Personal Narrative: To Degree Or Not To Degree

College, a place where students seems to have freedom and learn what they have a passion in, is actually more like a maze. Students are enthusiastic, yet still have to be focus because college is not all fun and games. True, making out of the maze is super rewarding, but the pressure and getting annoying may get to them. They would have to go through paths that may not have an open trail which in deep struggles cause them to forfeit the maze of college. Again, with education, comes knowledge, experience, and confidence where no people can steal. Data has shown that people who has a college degree earns much more that people who only has a high school diploma (Berman). This is data, it shows how much people need a college degree to be able to live comfortably. With more

David Leonhardt, in his article Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off, discusses the modern day's controversy about going or not going to college. Author describes the opinions of different people about pros and cons of college education and its possible benefits for the student in the future. Author believes that people should go to college, because education is the best investment ever. He opposes opinions of those who consider college being overrated, "The skeptics themselves, the professors, journalists and others say college is overrated". Author notices that those skeptics ."..of course, have degrees and often spend tens of thousands of dollars sending their children to expensive colleges." (Leonhardt)

Over my years of school, one big influence on me has always been sports. Ever since a young age, I have always enjoyed playing and watching sports. In my four years in high school, I have fell in love with the sport of lacrosse.

I woke up and took one bite out of my pop tart but that one bite was all I could eat. My legs were shaking, and my heart was pounding. My dad told me, “It is a true honor to even make it this far so go out there and have some fun.” Once I heard this statement, I knew I was ready to go. I arrived at school and boarded the bus. The car ride was an hour and fifteen minutes of hearing the squeaking of the wheel on the bus. My teammates were getting their heads ready for the big game.

College is a great place for many to experience new things and to further education. However, college is not for everyone. According to the film Ivory Tower, college teaches people valuable skills such as networking with peers and extensive knowledge. College also provides students, upon graduation, with a degree and proper credentials. Based on a survey done by the Pew Research Center; the article “The Rising Cost of Not going to College,” states that “economic analysis consistently find that college graduates regardless of generation are doing better than those with less education,” this shows that there is a reasonable gap between a college degree and a high school diploma. On the other hand, it may not be worth the rising costs. Carolina Bird, author of “Where College Fails Us,” mentions in her article “in the current slowdown it has become evident that there were never, and probably never will be, enough jobs requiring higher education to go around,” (59-60) this shows some people's job outlook may not be aligned with their major. Jeffrey Selingo’s article “Is College Worth the Cost? Many Recent Graduates Don’t Think So,” says that “nearly half of college graduates in their 20s are underemployed, meaning the jobs they have do not require a bachelor’s degree,” this brings up the possibility of college not being beneficial to many. College can be needed because of higher salaries after graduation and providing people with the tools to succeed. On the contrary, going to

Recent college graduates who are working full-time earn about $15,000 more annually than their peers, who have only a high school diploma. Jobs that only require a high school diploma or GED will not pay as much as the jobs requiring employees to have a bachelor or even higher, so graduating college with a degree is almost required in today’s society. Consequently, students are forced to choose the lesser of two evils: pay the great price to go to college with the possibility of suffering an enormous amount of student debt, or earn far less over a lifetime and undergo a greater likelihood of being unemployed for long periods, without the prospect of finding a reliable job. When looking at the two options, college still seems to always win because despite the recent struggles of college graduates, investing your time in a college degree may be more

For most people, going to college and/or graduate school is a necessary evil in today’s society. Although college and graduate school can cost $100,000 or more, those who don’t have a degree may be put at a disadvantage when attempting to get a job. However, what good is your college degree if you can’t get a job in your field and you’re unable to make your minimum monthly payment?

In her essay for The New Yorker, Rebecca Mead’s “Learning by Degree” addresses the issue of getting a college degree in todays society. Back in the day you could go to college and get a degree in your field of choice and you were almost guaranteed a job once you graduated. In today’s society, Mead’s says that to get a good job that pays well you would need to get a degree in a STEM field. Sadly even then you aren’t guaranteed a job after graduation. But you’re statistically more likely to get a well paying job with a STEM degree. People aren’t only deterred from attending college because of the lack of jobs after graduation but also the lack of reward people see from a degree. The cost of attending a place

Of course the norm for me is that of any citizen living in zone three.

The social norm I broke is making too much eye contact, or staring excessively, at my teachers. While sitting in class, I stared at my teachers more than I stared at my paper or looked around the classroom. It is usually normal for students to stare down at their desks and not look at the teacher a lot.

Students not only leave college with a degree, but they also leave owing thousands of dollars. Even though having a college degree would help students get a higher paying job, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will find one. After graduation, the majority of these students do not have prospective jobs and those that do start at entry level salaries because of their lack of actual experience in their field. About seventeen percent of college students at the age of twenty-five are limited to what types of jobs they can find, some not even related to what type of degree they earned. Because of their limited job options, it’s even harder for them to repay their student loan debts.

I grew up in a single-parent, low-income home outside of Santa Rosa, California. The idea of college wasn’t introduced to me until long after I had already become just another statistic. I dropped out of high school when I was 17, in the midst of a teenage rebellion, thinking I already knew everything and didn’t need anyone’s help. I left home, got a job at a fast food restaurant, and stayed with friends off and on until I realized that maybe I didn’t know everything quite yet. After a severe reality check, I found a sense of responsibility that encouraged me to get my G.E.D and find a great job. I was very determined to take everything I learned as a child and use it as a what-not-to-do guide. By the time I was 19, I bought my first house and quickly realized I could either set limitations with excuses or achieve goals with endurance. The

I am thankful for the opportunity to return to school after so long, and thankful that I am doing so now instead of procrastinating and allowing another ten years to go by. After evaluating the benefits, I realized just how much earning potential I am not taking advantage of by not having my degree. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that persons with a high school degree make, on average, $626 weekly. In comparison, persons with an Associate’s degree make $761, workers with a Bachelor’s degree make $1,025 and those with a Master’s degree take in $1,257 a week. According to these numbers, a person with an Associate’s degree is likely to earn nearly $7,000 more per annum than someone with just a high school diploma, a person with a Bachelor’s degree is likely to earn nearly $14,000 more a year than someone with an Associate’s degree, and a worker who possesses a Master’s degree is likely to earn nearly $12,000 more annually than someone with just a Bachelor’s degree.” Gulbrandsenon, C. (2003). I can only move forward, and am glad that I’ve committed to bettering myself for mine and my daughter’s future.

From birth to death, from day to dawn, children are always told that the absolutely must attend college. Without a degree, they may as well throw their entire life away; no job, no salary, no family—only poverty and misery. Many take this advice to heart, and spend countless amounts of dollars, time, and effort on obtaining their diploma. However, many find themselves in a rut—they have graduated their post-secondary school, but now they cannot obtain a job! Regrettably, this exact situation happens to several thousands of individuals every year. As a result, people often find themselves debating on whether or not college is valuable enough to pour hundreds of dollars into. College is worth the investment if one enters the program with the right experience, finances, and connections to make the most of it.

Valerie, you and I seem to be opposites in our dominant and weak functions. Personally, I believed that thinking was my dominant function while feeling was my weakest. I have a tendency to try and gather as many facts as I can about a given situation and based on what I’ve been given, I then allow myself to use my feeling function, which I believe to be more introverted than extroverted. That being said, I think your strength with the feeling function really helps you with your job. However, the two of us did get the same attitude result from the questionnaire, and I also was not surprised that the quiz labeled me an introvert. I think we were also right in knowing which function was more dominant in ourselves. While you ended up being an INFJ,