Arteaga1

Alex Arteaga

Rosenfeld

English 113B

1 March 2016

Is College Worth the Investment

Students today are excited to finally enter college in order to pursue their dream job. Its

easy to attend college if one has the correct Grade Point Average. Most California state

universities require a GPA of 2.5 or above, which makes these schools acceptance rate even

higher. Some issues that students run into is how they are going to pay for all their classes.

Sometimes Financial Aid doesnt help certain students because they dont qualify, which leads to

students paying for college out of pocket. Students question if paying for college is worth

everything. Students think that by paying too much for college it is not going to be worth

anything if they dont pass a class, therefore, many students do not want to invest in college

because cost. Although some people believe that college is too expensive and too difficult, I

believe that college is an investment in one's future because students receive financial aid and

have a higher chance of finding their dream job.

Although, college is a place where students can go to prepare themselves for the future,

many believe that college is not worth the investment. Students argue that by attending college

would be a ways of time and money, yet there is much more ways to spend money when it

comes to personal expenses. People waste it on paying bills such as water and electrical bills and

car and house payments. Some also argue about classes being too difficult so then they plan to

drop out.
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By investing in college, students are taking a step closer to achieving success. These

students will be able to get a job a lot easier than people who don't attend college. Today, many

jobs are asking for a requirement of a college degree. This would be because they want to hire

people who understand what they are supposed to doing in that specific job. They want people

with full experience so the company can have a smooth transition towards them starting the job.

Earning a job today is really difficult because of this reason. This leads to a connection towards a

high pay. Students do not just attend college to look for jobs but also to find a place where

earning money is easier. Based on analysis of Mary C. Daly, she showed, In 2011, the latest

data available in our sample, college graduates earned on average about $20,050 (61 percent)

more per year than high school graduates. (Daly, 48) This backs up towards evidence about

students attending college and leaving with a degree. Although college might be expensive, there

are ways to pay for college. By attending college you also get the happiness you deserve, Going

college links to your happiness because you make connections with people and have more

choices to explore different things, Hartjen said. It also helps you get into your career path and

find your dream, (Sundial, Chan Kwok) This explains that college will lead you to the road of

success. Not only can college help a student earn a job, but contributing to the job can also help

find a place when you earn more money. Many students tend to work toward a major that allows

them to apply for high paying jobs. Based on a Sundial search, it stated, PayScale ranked the 13

highest-paying majors. Engineering of different kinds dominated the list while some math and

science majors elbowed their way in to the list, (High pay). When it comes to math and science,

these are subjects that most jobs require but really it is all about the major the student wants.
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People who don't want to attend college, have the decision to apply for Financial Aid.

Financial aid helps students pay for their tuition which covers classes and materials. The money

that would be left over, will be theirs as long as you attend college. Students also have the benefit

of applying for scholarships. It all varies depending on what the requirements are. Many students

were able to successfully pay for college without hesitation. However many people do not realize

that applying is not difficult to do and they think that by getting offered a scholarship, you would

have to then pay back the money that you spend. That is not the case, the money you receive are

for expenses such as clothing, food, drinks, shelter and rent, or payments in general. Based on

the Sundial article, it quotes, Scholarships are a way for students to take some of the financial

burden out of their often hectic university life. When it comes to CSUN, there is no shortage of

available scholarships to students, (Scholarships). This explains that there is never a shortage of

scholarships because scholarships are always being created with donations from people or

companies. For example, the company of McDonalds is always handing out scholarships for

students, up to $1500 or more. Many people are very thankful for these donations to scholarships

because it gives students chances to attend a university.

For me, my major is in Art, mostly toward the category of Animation. I want to work for

Toei Animation, their salary is about $34,000 to $45,000. I understand that it is not much but for

me, what I enjoy about this job is that I would be able to draw for my favorite Anime. It is really

all depending on the major a student is in that will motivate them to invest on college for their

future. Although, by not attending college you may save money, but you also will not be able to

experience the college life. College is a magnificent place to study and meet new people. By

meeting new people, you learn new ways to communicate. Communication is key to be able to
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talk to colleagues and peers. Though college life is similar to a ladder. Each time you climb a

step, your advancing towards the top. In college you will have go through obstacles to be able to

achieve success later on. It is all about trying to understand that by investing in college you will

be able to have this opportunity to improve, compared to someone who does not go to college.

Coming from a person who lives in a low income community, I should be seen as a person who

does not go to school but knowing that I have opportunities in my hand, I allowed myself to

improve in order to achieve a greater height.

Chan, Kwok. "Students, Staff Talk What College Means to Their Lives, Careers." The

Sundial. CSUN, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

Costahaude, Rachel. "High-Pay College Majors." The Sundial. CSUN, 06 Sept. 2011.

Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandel. Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology.

Ed. Dale Stephens, Mary C. Daly, and Leila Bengali. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016. Print.

McMahon, Nathan. "CSUN Offers Scholarships to Help Students during Tuition Hikes."

The Sundial. CSUN, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

Smith, Tovia. "Opting Out of College for a Blue-Collar Life." NPR. NPR, 25 Feb. 2007.

Web. 01 Mar. 2017.