Is College The Right Decision? Where are you planning on going to college? This question is asked of many high school juniors and seniors who are starting to prepare themselves for their future. However, is attending a four-year institution the best and only means of preparing oneself? Society seems to think so, for it pushes all high school students to attend college after graduation, even if it is not be the best option for everybody. By insisting that all students attend college directly after graduating high school, society is doing a disservice to many individuals. In particular, those who are not prepared for college. Numerous individual would be better off if they attend a trade school, directly enter into the workforce, or opt to delay committing to a four-year institution or other types of education. Society pushes its high school graduates to go to college because a college degree “is widely seen as the ticket to personal economic security,” according to Mary Beth Marklein, USA Today’s higher education reporter since 1997. To illustrate this point, she adds, “the percentage of Americans who believe college is essential to success in today’s world has gone from 31% to 55% [from 2000 to 2010].” In an article by The Wilson Daily Times, it states that a college degree is …show more content…
For example, a US News article by Alex Kingsbury describes how thousands of doctors, lawyers, and mechanics have gained knowledge and skills from military training which contributed to their ultimate success in their chosen fields. (maybe rephrase a bit) Another author who explores this topic in her article, “A Detour Before College,” points out that it can be beneficial to have military experience when job hunting because job employers understand the intense amount of responsibility, determination, and skills required to complete military
College is thought of as what every parent wants for their child, so they can go off andmake something of themselves. For the most part, this is true. Those who attend college arebetter off than those who do not, on average, earning far more than their undereducatedcounterparts. College is a worthwhile investment and should be pursued by all who have thechance because it helps students further their knowledge, it is a place to find who you are, and itgives them a different perspective of the world.College is worth the cost because if college was available for everybody and collegedegrees were handed out as commonly and at the same rate as high school diplomas then collegewould not be that special. Therefore, college would just be an extension of high school. Ifanyone could get their hands on a degree, how would you be able to get the job you want? It isbetter for college to cost money because if a student really wants to attend college and furthertheir education, they should have already been willing to pay or to find a way to pay for collegeto get the upper hand on the general
“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.” ("Isaac Asimov." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2016.) This quote by Isaac Asimov perfectly states how I personally feel about assumptions. In any event, it is good to have an open mind, especially when it comes to people's personal experiences and struggles. It is better to be a thoughtful person rather than assuming things about people that may not be true. That being said, Assumptions about community college students are unfair and incorrect. Misled people say that community college students are unable to attend a four-year university. As well as a degree from a community college is not as good as a university degree. I
As David Leonhardt states in his article, It College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say, “ When experts and journalists spend so much time talking about the limitations of education, they almost certainly are discouraging some teenagers from going to college...”. In spite this argument, I believe the purpose of college is to prepare me for a good, well- paying job when I graduate. Since I came from a family background in which girls are always on the bottom and can’t get out of the tradition in boys zone.
Some students would argue that a college education is not a vital aspect of the future of children because it is too much schooling, costs too much, and it is not needed for their future. First of all, these students have struggled through 13 years of school whether elementary, middle, or high school. They have endured many long days and late nights to pass their classes. Although it is true that 4+ more years of school will be mentally tough and hard to endure, these important years will help shape
The social standard seems to be that after finishing high school, students should attend college in order to have a bright future, but Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, in “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” question that notion. Colleges are trying to do too much, yet none of it is done well, they assert. However, in “Give Colleges More Credit,” Barry Glassner and Morton Schapiro argue the norm of many attending college will continue, despite the claims of those critical of the higher education system.
After graduation of my high school, I’ve decided not to attend college. I spent over three months preparing for college admissions. Over three months of studying for the SAT and writing essays for colleges. But, all this hard work was blown away in just a week. The week before the May 1st, the decision day, I had made my decision not to attend college. I have decided to return to my country and start working. Of course, there was a strong disagreement from my parents, but I didn’t hesitate. For the past years, I have worked in many different kinds of places and I have faced the true reality. This made me want to attend college and brought me to Concordia College.
In previous times it has been thought, by some, that with a college degree a person could have any job and would be very successful. In Colonial America, colleges were mainly founded by the wealthy. The goal of college at this time was to “produce Christian gentlemen who would inherit their family business” (Thelin). After a “college boom” so many state colleges were built and some became co-ed, adding “special” courses for women. The goal of college attendance still was not completion of a bachelor’s degree. College during this time was mainly primary learning so students could eventually move onto college-level higher learning. “Students sometimes took two years of courses in order to earn an LI (license of instruction) certificate to teach public school” (Geiger). Recently there has been debate over whether or not a college degree is really worth it anymore. Some people think getting an education isn’t worth the money. It can be argued that with a college degree you can get a better job. Going to college, seems to be the obvious next step for many high schoolers. Getting a college degree and education is worth it. Students will come to find that the benefits of having a degree outweigh the negatives. College helps prepare students for the future and exposes them to life experiences.
