Summary Of Is College Worth It Soon New Data Say By David Leonhardt

In today’s society, it has been found out that college graduates have a hard time seeking a job and end up with a sky-high student debt. This reality then poses a question, is going to college worth the time and money? An essay in the New York Times published in May 2014 entitled, “Is College Worth It? Clearly New Data Say,” by David Leonhardt states, “For all the struggles that many young college graduates face, a four-year degree has probably never been more valuable” (33). In his essay, Leonhardt sets the stage by describing the struggles a college graduate might have such as student debt, no work after graduating, and accepting jobs they feel overqualified. He continues by stating some of the reasons as to why college is worth it: the pay

In the beginning, the author writes with a third person perspective then shifts to a first-person perspective. The author however, is an experienced writer; therefore, he does this on purpose. This creates an informal tone but also give another example of a method the author uses. This method is called a stylistic choice. The author does not give any indication or transition that he is about to change perspectives. He just throws it in there. An example would be when he gives out facts and statistics as to why college is worth it and suddenly throws in his personal experience by stating, “My own student debt, as it happens, was almost identical to this figure in inflation-adjusted terms” (35). The author might have done this to become closer to his

This is called exemplification. Exemplification is an example of a general strategy. By providing multiple statistics from credible sources such as the Economic Policy Institute, a journal from Science and authorities show logos. He also demonstrates logos by constructing logical arguments when he talks about the pay gap and states, “If there were more college graduates than the economy needed, the pay gap would shrink” (34). Readers are able to understand this argument for it is straightforward. Because he is able to use these sources, the author himself shows ethos. He deems himself informed and reliable. After stating “Among four-year college graduates who took out loans, the average debt is about $25,000, a sum that is a tiny fraction of the economic benefits of college” (34), he then uses his experience about student debt to connect with the audience. Leonhardt’s audience trusts him because he has shown keen knowledge about the