John Green's Is College Worth It?

One of the biggest complaints about a college education is the large price tag that comes with it. A national survey found that 75% of adults in the U.S. think that college is too expensive to afford, showing that a majority of the people in the U.S. agree that colleges should lower prices (Source F). As Source A says, college is about learning but the goal in life is to earn a living (Crawford). This means that while you need to earn a living, college isn’t the only route you can do so. There are careers that don’t require education beyond high school and you can still make a respectable income. It’s easy to see that not enough people realize you don’t need a college degree to get a good job.

When it comes to the topic of attaining a college degree, most will readily agree that it is essential to securing a successful career post-graduation. Whereas some are convinced that a college degree does not guarantee entry into a career in one 's field of study nor does it determine success in one 's career, others maintain that a higher education is, in fact, the way to job security and financial success. What comes into question is whether the investment in a college education is truly worth it or not in order to accomplish a student 's goals of success. I think it could be said for most prospective college students that the reason for going to college is to gain the credentials required for most jobs today. What many of those potential students may not realize is the substantial percentage of graduates who do not acquire a job related to their majors, how much debt they will incur, and just how many students don 't graduate at all for reasons such as an overwhelming workload and a poor work/ life balance.

This week for PLN I read "Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say" by David Leonhardt is about how college is worth it even with its cost. In the article, it describes how important a degree is. It said in the article that 98% of people with a degree made more money than people without a degree. There is nothing inevitable about this trend. If there were more college graduates the pay gap would shrink. The true cost of a degree is negative $500,000. The unemployment rate for 25 and 34 years old is 3%. That is from having a degree. The average hourly wage for a college graduates has risen 1% to 32.60.

One must consider their choice of major, cost of school, where they are attending school, and a variety of other factors. Depending on the situation college may not be a smart investment (Owen and Sawhill 209). I agree with this notion that some people are not meant for college, but we as a society still push the idea of college which creates conflicting thoughts in the mind of a student. When discussing the benefits of attending college the biggest supporting reason revolves around further expanding one’s knowledge in order to earn a higher income. They use ethos in their appeals but they fail to provide evidence of this. They may show numbers that are skewed showing the difference in salary of a high school graduate and a college graduate but they don’t show the majors that earning that high income. They don’t show the number of college graduates without a job and how much debt they are in. Owen and Sawhill do a tremendous job in their report of giving us those numbers and statistics to back up their

As it is heavily believed and statistically proved by Document A, Earnings and Unemployment Rates Based on Educational Attainments (2015), the higher the degree earned, the more money attained, similarly the higher the degree earned, the lower the unemployment rate. This proves the worth of college by giving numerical comparisons of those who invested in it verses those who didn’t. The median weekly earnings of $1,730 from someone with a professional degree put up against the $678 from someone who only graduated from high school shows a very obvious difference. This information greatly supports the decision of going to college by displaying the “in the long run” advantage of college through the amount of money you can make in the future with the degree you earn

Attending college or pursuing a higher education is worth it because a degree ensures a stable, well paying job and provides a better quality of life. In Document A, “Earning and Unemployment Rates Based on Educational Attainment, 2015” compiled by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a higher educational degree, such as a Doctorate or Professional degree, corresponded to a lower unemployment rate with a higher pay, while little to no educational degree corresponded to a higher unemployment rate with a lower pay. This means people who received a college degree had a better chance of finding and retaining a well-paying job because they are typically skilled in one profession that cannot easily be replaced, such as a doctor or engineer.

The article "Some Lessons from the Assembly Line" by Andrew Braaksma, gives you ride a through the life of a blue-collar worker and the importance of investing in yourself with a college degree. The author discusses how spending summers working as a blue-collar worker at a factory in his hometown, makes him appreciate the opportunity to attend college. The author explains what his life would be like had he not decided to obtain a college degree and add value to his life. I can relate to the author from my own personal experiences with my job and learning how valuable a college education could be. I have missed several opportunities to advance and move up with my company because I didn't have a degree. Now that I’m in school I can also

