For decades, students have been told that college is the next step after high school graduation. Society reiterates this by glorifying individuals that have completed a degree and looking down upon those who do not have one. The problem is that many students have not acquired the necessary tools nor have the motivation to be successful while pursuing post-high school education. Some argue that college provides the foundation of liberal studies that will improve career opportunities. Charles Murray disagrees in his essay, "Are Too Many People Going to College." He states, "Most people should be getting the basics of a liberal education. But for most students, the place to provide those basics are elementary and middle school." (Graff, 238) This raises the question, is a four-year education the best option for all students. College provides many benefits that would be difficult to find elsewhere, such as, writing skills or cultural growth, but college is not meant for everyone. A college education does not guarantee a prosperous career, instead, gaining work experience or completing a trade school is a more intelligent option for the majority of potential students.
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
Throughout high school, students are prepped for college. Almost the entire curriculum revolves around getting into or being prepared for college. Many of these students are independent and intelligent individuals. College may be the perfect place for them. Linda Lee contemplates the fact that even though statistics show that college graduates make the most money, the statistics also point out that these students were “the brightest and hardest-working” students. There are also students that fall between the cracks of these statistics. Some students may be skilled in certain areas, but do not make the test scores to apply for a university. Others may be on the
In the story " Should Everyone Go to College" , Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill effectively express that college is for some but not for all. Different factors determine its worth, including one's career choice and one's major. The amount of money obtained and "profitable" after college depends on one's future occupation. Thus, college could be "profitable" for some people but not for everyone.
Today many high school students are trying see if college education would good idea for future jobs or careers. Teachers and parents alike think about college being a good investments in for their children or students future. They believe that college is helping people to grow mentally and socially. Furthermore, they believe that getting a college degree is good for students that are trying to start higher paying careers, which will turn into a higher sum of money. On the other hand, there are many naysayers arguing that college is not the only option for education. But there are other options such as self-education, online schooling and vocational schooling. They consider college in being too expensive and requiring to take out loans making
The topic of “Are Too Many People Going to College?” was presented by Charles Murray, the W.H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise. In today’s world college is a must due to many employers seeking educated individuals. Murray develops an interesting conversation by demonstrating that many high school graduates who are seeking to go to college do not need a degree depending on their career paths. Murray provides the analogy of a high school graduate who is looking to become an electrician but is not sure if college is the most logical decision. Murray acknowledges the fact that a B.A. does not necessarily led to a higher income than one with a degree. The logical argument of money is brought to attention and is stated “the income for the top people in a wide variety of occupations that do not require a college degree is higher than the average income for many occupations that require a B.A.” (Murray 247). Although this is his main point, he understand that it varies due to the occupation one is leaning towards. There has been individuals without a college degree that are making millions of dollars, but it varies. Murray claims that getting a B.A. is going to be the wrong economic decision for many high school graduates (Murray 246); however not everyone wants to be an electrician or any other hand held jobs that doesn’t necessarily need a degree, but if one wants to be a lawyer, doctor, or anything require a degree, college is the answer. Having a degree in a
First, Mike Rose starts making references on how some people can’t afford a college education and through this, they believe that they don’t need to get a degree in order to work or learn something different; those who can’t go to college, look for any possible way of getting an education that could help them discover a different path for their life. Different levels of intelligence and particular talents set people apart and make them unique in their own way which help them to carry on with their life. On the other hand, Charles Murray addresses that now, high school students have a new approach about getting a college education. They now believe that getting a B.A. would guarantee them a job and
What’s wrong with vocational school? Charles Murphy states, “vocational training is second class. “College is first class, college is only for those of higher intelligence” (para. 6). True enough everyone that attends college is not Albert Einstein, but that does not mean that they are not capable of going. Attending college is hard work you have to be motivated and focused. I know many people who have graduated with bachelor’s and master degrees and did not have an IQ of 100 or higher, this alone proves that college is for everyone and not just those with higher intelligence. I
Who decides if we should go to college? We live in this world that convinces people that college is the right thing to do. This society today has painted this clear picture, that if you do not attend college, you would always live a life of struggle. There are those who attend college to have a better life and also to receive that higher education. On the other hand, you have those who are force to attend college that barely made it out of high school. However, you do have does advocates that encourage people to attend college. This point of view promotes that college would allow you to have a better life, a great job, and become financial stable. People who are advocating that college is the right thing does not stress the issue that
Throughout this research paper we will be discussing whether or not college is worth it. In addition to that some alternative to going to college such as trade school, starting at community college first, and working while going to school to help put off some of the expense. Also we will be weighing the pros and the cons on attending college. As you continue to read you will learn the benefits that college has to offer for those who choose that path. In addition to that you will be given alternatives to college and the benefits that comes from not attending university. In conclusion we are not going to make a definite decision on is college worth it because college means different things to different people. Rather than sway you to one
HOOK. In the article titled, “Should Everyone Go to College” written by, Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill they are talking about the topic of whether or not college is the best option for everyone. The two authors make a strong argument on the topic. In the discussions of whether or not college is the best option, one controversial area of debate has been, should every single young individual attend college and get a secondary education. Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill proposes that college is not a good investment for each and every individual. However, college is an overall outstanding investment. While many people say college can be a big waste of money, it also has a few positive things about it..
Society believes that a college degree is a requirement into entering the middle class. According to the essay “Should Everyone Go to College,” by Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill higher education is not a great investment for every student. In my opinion, Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill are right, college is not a good investment for every student because everyone’s circumstances are different.
It is a well known fact but there are many people including counselors, parents, teachers, and friends who resist saying it out loud for fear it will sound like discouragement and negativity: college is definitely not for everyone. The pressure on high schools students, especially those that excel, to attend a college or university is enormous. And in the case of a bright, industrious and motivated high school student, attending a college or university is an obvious career choice. For those students, it's only a matter of what university to attend, whether one's SAT score is high enough, and the availability of the money. Then there are the millions of high school students who are not really personally motivated but are being pressured by their counselors, teachers and parents should they attend college if they really don't care? This paper examines those issues.
Does everyone have to go to college? Absolutely, in the modern society of Taiwan, the answer is “Of course, they do.” But, have we pondered this issue? I think the answer to the question is ”No.” Nevertheless, I always ask myself why I decided to go to college and what I can get after graduating from the college by majoring in AFLD for several times. Also, I know that some of my classmates or friends have the same worries as mine. But, if I am confusing whether the courses I take is helpful for my career. I will do some homework to solve my problems such as searching a lot of information or asking advice from my teachers. There are many ways to find the exactly answers what we want to know. Hence, trying to get what you want is better than
In the article “On Education: What’s Wrong With Vocational School?” Charles Murray discusses his belief on why only about fifteen percent of students should attend four year colleges and offers his opinion that it is more practical for those with an IQ of about 114 or less to go to a community college. He argues that a two years is enough time to learn an occupational skill whereas four years at a traditional university is entirely too long.