In both “Stop Scaring students”, by Devorah Lieberman and “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, by Caroline Bird, the authors consider the value of college education. Due to the long-term investment in higher education, college students should be informed about certain aspects of college, concerning whether college is beneficial or non-beneficial. Both oppositions present themselves with a strong argument, but only by looking at their similarities and differences one can uncover which is the best path for college students. In the article “Stop Scaring Students” Devorah Lieberman expresses her ideas that college education is an important investment that pays off extensively in a long run, despite claims in recent media reports. Lieberman …show more content…
In the 1975 excerpt “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Bird conveys her belief that college is generally not as fulfilling as it is typically portrayed to be. Bird proposes that students attend college for reasons other than academic ambitions first hand, she believes that people attend college due to peer or parental pressure (217). Bird explicitly states … “college is at best a social center or aging vat, and a “prison” that young adults attend to augment the years in which they don’t have to take responsibility as an adult in a conventional life (217). Bird believes that college is wasteful if people attend for the wrong reasons, implying that only academically qualified people actually belong in a college environment. Bird proceeds to say that “psychic income” is a major disadvantageous factor for potential college students. Psychic income is defined as, an abstract satisfaction involving a career that is non-monetary in nature (222). Bird explains this concept, saying that college students refer to this when they consider finding a “good” job, but in actuality these jobs are hard to come by (223). Generally speaking, Bird thoroughly communicates her titular idea that college is a waste of time and …show more content…
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
While some say that college is a good investment due to its tendency to grow a student's character and intellectual ability, the downsides to college sorely outweigh the potential benefits that it has. While college does grow a student in multiple ways, “57% say that the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend.”(Doc F). This majority opinion demonstrates that the growth you can achieve in college is sorely outweighed by its economic cost, and not worth doing.
Students these days need to be able to put effort and time in their school work. You should be wanting to get your degree. College cannot be bought it is how you value your education. The value of education is based on the student’s actions. The author stated, “the decision to go to college is a decision to make an investment in their future, and investment of time and money.” The investment is to factor the value of courses to students.
In “Actually, College Is Very Much Worth It” , Andrew J. Rotherham opens this piece addressing the issue of whether or not college is “worth it”. Rotherham effectively builds his case that college is essentially the better choice for us. Additionally, he acknowledges opposition of those who are anti-college. He allows us to have ‘free will” in the decision-making process, but presents the information in a way we cannot ignore the obvious facts. Rotherham conveys the idea that college does not guarantee a successful entry job, but it creates a path of opportunities for us.
Bruni begins by describing the golden promise of college as it appeared for baby boomers. In that time getting into college and completing a degree was enough to be successful. He acknowledges that this idealized vision of college may be inaccurate, however, he asserts that the issue is far more “complicated” than it once was. Bruni makes use of a recent (2012) debate over student loan interest rates in the U.S. to explore the issues surrounding college education today. While rising student debt is certainly part of the problem he suggests that the issue extends beyond that. College is now a “luxury item with newly uncertain returns” (Bruni). While rising costs make college a luxury item that not everyone will be able to afford, even those who can and do manage to go to college are not guaranteed success.
“Why College is Still Worth It Even Though It Cost Too Much.” Money.com (2015): N.PAG. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 11 Oct. 2016 The author of this paper address that a lot of college students feel like the time, money, and effort is not worth it; However, studies show that it does pay off by receiving higher pay, better work hours, and better benefits, such as insurance plans. A poll was done using college alumni to see if they thought that college paid off, and of the 30,000 that were in the poll a majority of them agreed that it did. Also, the writer includes several other polls conducted to show the life-long impacts of a college education, which includes better career and friendship
Based on Three Reasons College Still Matters, there are three main reasons why a college education is so important. From an economical standpoint, an education is most of the time needed to earn enough money to live comfortably. Attending and completing college provides a possibility for future economic stability. Within a highly competitive workforce a college degree can put a foot in the door to a job of a person’s choice. Statistics show that people who obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher get paid more than those who do not obtain one. Many question the worth of a college degree because of how expensive it is, though some say that the money spent is an investment on a person’s future. One can say that the worth of a college education is within the eye of the beholder. Many q...
