The Pros And Cons Of Still Attending College

Recently, many have begun to attack and degrade higher education in the United States. In the book How College Works, authors Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs claim, “As state support has eroded, and as more students attend college in an increasingly desperate attempt to find viable jobs, the price to students of attending an institution of higher education has gone up, especially at more selective institutions” (172). So is college even worth it? Caroline Bird’s excerpt from her book Case Against College “Where College Fails Us” is an adequately written article that agrees with those who question whether college is a good investment. Bird argues that although some students would benefit from college and succeed, many fall short, wasting

Thesis Driven Essay The article titled “Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off” by David Leonhardt is an article that tackles the different reasons why skeptics and critics think spending money and time in college wasting. Despite the advantages that have been experienced by America in comparison to Europe, it does not make sense having to explain why college education for the masses is a noble and profitable venture. The reasons among which are quoted by those opposing and critics is that it is an expensive venture. This might be true but it results in self improvement which is very valuable and not quantifiable in terms of price and can result in a good job which will, in turn, result into more money.

In his article, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” Charles Murray argues that too many people are going to college universities when they should be focusing on other lifestyle options. In his opinion, whether or not to attend college is a personal decision that should be thoroughly thought through. When weighed with the unrealistic prerequisites, the financial expenses, and the time needed to obtain a degree, many people will find that attending college will not be beneficial to them. Speaking of this Murray attests, “The question here is not whether the traditional four-year residential college is fun or valuable as a place to grow up, but when it makes sense as a place to learn how to make a living.

As a college student who is currently spending thousands of dollars to further my education and achieve a career goal, it was, at first, disheartening to read Caroline Bird ’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money”. However, after thoroughly examining her points, I now see that her essay is illogical. In her piece “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird argues against the idea that “college is the best place for all high-school graduates” (1); in other words, college isn’t for everyone. Throughout her writing, Bird supplies her readers with evidence that explains how, for some individuals, college is a waste of not only time and money, but of intellectual effort, as well.

Also, there are some students stuck it out in the college for one or two years, and they change their majors, start over, drop classes, and finally drop out without any degree. Schlack think going to college is not always the best option because those students who fail in college because they are not prepared for college, and people told them the only option for them is college. I think student will not succeed in college if they are not prepared. Students who think he or she won’t success in college they should find a job after high school or go to community college. Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill in their article “should everyone go to college,” they believed that everyone should have the chance to go to the college, and it is very important in our life.

The total U.S. student loan debt now surpasses $1.2 trillion and there is more than 40 million recipients owing on federal and private student loans (Malone). Most of the college students in the United States can’t afford their education by themselves and, as a result, students end up drowning in student loans in order to earn a degree. Student debt is a major problem in the US, and it is a major influence on the gap between rich and poor. A more accessible college education would help reduce the gap between rich and poor in the United States.

Throughout the essay, Charles Murray stresses the idea that college is the wonderland of finding oneself and to find the career that one would want to follow for the rest of their lives. “College is seen as the open sesame to a good job and a desirable way for adolescents to transition to adulthood. Neither reason is as persuasive as it first appears.” Murray, C (2008) Practically spoken, this is not normally the case. College is a fair amount of work, much more work than one would normally acquire through any course of a high school or secondary school setting.

Is college worth the money? This has been a question asked by millions of high school seniors, current college students, graduates, and parents across the United States. Many argue that it opens more doors over those who chose not to attend while others argue that we send too many students all while increasing the national student loan debt. Author Marty Nemko argues in his article, “We Send too Many Students to College,” that too many students are pushed to go to college. Nemko assumes that those reading his article are parents questioning if college is the right decision for their child.

High school graduates are starting to feel that they must go to college. Students are consistently being bombarded with different ideas of what to do after high school, most of which require some type of schooling or degree. Instructors and counselors commonly persuade students to think that we only have one option to be successful with a college degree. College might not be for everyone! From my research, I found many articles on reasons why people go to college, reasons they do not go to college, and statistics on going and not going to college.

In the world we live in today. Going to college is no longer a choice, or privilege, but rather a need for a brighter future . So the big question that happens to be going around is, “Is College really worth it?”According to Andrew J. Rotherham’s article “Actually, college is very much worth it.”, “5 Ways Ed Pays”produced by (The College board), and “Why College Isn't (And Shouldn’t have to be) For Everyone” written by Robert Reich. The answer to that question is yes.

“Is College the best option why or why not discusses the controversial issue of whether college is important or not. On one hand, while some argue that college is very important. Stephanie Owens and Isabel Sawhill writers of article “Should Everyone Go to College” asserts that we may be doing a disservice by telling all young people that college is the best option. Owens feels that college may be of service to some people, but not the best option for everyone.

A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.

If a person’s parent or guardian drilled the idea of college into your head, or if they told you ‘do what you want’ or ‘I don 't care’, or ‘You’re not going’. While college is great, there are other means of education. The value of college is a low because there are people who do not qualify for a college education, and also because there are other ways of post-secondary education other than college. College is not valuable because many people will not make it into a 2 or 4-year college, much less graduate from one. To support this, in the article Why College Isn 't For Everyone, it says, “As a general rule, I would use graduates in the top quarter of their class at a high-quality high school should go on to a four-year degree program, while those in the bottom quarter of their classes at a high school with a mediocre educational reputation should not.”

It has taken many years for people in society to break out of the norms and expectations of how to grow up and live in the world. A huge factor in this “revolution”: attending college. Whether it is taking a gap year to discover the world and the waiting opportunities, or simply running with it all after high school to work, attending college isn’t considered a given anymore. Now not all cases are the same for every person, therefore they can only decide what is the best path for them after high school. Still, the benefits of a being a college graduate will never be diminished.

Growing up, for most people, going to college is not an option- its an expectation. In our society, going to college has become a fundamental part of our education, becoming an adult, and for most people just simply part of our lives. However, as people grow up and experience reality, the realization hits that college may not be as simple as once thought. As much as attending college is expected from the majority of young people, dropping out of college is not. Even with the idealization of the college experience, some students are forced to cut their education short due to a plethora of issues.