James Thurber had many set backs in college. Thurber challenges society and the traditions of modern universities. In the essay "University Days" Thurber mocks the hegemonic structure of schools. He gives examples of the many outdated practices still used today. Thurber disagrees with many of the standard methods of teaching and gives examples of failures in amusing situations to hold the attention of his young audience.

Thurber describes a swimming class that he must pass in order to show that swimming is not an important step in becoming educated. The fact that he has someone else fill in for him to swim in the test does not make him less educated. Thurber presents a situation in gym class when he refuses to take the swim test by saying, "I pass my gym work anyway, by having an other student give my gymnasium number (978) and swim across...