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Andrew Chan
Ms. Marcarian
English IV Period 7
24 February 2014
College Educaion! Is i "orh he #rouble$
College is considered he bes choice in li%e %or a eenager bu here is e&idence o he
conrary. I is synony'ous wih (ros(eriy and high social class bu) here are growing (roble's
wih he higher educaion syse' ha sways hese srongly held ideas. Proble's such as
e*(ensi&e uiion coss) high suden loans) and une'(loy'en (lague 'any o% hose who
graduae %ro' college. Also 'any sudens are inade+uaely rained %or he ,ob 'ar-e because
o% e*raneous college classes. In he %irs (ar o% he his aricle) "eiss'ann re(ors ha a recen
sudy showed ha .'ore han hal% o% A'erica/s recen college graduaes are eiher une'(loyed
or wor-ing in a ,ob ha doesn/ re+uire a bachelor/s degree0. #he boo' line is ha he deb and
econo'ic uncerainy ha 'os college graduaes %ace no longer 'a-es college he de%aul
o(ion a%er high school.
1uden loan deb is he 'a,or issue ha a%%ecs he 'a,oriy o% college sudens. In a 2010
sur&ey by he Chronicle of Higher Education) 'ore han hal% o% college %resh'en (lanned o use
loans o (ay %or heir educaion 23enne and "ile4ol 45. 6o only do 'os sudens borrow bu
he a&erage deb in 2012 was 728)000 %or college graduaes 2Ellis) %irs senence5. In he %irs
hird o% his aricle) 9a((one shows he growh o% a&erage college graduae deb when co'(ared
o he 78)78: a&erage deb in 1880. #his is a ;00< increase and i% rends li-e hese coninue
(eo(le will be %orced o loo- %or alernai&es o college. In our sociey) he (rice o% a good
educaion shouldn/ cos his 'uch and also sill (u %uures in ,eo(ardy. =uge deb can haun a
(erson %or 'any years (as heir graduaion and cause he' o (u o%% ideas o% a ho'e or a %a'ily
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and .unli-e a 'orgage or a business deb) suden>loan debs can ne&er be discharged in
ban-ru(cy 23enne and "ile4ol ?5. #hese debs are see'ingly i'(ossible o (ay o%% %or a
(erson %resh ou o% college in a ough econo'y. A sudy %ro' @ugers Ani&ersiy showed ha
he 'edian saring salary %or graduaes o% a %our>year college was 727)000 in 2010 2:5. 1udens
and (arens are in he dar- abou wha hey are geing %or heir 'oney and are 'a-ing
unin%or'ed o(inions ha allow colleges o earn a large (ro%i while lea&ing he consu'ers wih
only deb. I% (eo(le 'ade beer choices abou aending college) hese insiuions would no be
allowed o ge away wih e*(ensi&e uiion.
Parens (ush heir children o college wihou considering wha is ruly bes %or he
suden while disregarding oher o(ions. #hey also see' o belie&e ha a degree is worh geing
a any cos. Peer #hiel) a billionaire &enure ca(ialis) e*(lains ha .'any A'ericans are
enrolling in college wihou e*(loring heir 'oi&aions %or e*acly why hey are doing so0 2+d.
in 3enne and "ile4ol 115. E&en %urher) he idea ha a %our>year educaion is necessary %or
e&eryone 'us be discarded . 1o'e argue ha a bachelor/s degree increases your +ualiy o% li%e
by showing ha hose wih a degree earn a((ro*i'aely 71 'illion dollars 'ore han hose who
don/ and also ha&e higher e'(loy'en raes 21B25. #hese see' li-e good (oins ha su((or
college bu hey do no a-e ino accoun he curren sae o% our econo'y and he (ossibiliy o%
oher (ahs in li%e. @ecenly) he une'(loy'en rae %or recen graduaes has been around ?0
(ercen 21B?5. 1ri-an Vasan) (residen o% Por'on College) says) .1udens should chec- ou
alernai&es o a college degree . 2+d. in Criscoll) %irs hal%5. Peo(le do no need an e*(ensi&e
degree o build a career ha will creae a sais%ying li%e. Many who see college as he only course
in li%e end o o&erloo- oher &iable alernai&es such as he 'iliary and enre(reneurshi(. #he
second bulle (oin in he aricle e*(lains ha ,oining he 'iliary o%%ers he
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bene%is o% housing) %ood) healh care) and (ay ha is beer han enry>le&el ,obs) while you
ser&e aci&e duy and you also earn &aluable e*(erience ha e'(loyers see- %or leadershi(
(osiions 2D? Miliary Myhs E 3A1#ECFD5. In he 'iddle secion o% his aricle) McCaniel
e*(lains ha enre(reneurshi( gi&es he ad&anages o% %reedo' and he chance o change he
world while also a((ing ino wha you are (assionae abou 2McCaniel5. 1o'e 'ay argue ha
going o college while (ursuing enre(reneurshi( is beer) bu college hinders you by (uing
you in deb) resricing your %reedo') and discouraging ris->a-ing. Gour li%e is no o&er i% you
don/ aend college as 'any would ha&e you belie&e. 3enne and "ile4ol belie&e ha .in he
end characer rais and inelligence are 'ore i'(oran han any (iece o% shee(s-in0 21BB5.
Peo(le who don/ ge a degree can sill %ind rewarding wor- and lead a %ul%illing li%e.
