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Does College Matter? Essay

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Many students see college as the stepping stone to a successful career and a happy life. Which can be true for some, however, many overlook whether college will actually help them succeed, or if college will truly be right for them. College is expensive and it is not for every kid who graduates high school, although it is marketed that way, high school graduates must think critically about their decision. Should I take some time away from school, to know myself better? What do I intend to do for a career? Am I more interested in educating myself toward things that interests me now and discovering my major as I learn, or do I feel I know what I want to do? And also essential questions like, how much debt will I go into? And can I …show more content…

David Leanhardt a correspondent for the New York Times stated in The College Dropout Boom that often times the thought of high tuition prices scare students away, especially lower-income students, before they even think about attending a college (92). And there is good reason for this. With the average four year degree costing $91,304 at public colleges and $179,000 at private universities (Merrow), tuition prices are ridiculously high. How are people expected to get an education with school costing so much? In the article Angela Whitiker’s Climb Isabel Wilkerson tells of Mrs. Whitiker’s near impossible climb out of poverty and into the upper-middle class. Ms. Whitaker, faced many struggles on her way up the ladder, but she worked hard, and eventually she wound up on top. Still through all of her hard work she could not have gotten to where she is now on her own. She needed someone to support her and her family emotionally, physically, and financially just for her to graduate with an Associate’s degree (202-16). It took a lot of time and effort for Mrs. Whitiker to get out of the place she was born into, and at times it looked like she would never get out, but she pushed forward, and lucked out. Most people don’t have the drive Mrs. Whitiker had, many students simply leave college when they begin to feel the pressure. In a study over college students, Merrow found that

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