Is College A Lousy Investment? Essay

Stephanie Owen's and Isabel Sawhill's report "Should Everyone Go To College" debates whether or not college is the right option for everyone. They begin with the fact that not all degrees or college graduates are equal. Choosing the right degree has a lot to do with the success of a college graduate. People who choose to go to college need to look at the job outlook for the degree they want to get while attending college. Those who choose a degree that has a lot of jobs and opportunities for success will find that college could possibly pay off. The people that do not do their research before getting their degree might struggle finding jobs and be forced to take a job that they could have had without a college education.

Everyone should go to college: many people grew up hearing and believing that this was true. President Obama even calls high education “an economic imperative.” Two women authors, Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, wrote “If they [Americans] choose wisely and attend a school with generous financial aid and high expected earnings, and if they don’t just enroll, but graduate, they can greatly improve their lifetime prospects,” published in 2013 in the article, Should Everyone Go to College? Owen and Sawhill begin building their credibility with numerous amounts of statistics, educating their readers with variations in the return to education, and by utilizing visual aids to allow their audience to better understand such information. By doing

A huge topic that is asked in today’s society is covered by Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s popular article “Should Everyone Go to College?” The title itself is self explanatory- should everyone go to college? Explained by the authors, they believe that telling all young people that they should go to college is actually a disservice (209).

Despite what the current belief about higher education might convey, not everyone has to attend college. Larry Cuban attests to the rendering mantra of everyone needs to go to college in his blog post, “Why Everyone Shouldn't Go To College”, reposted by The Washington Post. Surely Cuban does not agree with common and popular belief that everyone needs to attend college in order to be successful in life. Cuban leaves the reader with the uncertain questions of, what could they do instead going to college, will they make a stable living, does higher education mean they’ll not be as successful as a person who doesn’t? Cuban does not address the different options that a person can attend other than college or the benefits of actually attending college.

Caroline Bird writes the statement in her 1975 article “The Case Against College (Bird 15-18)” that not every high school graduate is ready to attend college. It is 2010 and this article is still valid today. Some of the college students I have been around were not mature enough for obedience school let alone college. A few of the points she makes in the article are: College has never worked its magic for everyone. Does it make you a better person? Are colleges responsible for your children? Are my children living in a country club? I will use some of my own experiences as an example of college life, as well as examples from my daughter’s college experience, along with my nephews as well. All to find the answer to the big question: Are

The Case Against College makes substantial points against the choice for all students to move on to college after high school. I believe that the author, Linda Lee, has a point that all students do not need to go to college. Though, I don’t quite agree with all of her views. I believe that a student should go to a college or vocational school. Other forms of training, such as the military, would also be a good choice to go into. Without education or training beyond secondary schooling, most individuals will not be able to get high paying jobs.

Is college worth it? This one question turns into this debate high school seniors begin to think about before graduating. In our society you cannot really say no to college education because many make it known as a necessity to be successful in life. Many of our parents have raised us to know that college is a must go and that there are no failures. However some may think different. A lot of people may think that not setting a foot in a university or community college does not make them successful and that they will do just fine without a degree towards a career. We all know once someone graduates they are not always guaranteed a successful life with well-paid career and awesome benefits for you and your family. There are different views from both sides of this debate.

In discussions of whether too many children now days decide to go to college, one controversial issue has been if kids can get equal knowledge in the workplace without the debt. On the one hand, the article “Are Too Many People Going to College?” by Charles Murray, argues that too many kids are going to college who aren’t college material, and are either wasting their time or flunking out. On the other hand Freeman Hrabowski with “Colleges Prepare People for Life” contends by writing about how colleges not only prepare you for your career, but for life. Then there is somewhat of a middle ground with Liz Addison, who believes that two year community college programs are the way to go, because they offer a chance to learn at a level you will understand and maybe enjoy, which lessens the chance of you being a dropout. My own view is that a college degree is needed to get into certain occupations but, many circumstances it would be a waste of money. It all depends on what interests that individual and what they will easily excel at.

