Lawrence Shlack Not Going To College

Lawrence B. Schlake, author of the article Not Going To College Is A Viable Option, suggest that there are many different opportunities that can lead to further success in life other than attending college. Throughout the article, Schlake references the European “gap year” and numerous other reliable options instead of college. As a superintendent, Mr. Schlake is a credible source when it comes to dealing with students entering the workforce or exploring career opportunities. The use of persuasive techniques and evidence displayed throughout the article is very effective in persuading the reader that college isn’t suited for everyone.

In the article “We send to many students to college,” Marty Nemko discusses how college may not be the answer for everyone, and how a person can be successful without college. Nemko argues that it is most likely that a person that is at the bottom half of their graduating class in high school is not going to earn a diploma while in college. Nemko also says that a person that has been to college could end up working a job that a non-college graduate would be working because of the degree that a person has is useless. Many may think that a person that has a college degree is better off, but a person that didn’t graduate may work harder, and be more motivated in life to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves. According to Nemko “Colleges

Schlack states, “Other honorable non-college choices right out of high school include military service, cultural immersion while working in an overseas country, mission work in Central or South America, becoming a nanny, a hospital aide, or teaching English overseas.” Schlack believes many of us should be preparing for the work force instead of college. It's never brought to the reader's attention that going college, in fact, assures you more money than not going to college at all. The author is also assuming that the people that don't go to college are willing to go to the military or work overseas, Not going to college is choosing a harder life in the future. Another example the the author gives for students who don't chose college is a “...‘Gap Year.’ It’s the year after secondary education in which the graduate times time off for travel, work or public service before making a decision whether to go to high education.” Schlack introduces the idea of a gap year but never explains how it’s beneficial for one's future. Either way, taking a Gap Year is not a the best idea, most students who take a gap year find it hard to come back to all the stress that school comes

He claims, “ College, however is not always the logical next step for high school graduates”. (40) In this case, Schlack provides multiple alternatives that could substitute/replace college. However, some alternatives aren't always the best option. For example, the author mentions an assistant manager position at a local gas station, right out of high school. Although, the position will benefit the graduate and teach business skills without having to attend college, the same could be said vice versa. In this case, college can provide the opportunity of managing a business that is much more influential and substantial. Under those circumstances, attending college would be a better option than an assistant manager

Daniel Ally, author of the article The 5 False Promises of College, makes it quite clear that he is not a big advocate for attending college especially if what you want to pursue does not necessarily require a degree. He expresses that students are being swindled from paying hundreds of dollars on books that takes just ten dollars to make and market as well as not being guaranteed a job when they finally graduate. He essentially is telling readers that depending on certain professions school is “highly recommended”, but for others such as entrepreneurship school is not necessary.

Unless the job requires a degree, there is not really a need to go to college. College can be overrated, because many people end up paying off student loans for the rest of their life, even if they did not finish college. Linda wrote about how she was paying $1000 a week for her son to party. If they are not going to class, then there is no reason to stay.

Many jobs that one would get right out of high school are usually labor intensive or just not ideal conditions. These jobs include being the grunt worker for a construction company, working on a farm, or being a janitor. These job might not be terrible, but someone who does these would eventually become tired of their working environment. Having a college degree will typically end in having a more enjoyable job. Jobs like teaching, nursing, engineering, and accounting are all professions that require some sort of college degree and are considered nicer jobs with a better work environment. College will help students get a better job, but it will also make that student more prepared for adult

People expect students to educate themselves and go to college. However, college now a days is not worth the cost because of social changes, the increase in inflation and bankruptcy. Not attending college might make some people’s lives easier because they can just find a job without a degree.

Now, the problem with most blogs and arguments today is that even though we acknowledge that there is some kind of problem without ever actually offering a solution to the issue. That is not the case here because the solution to this problem is quite simple. Do something, anything else really just don’t go to college! Now true college was made for some people but for those who feel like the alternatives might be for them, there is a book out there call 50 Alternatives to College. It is written by, yes, a college graduate named James Altucher and while it seems a bit absurd that a graduate would want to tell others not to go, but it is because he went that he can say to others not to go almost like a savior in some regard. Think of yourself

According to David Leinhardt in Source D, “Not sending them to college would be a disaster.” Even if the person does not finish the degree, he or she is better prepared for life. For example, going to college provides new experiences and encourages maturity and critical thinking in the individual. To discourage someone from going to college is like telling them they cannot achieve their dreams. In a sense, they are not good enough to compete in today’s world.

The New York Times says that skipping college for no reason besides other than that the pace of gains has slowed, is akin to the idea of skipping medication for no reason other than the pace of medical improvements isn't what it used to be (Source D). Not attending college can be detrimental to a students life path and career. College is supposed to be a time of fun, growth and developing skills to help you pursue your passion. Learning in a higher education environment contends to helping students become agents of change, not victims of it (Source B). Becoming a well rounded and happy member of society is all based on the prep one receives for their future self; further education is another step to getting you

There are many choices and paths to choose when the time comes to attend college however, a question to ask is, is it worth it? If decided to attend college, the following decision to be made revolves around an area of study one would like to pursue and the topic of study that will be available for them. Though many can further their education in different ways, a couple of ways consist of attending a four year college (private/ public) or a community college. Not going to college at all is the other alternative, but is it really a smart idea? Most adults have continuously told young students all through high school to attend college. A student’s chance of economic success in the future can be risen due to a college education. Judith Scott-Clayton, who is an assistant professor of economics and education at Teachers College at Columbia University states, “Individuals with bachelor’s degrees earn about 60 percent more than those with just a high school diploma, who in turn earn about 40 percent more than high school dropouts.” Students who seek higher education, are more likely to experience a better future and a better life. The cost of going to college may seem overwhelming at times however, the experiences and education obtained throughout college is priceless in regards to the way one interacts with others on a global basis, has a stronger job stability, and has better employment benefits.

One must consider their choice of major, cost of school, where they are attending school, and a variety of other factors. Depending on the situation college may not be a smart investment (Owen and Sawhill 209). I agree with this notion that some people are not meant for college, but we as a society still push the idea of college which creates conflicting thoughts in the mind of a student. When discussing the benefits of attending college the biggest supporting reason revolves around further expanding one’s knowledge in order to earn a higher income. They use ethos in their appeals but they fail to provide evidence of this. They may show numbers that are skewed showing the difference in salary of a high school graduate and a college graduate but they don’t show the majors that earning that high income. They don’t show the number of college graduates without a job and how much debt they are in. Owen and Sawhill do a tremendous job in their report of giving us those numbers and statistics to back up their

“A person with a bachelor’s degree can earn as much as a millon over a lifetime than someone with just a high school diploma”. This may be true to many people but I don't believe in that because there has been a lot of people with successful jobs. Steve Jobs, “Commencement Speech at Stanford” implies that he didn’t go to college, but he created Apple which is worth $2 billion and he had 4,000 employees. “I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest i’ve ever gotten to a college graduation”(Steve Jobs). Theres still hope for you being successful without stepping a foot at a college

College is not for everyone, nor is it required for a lot of jobs today. A reason that people do not necessarily have to go to college is because most jobs today don’t require going to college. Last year, “according to the federal reserve bank of new york, 46 percent of recent college graduates were in jobs that don’t even require a college degree.” This is saying that majority of those that went to college wasted their time and money for something that was not needed. The more people waste their time, the longer it will take to be successful. This is one example that supports why college is not necessary.