College Worth It Essay
Mrs. Vilato
Eng. 003
7, February 2012
College: The Greatest Decision You Can Make “In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education”(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them stand out in job interviews. College helps develop skills that are necessary for life, and gives them an education that will enhance their future; and despite its few drawbacks, college is worth it. Americans today tend to believe that college is four years of partying and fun while earning a degree, and there is validity in that belief, but one must also include the four years of learning and hard work. One benefit of college is all of the fun activities that there are to take part in. These activities that college students take part in give the students two important things in life: stress management abilities and connections. Students work hard all week and then finally get the chance to relax and do something they enjoy on the weekends. That “down time” is spent relaxing, and trying to figure out a non-stressful way to complete all homework and projects and still go out for fun. The stress management relates to time management, as students want to do work in a logical time frame that keeps life easy. These two skills relate to life after college because once someone has a job they have to manage the stress of the job and complete tasks in a timely manner. On May 16, 2011, Paul Taylor and his research team from Pew Social
Eng. 003
7, February 2012
College: The Greatest Decision You Can Make “In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education”(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them stand out in job interviews. College helps develop skills that are necessary for life, and gives them an education that will enhance their future; and despite its few drawbacks, college is worth it. Americans today tend to believe that college is four years of partying and fun while earning a degree, and there is validity in that belief, but one must also include the four years of learning and hard work. One benefit of college is all of the fun activities that there are to take part in. These activities that college students take part in give the students two important things in life: stress management abilities and connections. Students work hard all week and then finally get the chance to relax and do something they enjoy on the weekends. That “down time” is spent relaxing, and trying to figure out a non-stressful way to complete all homework and projects and still go out for fun. The stress management relates to time management, as students want to do work in a logical time frame that keeps life easy. These two skills relate to life after college because once someone has a job they have to manage the stress of the job and complete tasks in a timely manner. On May 16, 2011, Paul Taylor and his research team from Pew Social
Cited: Carnevale, Anthony P, and Michelle Melton. “Major Differences: Why Undergraduate Majors Matter.” Presidency Fall 2011: 30-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. The authors, Director of Georgetown University Center, Education and the Workforce and a research assistant, use information from their own school and statistics of wages of college graduates. They are credible because they add depth to the argument of what major a person decides on and how that decision effects their salary in the future. They discuss how not all degrees hold the same economic value and encourage students to not only think if college is for them, but what major is best for their future. Cohn, D’Vera. “Is College Worth it?” Pew Research Center. N.p., 16 May 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/05/15/is-college-worth-it/>. This source is from the Pew Research Center, in other words a place dedicated to finding facts. This source is credible because it is not opinionated and it is a broad survey of over 2000 people. This source also covers both sides of the argument. There are statistics that add to my argument and help to provide a counter argument for what is cited by Carnevale and Melton state in a separate source. The counter argument provided by this allows me to make my argument stronger and more concrete. Making Headlines Since The ‘70s: Is College Worth It?. National Public Radio. 18 June 2011. http://www.npr.org/2011/06/18/137257390/making-headlines-since-the-70s-is-college-worth-it. Web. Transcript. 23 Jan. 2012. This broadcast/article is a credible source because it is an unbiased source. NPR (National Public Radio) broadcasts to all demographics and is unbiased in its broadcasts. The staff writers point out how most people take the worst cases of college graduates and use them to stereotype all of them, when that is not the case. They take a logical viewpoint on the issue and show that when the recession ends things will go back to normal. This source is in agreement with the Pew source because both state that college is rather expensive and may not be for everyone.