The Value of a College Degree Having a college degree is arguably one of the most important things you can achieve in your lifetime. In today’s society, it is getting much more difficult to survive without one. Most places of business that offer substantial wages and benefits require some sort of college degree. This is a problem for most people in the United States due to the fact that only 17% of the U.S. population has earned a college degree (Odland). Throughout Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich writes of the many obstacles that she runs in to while trying to live off of a few minimum wage jobs. It is my opinion, that a person can live better and have more opportunities to grow if they have a college degree. In the article “Is College Really Worth It” by Gil Weinreich, the Pew Research Center says, “on …show more content…
My parents always made enough money to get by and give my brother and me everything that we needed. However, when it came to funding my college education, there wasn’t enough extra money. So when I headed out to the University of Kentucky, I had a few little scholarships but I had to use a student loan to cover the rest. That is something no person wants to have to do because you’re automatically in debt before you even get started. College costs have been rising roughly at a rate of 7% per year for decades (Odland). College is too expensive for students to pay for as it is without the cost going up higher every year. People are realizing that they can’t pay for their education so they are not only turning to loans but, even worse, many are not attending at all. Four-year institutions experienced a 7.2% decrease in enrollment between fall 2011 and 2012 according to National Student Clearinghouse (Dickson). If that doesn’t tell you that we have a problem then I don’t know what
Fallacies are something to be aware of in our daily lives as hidden agendas may be lying around. Fallacies have to do with the reasoning of the argument that makes it misleading or invalid. If you have strong feelings for an argument, it may be hard to avoid fallacies in your writing. In the essay, “College Is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird states reasons of why college is a waste of time and money. Although Bird’s essay may seem like a sound argument, fallacies in her essay distort the argument.
The fact that not everyone needs to go to college is the main point that Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill write about in great detail throughout their essay. Even though the authors do say that people that go to college usually earn more, they state that this is on “average,” and that the key focus of their essay is to focus on those that the benefits are not greater than the cost of going to college. (Page 211, Paragraph 1). They also include a graph right under the text that shows how “on average” people with a college degree earn more than those that are just high school graduates. (Page 211, Figure one).
In recent years, the economy and job outlook has become super competitive throughout the States. With so many people seeking and applying for the same job, employers can only afford to hire a very small amount of people. As a result, they choose the best qualified applicant, which most likely means the applicant with the highest education. With competition increasing exponentially, it is becoming more and more difficult to find, let alone keep a job. That is why college is a necessity in today’s society.
In the article, “Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say” by The New York Times explains that college is more valuable than ever. The New York Times explains how "college graduates are feeling more overqualified for the job that they do. " Due to the fact that they are not getting paid as much, as they would at a job using their degree.
College debt is only increasing, “two-thirds of the class of 2011 owed 26.600.” According to Ellis of CNN Money, “the increase comes at a time when unemployment has remained stubbornly high for college graduates - 8.8% for 2011.” Most kids would rather party when they get out of high school then get a job, therefore students who have parents with steady jobs will have an advantage over the
Living where we live, you begin to comprehend that living off of $11.00 per hour including with your family will never suffice your needs. Getting a college degree can ensure the graduate a higher chance of being able to earn more financially. In the article “Why College Isn't And Shouldn't Have to be For Everyone” by Robert Reich, he states that “A degree from a prestigious university can open doors to elite business schools and law schools-and to jobs paying hundreds of thousands, if not millions. ”Even though Reich’s article is on the opposing side of the argument, he fails to overlook the fact that in the long run having a college degree will, and can open doors to many new opportunities. One of those opportunities is to be able get a well paying job that can earn more than the average non college graduate.
I grew up in a middle-class family, where my parents were able to provide for my sister and I. However, they also taught us how to properly handle money and create budgets. The stereotype of college students is that they are broke and I (sort of) break that stereotype. Before I left home, my mom and dad sat me down, went over how much school was going to cost, showed me how to get a loan, and helped me come up with a budget. While I do have some student debt, I have saved a majority of the money I have earned through working during the summers and subbing due to my budgeting skills!
Have you ever owed someone $20? Well, imagine owing someone $100,000+ . Many students every year are left in crippling debt that can affect them for the next few decades of their life. Because of the cost of college, many students fresh out of high school can’t go to college. In order to make it easier for the lower-class to go to college, you should do at least one of the following things.
, “Experts that have researched the performance and job success of college graduates have concluded that, nationwide, college graduates with a bachelor's degree earn 74 percent more per year than those who only complete high school.” This seems very logical when you look at the big picture, having furthered your education will open you up to more jobs that that require more education that will most likely pay more. The University of North Texas in their article “Why Go to College?” shows a graph from The U.S. Census Bureau that shows a professional degree could earn you around 4.4 million dollars compared to less than a high school diploma could earn you around 1 million dollars for a whole worklife. Seeing
There is an ample amount of information that leads people to believe that college is a great choice. In Source F, it is shown that, “Adults who graduated from a four-year college believe that, on average, they are earning $20,000 more a year as a result of having gotten that degree. Adults who did not attend college believe that, on average they are earning $20,000 a year less as a result.” Also, provided in Source F, “...55% say it [college] was very useful in helping them prepare for a job or career.” While these statistics are true, the negatives still outweigh the positives.
From the time we start our careers as students in school, we are told that in order to gains success in life we must attend college. That after high school, college is no doubt the next step we should be taking. Yet, for most students that are not wealthy this goal is almost unattainable. If the majority of students can’t afford tuition, then why is the tuition rate so high? Its certainly not an accident.
This aspect made me wonder what the value of going to college is. I am in college myself I have worked at grocery stores and restaurants not making much money at all. My husband who dropped out of college is a carpenter he owns his own business making far more money than I do and will continue until I get my degree. He worked his way up the ladder starting at the bottom working under other individuals until he went out on his own. He is self-employed meaning if he does not go out and find jobs to make money the bills do not get paid.
In today’s economy, everyone’s competing for jobs, having a college degree can put you a step in front of your competition. By having a college degree, you can be better off financially in the future, and you will have better career opportunities and more employment
College is Valuable Many young American’s are putting off college to work and make money instead (Smith). College can be exhausting. It takes up a great deal of resources and time; however, studies have shown that college graduates with at least a Bachelor’s Degree can earn almost twice as much as people with just a high school education (Leonhardt). Although college is strenuous, it is definitely beneficial because it is a good investment in future life, it increases wages, and it decreases unemployment.
It is of the best interest of all to be enrolled in college classes as quickly as possible. If one wishes to attain a healthy salary after exploring endless possibilities to allow for a more accomplished opinion of themselves, going to college is the best decision for them. First and foremost, college graduates obtain superior qualifications which leads to greater job opportunities. According to Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, Presidents of Economic Studies, a person with a college degree is almost nine times more likely to make over $100,000 than someone who possesses only a high school diploma and thirteen times more likely to make $200,000 each year. A person with a degree is more marketable when competing for an employer’s recognition, giving them a better chance of being hired.