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The benefits of attending college later in life
The benefits of attending college later in life
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The benefits of attending college later in life
The benefits of attending college later in life
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
“Education is the key to success” is a common phrase said by many of our millennial cohorts. The idea that education is a critical component of acquiring an eminent lifestyle has dated back since premodern times. Individuals are now constantly enrolling in postsecondary institutions in hopes of attaining endless opportunities along with the implied benefits that results from a college degree. Nevertheless, a college education is, unfortunately, not accessible to all people. In “The Diploma Divide,” Kassie Bracken explores the major disparity among low income students and their affluent counterparts on obtaining a postsecondary degree in the U.S. With the employment of an alluring appeal to one’s emotions, a use of despondent word choices to establish a dispirited ambience, and a distinguished platform to elucidate the author’s thoughts, Kassie effectively promoted her argument on how a college education is not attainable for all individuals.
However, many don’t want to drop out from their studies; they want a better education and better jobs that will pay them well. Not to have to work in a job that pays them low wages and to top it off still have to pay the loan they applied for to stay in college. It’s an everyday struggle young people go through every year just to stay in college to get their education. In the book On the Frontier of Adulthood Frank F. Furstenberg state that “More youth are extending education, living at home longer, and moving haltingly, or stopping altogether, along the stepping stones of adulthood.” Young people not reaching their adulthood, and still living at home to pursue, there dream of going to college.
Recently, many have begun to attack and degrade higher education in the United States. In the book How College Works, authors Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs claim, “As state support has eroded, and as more students attend college in an increasingly desperate attempt to find viable jobs, the price to students of attending an institution of higher education has gone up, especially at more selective institutions” (172). So is college even worth it? Caroline Bird’s excerpt from her book Case Against College “Where College Fails Us” is an adequately written article that agrees with those who question whether college is a good investment. Bird argues that although some students would benefit from college and succeed, many fall short, wasting
As a college student who is currently spending thousands of dollars to further my education and achieve a career goal, it was, at first, disheartening to read Caroline Bird ’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money”. However, after thoroughly examining her points, I now see that her essay is illogical. In her piece “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird argues against the idea that “college is the best place for all high-school graduates” (1); in other words, college isn’t for everyone. Throughout her writing, Bird supplies her readers with evidence that explains how, for some individuals, college is a waste of not only time and money, but of intellectual effort, as well.
“The dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement (Adams 1).” A 2002 study found that 17% of student loan borrowers reported their loans had a significant impact on their career plans.13 Today, after the economic downturn, ASA’s survey suggests that number has nearly doubled, as 30% of respondents said their student loan debt was a deciding factor or had considerable impact on their choice of career. In addition, 52% said they either strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement that their “need to pay student loan debt is hampering my ability to further my career.” One ASA survey respondent commented, “I need to have two jobs because of my student debt, and I cannot take employment opportunities that will not make enough money, regardless of the potential that they may have in the future (American student assistance 5).” Relates to definition because they need to have 2 jobs to be able to pay off student debt.
Many Americans today face an impending struggle as they advance into adulthood. That impending struggle that so many Americans face in this stage is college. College has problems ranging from being able to not afford college to not meeting the eligibility to enter certain courses in college. The truth to this is that these problems are not that scary and can most certainly be easily solved through scholarships or diligent work. College helps all Americans seek a better educated life that helps them overall the course of their
College is one of the most significant times in a person’s life. Every year high school kids will visit many different colleges so that they can be confident in their college decision. Some kids will follow in their parent’s foot steps and base their decision on where their mom or dad went, though, not all kids are fortunate to have help from their parents. Many kids nowadays may be the first in their family to take on higher education. The article, “First Generation College Students: Unprepared and Behind” by Liz Riggs explains that kids who are the first in their family to take on college are at a disadvantage compared to kids with parents who attended college.
Society often believes college is a necessary experience for a better future, but I argue that the future will not be any better when student debt becomes a part of life for those who follow that mainstream belief. Most parents often dream of the great colleges and universities that their children will get accepted into; however, they fail to think of the cost to attend those institutions. Financial aids! Financial aids! Yes there are financial aids that students can apply to lessen the student debt.
The phrase “education being worth it no matter the cost” has been drilled into students as well as their families. This has led to student loans eclipsing a total of $1 billion every year, and in total reaches more than $1 trillion. While most loans don’t have to be paid off until after graduation, many students aren’t able to find jobs to subsidize the loan payments once they have
Most of my friends who are currently in college have between 5000$-20.000$ in federal and private loans. In many cases, besides for the loans, students have to work and study at the same time, which results in a stressful life for the student. In fact, many students are not able to finish their education because, since they can’t afford it, they have to work over their studies. Out of all the possible reasons to drop out of college, “the No. 1 reason many young adults drop out of college is an inability to juggle school and work” (Johnson). Finishing college is the most decisive forecaster of prosperity in the workforce and the inconsistency in college completion between children of rich and poor families duplicated since the late 1980s (McGlynn 55).
As a first generation student to attend college from a family of seven, the journey to a higher education has been arduous and overwhelming. My family gives me all the encouragement I need and are very optimistic about pursuing a higher degree. Unlike myself, my parents did not have the opportunity to attend college. My parents were born and raised in a small town in Mexico where the highest level of education they received was fifth grade. I have worked since I was 14 years old to support my parents with bills, and also saving for college and my own vehicle.
In today society, people have placed a high value on education; many believed that with a higher education they could obtain a better job. Many jobs are now requiring employee to have some sort of educational degree. The cost of college has increase 3 times faster than inflation (Baum, Payea 7). Financial aid is defined in the Merriam-Webster as “money that is given or lent to students in order to pay for their education”(“Financial aid”). As a result, many students have to rely on financial aid to pay for their college expense.
The adolescent encounters the question “Who am I?” in many different forms, from “What academic areas do I care most about?” to “What kind of social environment is the best match for me?” Another set of challenges bundled into choosing a college concerns the adolescent’s changing relationships with his or her family. All sorts of feelings come into play for young people and their families around the question of whether to live at home while attending college or to go away to school (and, if so, how far away?). Typically, choosing a college also poses difficult questions about finances for adolescents and their families, including what parents can and cannot provide and what financial responsibilities the student will have to assume.
Parents across the nation have found it much harder to pay for their children’s education due to these rising costs. For example, in states like Arizona, Georgia, and Oklahoma “parents have seen a 77 percent increase in costs. In Georgia, it's 75 percent, and in Washington state, 70 percent” (citation). These rising costs would be especially challenging for young adults. Working for a college education is a challenge, and many cannot overcome it.
Students face various challenges throughout their college career. Thus, the problems that students have can range from balance, new lifestyle, to financial problems. Therefore, finding a balance between being a student, possibly working, and keeping up with their social life is a necessity. Similarly, others are away from home for the first time thus, they have a new responsibility with being on their own and findings ways to deal with homesickness. Likewise, being exposed to new financial situations is yet another challenge college students will need to learn how to cope with.