In the essay, “Should Everyone Go to College?,” Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill cover all aspects of this topic. They include the rate and variations of return and policy implications, and they also give many statistics to support all of their arguments. It is a very well-assembled essay that gives both sides of the topic. It is a very well put together essay that allows the reader to further understand the topic.

Perry’s article is effective in arguing that everyone should go to college and he is able to make this strong argument with his use of logos throughout the essay. He begins his article by stating a fact that “removing 80-90 percent of our students would interrupt the pipeline of skilled workers, making it nearly impossible to meet the needs of a society that has outlined postsecondary credential as an entry point for most professions” and in doing so he makes a clear basis for what his argument will be and how he chooses to support it (Perry,670). This introduction sets the tone of his article and portrays his logical voice. He makes the logical statement, based on facts that the country needs people who have gone to college. He is then logically able to flow his essay into the idea that “ we need more, not fewer university and community college graduates,” which is supported by his previous argument that it is important for entry into most professions (Perry, 671). Through the use of statistics, Perry strengthens his statement that people should be attending college. His essay follows a logical flow of the rewards or consequences of not attending college, which all stem from his main argument that college is necessary for a good economy and a better standard of

Who should go to college? We live in a world where some people are forced to go to college or some people are told college is not for them. Should college only be for those with higher intelligence, should people put college to the side and only focus on work, or is it set in store for some to follow in the footsteps of their parents who did not attend college? There are some that protest against some going to college, on the other hand, there are some that indicate that everyone should attend college. In my opinion, everyone should be able to attend college. When I was younger my mother always advocated the importance of attending college, she did not want me to be like her trying to attend college in my thirties. That is why I am going to try hard in everything I do. Seeing my mother struggle was enough for me that is why I feel that attending college is consequential.

One question that comes to mind when graduating high school is, “should I attend college?” For many graduates this question have a very obvious answer. A high school graduate may state that, “college is the best option if one is trying to get a higher level of education, and will help one compete for a higher paying job.” However, in my opinion most graduates do not consider the fact that going to college is a very big decision to make and that the schoolwork will not be easy. Going to college is not the best choice for every high school graduate because many students cannot handle college, colleges’ lower standards, and not all jobs require a college degree.

In the essay “Are Too Many People Going to College,” writer Charles Murray explains that not everyone is in need of going to college for three main reasons: a liberal education should be gained in elementary and middle school, many people already have knowledge and skills necessary for a technical career, and many students are in college to “buy an admission ticket-the B.A.” (246) and ensure employers consider their resume. Murray does not argue anything against college itself but more against society and especially the education system. Murray also accuses guidance counselors and parents of “automatically encouraging young people to go to college straight out of high school being thoughtless about the best interests of young people” (249).

In the debate about whether college is worth attending, many argue that college is worth it but others argue that college is not worth it. Those who argue that college is worth it contend to say that college graduates make more money, college allows students to explore career options, and not going to college will cost people more money in the future but on the other hand, those who argue that college is not worth it contend to say that college graduates are employed in jobs that do not require degrees, students who do not graduate waste their own money and the governments money, and student debt can cause another financial crisis for students who are already struggling with financial aid. While it is true that college does cause many problems already, college is worth attending and worth all the problems at the end of the road.

The decision to obtain a higher education beyond high school is no longer a question of if, but when. This is the question that author Caroline Bird discusses in her article, “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” written in 1975. This text strives to convince students, parents, and advisors that obtaining a degree might not be in the best interest for those involved. Circling around the idea that college is a requirement and no longer an act of free will. Bird starts the article off strongly by building her credibility through her own personal research and other credible sources as well as appealing to readers through logical reasoning using numerous statistics, but fails to convince readers and discredits her ultimate goal through a disconnect in her use of analogies.