Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dallin Theriault
English 2010
19 April 2018
For many kids, the only thing they have ever known in life is school. They start
eager to learn in kindergarten, which exponentially disappears the older they get.
Begrudgingly making their way through Primary and then Secondary school, they have
their eyes set on the day when it will all end. This day of course being their high school
graduation. The moment finally comes, and they’ve made it through the endless hours
of homework, the all too often boring lectures, and the burden of growing up; now they
can finally be done. Well, not quite. For most, the biggest and arguably hardest choice
still remains. Will they leave the torment of school in the past, or will they throw
themselves back in the wringer and continue on to a higher college education. The
weight this decision has on a student’s life is crushing. One choice determines how they
will spend the next several years of their life. If only it were as easy as playing the
classic board game, where the only thing on the line in the choice between career and
college is bragging rights. Many things factor into this all too important decision, like
future pay after a degree, and how much debt you will take on. In general, our society
displays college as a must, as teachers and schools always teach their students of the
really worth the money spent and education earned?”While college may scare students
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away with thoughts of debt, it is proven that those with a college education have more
opportunities to be hired and receive higher pay, while also learning other valuable life
college, as there are many benefits students get from receiving a degree. It becomes
increasingly important as time goes on, as more and more jobs require one to get hired.
least some college education or a degree (Carnevale et al. 1). That is a vast majority. At
that point, there are only 37% jobs left that to apply for. Even then, one might not secure
one of these jobs, as others with a college education may choose some of the only jobs
left to book, leaving nothing but the jobs one would expect a teenager to have in high
school. Maybe that’s a little far fetched but how often is an adult seen working in fast
food restaurants? John Schmitt and Janelle Jones of the Economic and Policy
Research in Washington D.C. Have found that only 30% of fast food workers are
teenagers (1). I doubt many of those adults have a college degree. Not only does not
having a degree affect getting hired, but pay as well, as one can come to the conclusion
that with a degree you are able to get higher paying jobs. Through studies conducted by
the U.S. Census Bureau, it was found that, “The average earnings in 2016 for those
ages 25 and older whose highest educational attainment was high school were
$35,615. The average earnings for those with a bachelor’s degree were $65,482
compared with $92,525 for those with an advanced degree” (Highest Education Levels).
Still, the biggest argument against a college education is the cost associated with
it. The risk of getting in debt is frightening for many students, as it can be a challenging
thing to pay off, and most people end up with debt as well. The Institute for College
Access and Success, found that,” Seven in 10 seniors (69%) who graduated from public
and nonprofit colleges in 2014 had student loan debt, with an average of $28,950 per
borrower” (Project on Student Debt). That amount of debt is enough to make any kid
sweat buckets. This combated with fears of not graduating, meaning tons of debt for no
reason, giving up a comfortable lifestyle, the general difficulty level of college, and the
chances of not even securing a job with the newly earned degree, has been stirring
many people to stay away from college. So yes, financially college may be seen as a
disaster instead of an assistor, however looking at it in the long run, the increased
earnings brought by a degree will outweigh the costs of college in the long run.
Apparently many students still don’t see the advantages. James B. Still and Lance
Williams found that 42 million americans owe a total of 1.3 trillion dollars in debt, and
that 45% of people with college debt contain opinions that college isn’t worth it (para in.
Student Debt). Having so many people viewing college negatively gives high schoolers
a negative view right off the bat, putting them off before they have the opportunity to
learn the many benefits that do come from college. While the initial cost is alarming, the
money you make afterwards well beats that without. In the US Bureau of Labor
Statistics Monthly Labor Review, Eleni Karageorge stated, “Assuming that all workers
retire at age 65 and that those who went to college spent 4 years in school to earn a
degree earn well over $1 million more than high school graduates during their working
lives” (1). Over 1 million dollars in their lives is a lot of money. Now that compared to the
money taken for a college education is miniscule. Karageorge even mentions that those
with an Associate gain $325,00 more than high school graduates. There are people who
have gotten Associate Degrees for under $2,000, so to say that the extra $2,000 isn’t
There are also many other reasons for joining college that don’t do with monetary
values at all, but just life in general. The only thing most kids here about is how their
teachers, or friends lived on Ramen for 4 years, in order to make ends meet. When said
that way, it may seem rough, but they leave out so many wonderful things about the
preparation college life gives people. College life consists with many interactions, like
interacting with professors, student collaborations, and the many opportunities to join
student clubs and organizations. A 1994 survey of 11,000 students found that,
”Students ranked "interpersonal skills" as the most important skill used in their daily
lives” (qtd. In Is a College Education Worth it). The only way to learn interpersonal skills,
is through interacting with others. Those that don’t go to college may not have the
successful. Not only do they socially improve, but become more adept to help society
improve as well. Henry Bienen, previous assistant professor at Princeton, and current
benefits through greater productivity, lower crime, better health, [and] better citizenship
for more educated people" (qtd in Too Many Kids Go To College). It is those life lessons
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that help the individual become a better person, that most benefit them in college and
life beyond. Sure there is much more money to be earned, but there is also a big gain in
character as well.
If students want to set themselves up for a successful life, college is the way to
go. College provides more opportunities for jobs, and higher pay, while giving students
life experiences that benefit the individual and those around them. Randall
Kammerman, a High School Teacher at Herriman High School who also teaches
college courses, says that he would not be where he is without his college education.
The truth is in the facts. As Kammerman says,” study after study show that the more
future.
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Works Cited
Abel, Jaison R. and Richard Deitz. "Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the
Costs?." Current Issues in Economics & Finance, vol. 20, no. 3, Mar. 2014, pp.
1-12.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=96
880995&site=ehost-live.
“Educational Attainment in the United States, 2016.” US Census Bureau, March 2017,
Karageorge, Eleni. "Is a College Degree Still Worth It?." Monthly Labor Review, Nov.
2014, p. 1. EBSCOhostsearch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=
true&db=buh&AN=99888582&site=ehost-live.
“Project of Student Debt: State by State Data 2015.” The Institute for College Access
Schmitt, John, and Janelle Jones. “Slow Progress for Fast-Food Workers.” Center for
Still, James B. and Lance Williams. “Student Debt Lives On Hold.” Consumer Reports,
“Yes, "Too Many Kids Go to College" in First-Ever Chicago Intelligence Squared U.S.