Anless you ge ino he o( schools in he counry) he reurn>on>in&es'en 2@HI5 on
your educaion does no ,usi%y how 'uch you s(end. An analysis by Pay1cale re&ealed ha
.abou wo hundred insiuions o% higher learning ha&e a negai&e hiry>year ne @HI0 23enne
and "ile4ol 10?5. #his shows ha oo 'any schools reurn less han wha he suden (ays and
hus beco'e disad&anageous o he (erson in he long run. I is clear ha here are beer
alernai&es han aending so'e colleges and unless you are luc-y enough o be acce(ed ino a
(resigious school you shouldn/ acce( college as your only (ah in li%e righ ou o% high school.
An e*(lanaion %or he (oor @HI o% so'e schools is ha hey s(eciali4e in %ields ha are no
%inancially sound. #he Ar Insiue o% Chicago has a uiion cos o% 7214);00 bu you lose
710;)000 o&er hiry years 21145. Ienerally) liberal ar colleges end o ha&e lower reurn>on>
in&es'ens han science) echnology) engineering) and 'ah colleges 21145. I% your 'oi&e is o
beco'e %inancially sable hen (ursuing a degree in ar or anoher une'(loyable %ield should no
be one o% your goals. In a i'e where he econo'y is (oor) he wise hing o do
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is o ge he 'os ou o% your 'oney.
College does no (re(are you wih he s-ills needed o co'(ee in he wor- %orce while
re+uiring oo 'any courses ha are unnecessary. An e*a'(le o% his are re'edial classes which
is couner(roduci&e o a (lace o% higher learning and lead o lower graduaion raes.23enne and
"ile4ol 144>14?5. #his is e&idence ha college 'ay no be worhwhile o hose who go o
college arbirarily insead o% considering heir o(ions and abiliies. E&en i% a suden does
graduae here is no guaranee ha hey ha&e learned anyhing or ha hey will be +uali%ied %or
he career hey wan. Mar- Cuban) billionaire echnology enre(reneur) e*(lains ha .as an
e'(loyer I wan he bes (re(ared and +uali%ied e'(loyees...I wan (eo(le who can do he ,ob. I
wan he bes and brighes. 6o a (iece o% (a(er02+d. in 3enne and "ile4ol 14?5. Many
e'(loyers would %eel he sa'e as Cuban because rue inelligence and -nowledge is no
e*(lained in a degree bu by wha you ha&e shown you can do and are willing o do. E'(loyers
rying o %ill (osiions ha&e loo-ed o&erseas %or wor-ers because o% he lac- o% A'erican s-ills.
"hen 1e&e Jobs was as-ed on how o reco&er ,obs ha are now in China he said ha .A((le
e*ecui&es belie&e he &as scale o% o&erseas %acories as well as he %le*ibiliy) diligence and
indusrial s-ills o% %oreign wor-ers ha&e so ou(aced heir A'erican couner(ars023enne and
"ile4ol 147>14:5. I is e&iden ha e'(loyers do no hin- highly o% wor-ers ha ha&e co'e ou
o% he A'erican educaion syse' and college 'ay be o bla'e. #here are o(ions oher han
college ha re'edy his issue. #rade school is an alernai&e ha (ro&ides an educaion ha
ranslae ino real li%e s-ills. In he 'iddle secion o% an aricle by #ren) a college degree holder
'ay earn 71?)000 'ore (er year han one wih a high school di(lo'a bu he downside is ha a
di(lo'a coss on a&erage 7127)000 and he college degree holder loses ou on a cou(le years o%
inco'e while a rade school graduae will
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ener he wor-%orce wo years earlier wih a 7;;)000 di(lo'a also #rade school ,obs such
elecricians) consrucion 'anagers) and 'echanics are ,obs ha are hard o ousource o oher
counries because o% he naure o% he wor- which 'eans e*ra ,ob securiy. Hne o% he reasons
%or enering college is o earn a ,ob wih a res(ecable inco'e. Gou don/ necessarily need o go
o college o achie&e hese goals and alernai&es e*is ha reach boh goals wih 'uch less
hassle.
Is college he bes (lan %or e&eryone$ 6o) bu ha does no 'ean i should be re,eced
co'(leely. Peo(le consider heir %uures &ery i'(oran and when one in&ess a huge a'oun o%
i'e and 'oney ino college hey e*(ec so'ehing o% e+ual or greaer &alue. Canarella suggess
ha .i is beer o (os(one your in&es'en unil your own dedicaion assures he reurn you
wan0 2185. An%orunaely) %acs and anecdoal e&idence has shown ha his isn/ always rue.
College has been he auo'aic choice %or high school graduaes bu he e&idence shows ha his
shouldn/ always be he case. I doesn/ 'aer i% college should be hough as a way o 'a*i'i4e
your (oenial or o increase your inco'e) i doesn/ guaranee eiher o% hose. #he e*(ensi&e
uiion) large deb) and uncerainy show ha college can be a ga'ble and ha you need o 'a-e
wise choices ha a-e ino accoun your abiliies and 'oi&aions insead o% blindly %ollowing
e&eryone else. Viable choices oher han college rein%orce he (oin ha college does no ha&e o
be he one and only rigid (ah in li%e. #he issues wih he higher educaion syse' 'ay no be an
easy %i*. @es(onsibiliy belongs o colleges) unin%or'ed consu'ers) and ban-s who hand ou
loans o hose who can/ (ay he' bac-. In order o hel( %i* college) 'aybe -indergaren
hrough wel%h grade should be re%or'ed so colleges can s(eciali4e in 'ore on real>world ,ob
s-ills insead o% irrele&an -nowledge. Ces(ie wha he causes 'ay be or i% we can change i)
he only hing we can a%%ec is how we reac o he %acs. I is u( o he (eo(le (lanning o go o
college o decide i% i is he righ decision.