How Children Succeed QQC

Quote: "As a result, American college campuses became less elite and more diverse"

Questions: Is diversity to blame for the stalling of the higher education system? Can't diversity help higher education by helping find a wider variety of successful graduates?

Comment: This quote is interesting to me because, although it's important for all kinds of people to get a good education, the more people who have college degrees the more the values of the college degree decreases. I guess it could be argued however that, a more prestigious degree will help someone stand out better to a potential employer, but that will just start the process over again, and eventually all degree will be equally prestigious.

Drive QCCQ

Quote: "the best predictor of success, the researchers found, was the prospective cadet's ratings on a noncognitive, non-physical trait known as "grit"- defined as perseverance, and passion for long term goals."

Comment: This quote is interesting because because it talks about how success isn't determined from how smart you are, or how strong you are, but how passionate you are about your goal.

Connection: It reminds me of the last reading of nature verses nuture, but this quote is more supporting the nuture arguement than the nature, due to the fact that it is saying cognitive and physical traits, that you might have been born with, aren't as important as grit. It also reminds me of the movie Captain America, in the scene where they're talking about how one soldier is a good because of his strength, but then when they test for bravery they find that Captain America really has the grit that they need.

Question: How do they exactly to they test for "grit"? If it's a noncognitive, non-physical trait, how do you test if someone has it? Wouldn't grit be a state of mind and therefore a cognitive trait?