In recent discussions of “Is College Worth It?” By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green, one of this view’s proponents, “after graduating from college, I actually made $1 per hour less when I started working as an assistant at Booklist Magazine, but the job was better in every way” (video). According to this view, he was working at Stake and Shake and he was getting better salary than what he got after graduate by 1$ less but money is not everything in life. Then he proved to the audiences through his experience that he was more comfortable with working as assistant at Booklist Magazine even he is making less money. Because he got a better job, got the knowledge, and work on something that he like. In sum, then, the issue is whether to attend college or work without a degree. My own view is that attending college is worth it even if it will cost some sacrifices of things that we can get it in the future. After, all, I have chosen to identify as a college student at Winona State University. Though I concede that choosing the university and working to

In “College Helps Students Dream of More Than a Salary,” author Drew Faust states us how college opens minds and opportunities for students. It pays off from the four years you are going to attend. The author mentions how students who attend college end up making more money than anyone. They make about 60%-70% more than anyone with and without a high school diploma. Drew Faust suggests that college graduates often live a longer life and be successful. For example, be more active and own a home once they are done with their studies. In addition, he remarks on how students’ lives change in perspective and explore, meaning, they will learn different places, languages, and their way thinking. Students will also be meeting people from different

First, it can be proven that college is worth it because with the college degree actually provides higher income to the graduate. . Leonhardt illustrates that “A new study even shows that a bachelor’s degree pays off for jobs... And beyond money, education seems to make people happier and healthier” (Source D). This quote emphasizes how college is worth it because

In recent discussions of Is College Worth It? By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green, one of this view’s proponents, “after graduating from college, I actually made $1 per hour less when I started working as an assistant at Booklist Magazine, but the job was better in every way” (video). According to this view, he was working at Stake and Shake and he was getting better salary than what he got after graduate by 1$ less but money is not everything in life. Then he proved to the audiences through his experience that he was more comfortable with working as assistant at Booklist Magazine even he is making less money. Because he got a better job, got the knowledge, and work on something that he like. In sum, then, the issue is whether to attend college or work without a degree. My own view is that attending college is worth it even if it will cost some sacrifices of things that we can get it in the future. After, all, I have chosen to identify as a college student at Winona State University. Though I concede that choosing the university and working to enroll and pay the

Which main argument is the income gap. Going back to the article “Even Cashiers College Pays Off”, the author writes, “...the returns from a degree have soared. Three decades ago, full-time workers with a bachelor’s degree made 40 percent more than those with only a highschool diploma. Last year, the gap reached 83 percent. College graduates, though hardly immune from the downturn, are also far less likely to be unemployed than non-graduates.” This though not completely dismantles the the debt counter argument against it. When you make more money it will help with the college payments you will eventually pay off. But it’s not about money for all. Though it is a big part of being successful I found that money wasn’t always a driving force. In my interview with Omar Harris, my father, he revealed to me that college has other pay offs. “ I didn't want to go to college at first. But in that year that I took off I observed my friends grow in a way that I saw myself not doing. They were maturing and though they had those childish attitudes and personalities I remembered. They had a sense of urgency to them that I only saw in adults and I didn’t want to to miss out on that growth.” Sometimes the experience is a very rewarding part of college. Learning the politics and the responsibility that comes with the real world has helped him become successful in his

Money, the controlling factor in the lives of many. There are endless options as to where it could be spent. As Teenagers are finishing up high school they are approaching the question on whether or not college is going to be worth it for them. The staggering price increases on behalf of college, have left numerous questions. In the article “Is College Worth It?’ by Quinton Skinner, he explores the benefits and the obstacles of attending a university. Although, there are various colleges that provide lower prices or even scholarships to make the cost seem more appealing for the student.

In the video “Is College Worth it?”, John Green tries to answer the common question of is college worth it? Yes, college is indeed worth it. The moment you step into high school, you are being prepared for college, whether you like it or not. College nowadays seems to be the popular thing to do after high school to better your future; however college isn’t always for everyone. Some people enjoy working in factories, fast food restaurants, etc. and they do just fine. A lot of people don’t want to deal with the college debt that one accumulates during your college years. Green figures that the average person will accumulate $140,000 of debt. However with a higher education the better job opportunities for promotions you will be offered in the

Going to college can help with future earning and how well someone can support themselves or themselves and their family. Going to college can help with earning because the more education someone has, the higher the chance of getting a good and well paying job and the amount of earning can help with financially supporting a family. Getting a job for someone with a less than average education can be hard because of paying bills and supporting themselves by living paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. According to the BLS data chart, someone with less qualification than a high school diploma has the median weekly earnings of $472, as compared to a person with a doctorate or doctoral degree, who would have the median weekly earning of $1,623 (“Education