications, and American history. There are various types of schools that offer bachelor’s degree programs.
A college graduate with a bachelor’s degree may find that degree to be insufficient for the type of profession he would like to have. It may often be necessary to pursue an advanced degree, such as a US master’s degree or US doctorate (also knows as PhD) degree, to advance your career. For example, a US master’s degree may be necessary if you are seeking a position as an economist with your local government, or you may need a PhD degree to teach at a university in your country. In addition, some disciplines are taught only at the graduate school program level in the USA. Among these are law, medicine, and dentistry, both of which are doctoral programs.
Not all USA colleges and universities offer USA master’s degree programs. Even fewer offer US PhD degree programs. Also, the number of majors offered at the graduate level by a graduate school will usually be much smaller than the number of majors at the undergraduate level. Occasionally, a school will only offer a major at the graduate program level. For example, Stanford University offers a USA master’s degree in business administration, but offers no undergraduate business degree program.
The US master’s degree is a graduate school degree that typically requires two years of full-time graduate school coursework to complete. Unlike students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, students in a master’s degree program will complete courses that are highly focused in their field of study (their major). As such, students must have already decided on their major before applying to a master’s degree program.
The US PhD degree or doctoral degree is even more focused and specialized than the master’s degree. Some students will complete a master’s degree before applying to a doctorate degree program, but that is not always necessary. Completion of a US doctorate degree typically takes between three and six years. The length of time will depend on the student’s educational background (a student with a master’s degree may take less time to complete his PhD if it is in the same field), the field of study selected, the student’s dedication and ability, and the complexity of the thesis the student has chosen for his PhD. The thesis is a very long, extensive, and original research paper that is a requirement for completing the PhD program. (Some master’s degree programs also require a thesis, but it is much simpler and shorter than the PhD program thesis.)
