Summer Lund Synthesis Paper Sept 30, 2013 Writer's memo: I feel a lot better after completing the

in-class workshop. Now, I feel like my conclusion needs the most work. Average Joody goes to College It is January of your senior year in high school. You are holding four college applications in your hands, and your computer screen is pulled up to the FAFSA application for financial aid. Your forehead beads with sweat as you read through the section titled, Cost of Attendance. You think to yourself, I cant afford this Many students are faced with the same dilemma. They decide to go to school despite their lack of funding. They take out loans, mountains of loans, to pay for the education they so desperately need. And then they graduate, and struggle to use the degree they worked so hard for. This scenario is happening to thousands of graduates in the United States, and it has caused many students to wonder: Is it worth it? Is a degree worth the blood, sweat, and tears; is it worth the stress and mounting piles of debt? According to some of the latest research, it's not. A survey compiled in 2012 by Rutgers University released a startling statistic: 24 % of college graduates work in a field that is not at all related to their major. In addition to this information, they also stated that over one third of college graduates are 'underemployed' (this number has TRIPLED over the last four decades)(Stone). Of these graduates, 56% took out loans
Comment [x2]: Nice setup. Comment [x1]: Good!

Comment [x3]: The survey released the stastic.

for their college expenses (Stone). If such a large percent of graduates are not even using the degree they went to college for (and rack up tons of financial debt in the process), then why do we go to college? There are several reasons for going to college. One of the main reasons is self-growth (both socially and educationally). Not only does college offer students a chance to build new relationships, but students also get to learn new things! Another main reason for attending college, and perhaps the most important given the current economy, is: to improve the graduate's chance of finding a steady, well-paying job. However, due to the current economic crisis, many graduates are finding themselves unemployed underneath a mountain of student loans (because of the mounting expenses surrounding the college experience) (Vedder). For example, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offers an online tool for estimating total cost of attendance. An average school year calculated with in-state tuition is estimated to cost (including room, board, and books) 19,583 dollars. After 4 years of school, that totals up to 78,332 dollars (Net Price Calculator). Interestingly enough, the four year graduation rate at UTC is only 13 percent, which could mean one of two things. It could either mean that students are dropping out or that they have to go longer than four years (thus accruing more debt). A newspaper article released by The Tampa Bay Times in May of last year states, "About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25... were jobless or underemployed" (Mitt Romney is Right). These unemployed grads are therefore under even more financial stress (they have tons of loans and no job). In a time when money is tight, many students are looking to earn a degree in an area
Comment [x10]: Where did they get their information? Comment [x11]: Because Comment [x8]: Cite a source for this. Comment [x9]: This is the primary reason here at UTC. Comment [x7]: An example of what? You would need to reference a particular idea from above. Comment [x5]: Punctuation. Comment [x6]: This seems to go against your argument above. I think I know the argument that you reference: without a degree an employer will not even look at your resume. Comment [x4]: Is this your argument or from a study?

that is highly skilled, in the hopes of finding a good job after graduation. More than half of these students take out loans to help them pay for their degree. However, the sad fact is: there just aren't as many job openings as there are graduates. This lack of job openings forces many degree-holding graduates to accept a job below their potential pay-grade and below their knowledge level. The idea of earning a high-paying job right after school is now simply an illusion. High school graduates of today and tomorrow may need to consider an alternative to secondary education, because at this point, it's not always worth it.
Comment [x12]: punctuation

Summer, I agree that the conclusion repeats a bit and especially that it leans much more toward persuasion than information. I like the voice in this paper and most of the sentences. The primary thrust of the paper, however, seems to be more an argument about going to college rather than an informative article about the current situation (which was the assignment). Consider

setting up the current belief about college and using your research to offer an alternative situation. Grade: 85

Works Cited "Mitt Romney Is Right, Getting a Job Right out of College Can Be Tricky Business." PolitiFact New Hampshire. Tampa Bay Times, 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. http://www.politifact.com/new-hampshire/statements/2012/aug/27/mitt-romney/mitt-romne y-right-getting-job-right-out-college-ca/>. "Net Price Calculator." Net Price Calculator. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2013. http://www.utc.edu/financial-aid/estimating-your-cost/net-price-calculator.php>. Stone, Charley, Carl Van Horn, and Cliff Zukin. "Chasing the American Dream: Recent College Graduates and the Great Recession." WorkTrends (2012): 2-17. EBSCO Host. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. <http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.utc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=49338e6d-1538-43af-98 b5-154737724973%40sessionmgr104&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#d b=eric&AN=ED535270>. Vedder, Richard, Christopher Denhart, Matthew Denhart, Jonathan Robe, and Christopher Matgouranis. "From Wall Street to Wal-Mart: Why College Graduates Are Not Getting Good Jobs." Center for College Affordability and Productivity. (2010): 1-11. EBSCO Host. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. <http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.utc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=7&sid=49338e6d-1538-43af-98 b5-154737724973%40sessionmgr104&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#d b=eric&AN=ED536148>.