Is college worth it? Is college worth the time and energy you invest? This is a question that many students ask themselves as the cost of college rises and jobs are harder to find. As a 27 year, old college student myself I really thought about this question. I had to think back when I first started college at the age of 18 and how I was excited about starting college. I easily got tired of all the work that it took to get the degree so I dropped out. After having my first child and trying to work and take of her and myself with only making minimal wages, barely get by that when I knew college is worth it. A college education is one of the most reliable paths to financial success for students and gives the opportunity
The argument about if college is worth it or not has been one of the biggest arguments throughout the media for decades. Students suffer a lot from the debts that they get from college and also the amount of studying that they do in college and when they graduate they ask themselves “is graduation from college really worth all the money that we paid and all the work that we have done?”
In the article “College is Not a Commodity. Stop treating it like one,” Hunter Rawlings explains how people today believe that college is a commodity, but he argues that it’s the student’s efforts; which gives value to their education. Rawlings states that in recent years college has been looked at in economic terms, lowering its worth to something people must have instead of earn. As a professor Rawlings has learned that the quality of education has nothing to do with the school or the curriculum, but rather the student’s efforts and work ethic. Rawlings explains the idea that the student is in charge of the success of his or her own education, and the professor or school isn’t the main reason why a student performs poorly in a class. Rawlings
Everyone knows that person from high school that just wasn’t cut out for college. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but if you’re thinking about heading off to college like many American teenagers often do, think about this: going to college can be a waste of both your time and your money. I’m not the first to say it, and I sure as hell won’t be the last. In Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s essay, Should Everyone Go to College?, the two authors take a strong economic approach to justify going to college. Owen, an ex- senior research assistant at Brookings’ Center on Children and Families and current research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan center for research on the problems of urban communities, and Sawhill, the co-director of the Center on Children and Families and a senior fellow in economic studies at Brookings, claim that the return on investment (ROI) of a college education is overwhelmingly positive on average; However, they also bring light
Owen and Sawhill maintain that college can positively affect one’s life by “affecting things like job satisfaction, health, marriage, parenting, trust, and social interaction. Additionally, there are social benefits to education, such as reduced crime rates and higher political participation” (Owen and Sawhill 640). By expressing this, Owen and Sawhill are trying to bring to mind the idea that by going to college, you will be an all around better citizen, which definitely plays with emotions because who doesn’t want to be a good citizen. Furthermore, Owen and Sawhill remark on the college decision process. Here, thier general claim is that when choosing a college, it is better to choose a college that will benefit you financially, not just the one you
...ing from 18 and older and an online survey in order to determine what people felt about college education. At the end of the survey they realize that a majority of the people felt that college education is worth their investment and a few felt it was not worth but rather costly, due to the debt they had to pay after their college degree. The article also emphasized that it is high time the government finds ways and means to cut the cost of college tuition so that people can changed their minds of not continuing with their education. The source contributes to my essay in a way that it gives the readers the idea to why people may or may not value college education. The information in the article is accurate and reliable because pew research center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.
In “College Is a Waste of Time and Money,” Caroline Bird, a college lecturer makes very good and valid points that college is wasting time and money. She describes how society has pushed students into getting higher education right out of high school. Leaving us with the question, are students getting a higher degree of education to better their future or to keep them busy and paying an institution.
In Caroline Bird’s “College is A Waste of Time and Money”, it’s argued that there are many college students who would be better off if they were to begin working after high school graduation. Colleges and universities can no longer ensure that one will go on to get a better job, getting paid more than they would have without a higher education. However, high school seniors still stress about where they will be attending college, how they’re going to pay for it and what they’re going to study for the next four years. Bird points out how college has changed over the past few decades and how, in turn, it has set many young adults up for disappointment, if nothing else.
Senator John Kerry said in a 2004 presidential debate that “Our college students represent only 20 percent of our population, but they are 100 percent of our future. They are our greatest investment, and we must help them understand the importance of investing in their selves.” Today a college education is something to be treasured. In both earning potential and learning potential, a college education is worth every dime and penny. Just like any investment, a college education requires planning, saving, and perhaps some sacrifice. But it is an investment that will continue to pay you back for a lifetime. Individuals with a college education have better job opportunities, earn more money and develop skills and knowledge that can never be taken away. So in agreeing with Senator Kerry, making the investment of a college education is the greatest investment we will ever make.