Many people may assume that attending trade school is less successful than going to community college. There are many misconceptions that an employer might prefer a college graduate over a trade school graduate. In fact, this can be misleading because there are many more advantages of a person going from trade school instead of a community college. These benefits include but are not limited to smaller student to teacher ratios, a huge difference in tuition and time invested in your desired career, and a higher possibility of fulfillment for both students and families. However, there are many people, including myself, that believe that trade schools benefits outweigh college benefits.
Both the authors believe that there is a great deal of external influence when students determine their academic route. Lieberman believes that media sources try to negate students from attending college by releasing pressuring stories about concerning unemployment rates that involve recent college graduates (1), and Bird contends that “adults … parents, employers, high school counselors … push, shove and cajole youngsters to ‘get an education’” (218). Nevertheless, Lieberman and Bird predominantly have starkly contrasting ideas about whether a college education is valuable or not. Simply put, Lieberman believes that college is a valuable investment while Bird believes college is not worthy
The debate on whether or not students should attend college after achieving a high school degree is one that many would like to consider two-sided; Debra Humphreys says that “going to college is clearly better than not going,” but Claire Potter mentions the opposite side, quoting an unnamed professor who says that “the vast majority of people who end up in our community college system don’t belong in college at all.” I would argue that the issue is not two-sided, and that there are more complexities to the issue than are always printed in media; to say that all college students should go to college or that all should not attempt to place a variety of different cases into a single group. Perhaps a better option is to say that college (in the traditional sense, with boarding and special liberal arts programs) should be recognized as an option for students immediately after their high school graduation, but other options, including the choice to go to vocational school or entrance straight into the workforce, should be considered.
College is the place where people go to retain the necessary training for a job that requires specific skills, which results in earning a higher pay check. In today’s world, employers are scouting out for individuals with the proper dexterities to fill the shoes for that specific job. Blanche D. Blank, the author of “A Question of Degree," argues that possessing a degree of higher education isn’t the only way to have a very successful life. This statement is highly argumentative, due to the fact that college graduates still out-earn people without degrees. Obtaining a college degree is one of the best things someone can do for themselves, when it comes to looking for a stable job. There is also so much more to college than just receiving a
Charles Murray, the author of “What’s Wrong With Vocational School?” discusses how too many of today’s high school graduates wrongfully head off to a four-year college. For a large majority of the population, a college education is unnecessary. Murray says that a lot of students don’t even want an advanced education. Even if they do want an education, they aren’t qualified for it. Additionally, a large number of these students are striving for an education or experience that a four-year college isn’t meant to fulfill.
In “Should Everyone Go to College?” Isabel Sawhill and Stephanie Owen make a strong valid point on whether or not college is for everyone. For many students ready to leave high school, wondering whether they should attend college is an issue that may lay heavy on one teenagers mind. There are a few factors that could be a difficult decision depending on a person’s goal they are working towards. Some students jump right into the workforce after high school.
The ability to gain a degree in any field of study is highly important in American society, possessing skills and knowledge over your job emphasizes the significance of higher education. Especially, for job promotions that would cause someone to make more than their fellow colleagues. In our increasingly competitive economic society, having the minimal of a high school diploma is not enough to provide financial stability nor will it help to compete in a workforce in which the best-educated are the ones that are rewarded the most. Therefore, higher education is a crucial necessity in order to move up the socioeconomic ladder and qualify for higher paying jobs. The rising costs of college, however, is making it harder for Americans to obtain
By attending college, students guarantees themselves a better job that the average Joe. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more jobs require education beyond high school. With a college education, an individual will have more jobs from which to choose. In addition to obtaining a better job, people who go to college usually earn more money than those who do not. College furnishes you with proper credentials and documents to land high-level jobs. Figures from an A&E television program on ‘The Working Class’ show that in 2004 the average earnings were $23,895 for a high school graduate and $41,478 for individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Getting a college education is simply a stepping stone in ensuring yourself with a good start in life. Some may agree that college students are open minded and knows exactly how to expre...