What's College For By William Deresiewicz

Today, most students always hear about college being an “extremely expensive way to get an education.” While this is true, it has become noticeable that students planning to receive an education at a four-year institution have begun to focus more on the cost of college, rather than the worth of it on who they are as an individual. Overall, the discussion of college has become a very controversial topic. From the cost to the social issues on campus, many people will find several reasons to condemn the idea of college. In his essay, “What’s College For?,” William Deresiewicz uses several literary and rhetorical elements, such as ethos and pathos to build upon his argument that college is more about just the idea of an education; moreover it’s about developing as a human being. In his essay, Deresiewicz first sets the stage by discussing the amount of money students spend during college.

To start off his essay, he presents a very intense tone in his writing. This allows for him to attract the reader's’ attention, and set the tone for his big picture message. Throughout his piece, readers can notice that his tone tends to shift from intense, to more light-hearted and honest. He even adds a few jokes to make his topic less serious, “You need to get a job, but you also need to get a life” (Deresiewicz 79). Jokes such as this allow for his piece to flow in such a way that keeps readers engaged. In addition to his tone, he uses several examples of figurative language to increase the quality of his writing. “Is it just about earning more money? Is the only purpose of an education to enable you to get a job? What, in short, is college for?” (Deresiewicz 77). The author uses syntax in this particular example to ask philosophical questions to cause the reader to stop and consider these questions. In addition, he uses an aphorism to reveal a truth about life. In this case, it’s