Project 1: Is college worth it for my generation? (Rough Draft)

This rough draft was used for my essay in Project 1. I used my draft like a skeleton and used it to have factual evidence to work off of for my final draft. The feedback I received from my peers and professor was very useful and pointed out my citation and MLA formatting errors. My professor advised that I include my own experiences and thoughts in my paper as well as making my thesis present throughout my paper as I trailed from my original thesis. I listed my changes in green so I could improve my draft later.

Olivia Sabb

Professor Gordeeva

ENGL 1312

February 5, 2022

Is college worth it for my generation?

 [Stronger intro, aligning my paper to the left] 

           College is one of the most important decisions in one's life and graduating with at least a bachelor's degree provides a plethora of opportunities during and after college. More likely to receive a high-paying job, better-enhanced skills, a broader range of jobs that you wouldn’t be qualified in if you didn’t have at least a bachelor’s but receiving these opportunities can be financially depleting for most. This leads to the question, is college worth it for my generation?

 

[Add words to help transition to this paragraph. Incorporate my thoughts and experiences on how college can make an impact on wealth] Graduating college with a degree can help you receive higher pay in the work field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In the third quarter of 2019, full-time workers age 25 and older had median weekly earnings of $975. Those without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $606, compared with $749 for high school graduates (no college) and $874 for workers with some college or an associate degree. Workers with a bachelor's degree (and no additional degree) had median weekly earnings of $1,281. Workers with an advanced degree (master's, professional, and doctoral degrees) had median weekly earnings of $1,559 in the third quarter of 2019.” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) With a bachelor’s degree or higher, you can get paid twice or three times as much as someone with only a high school degree.

 

Another benefit of going to college is being around a broad range of people. ONeal states that universities are places where you can meet and learn from people of all cultures and backgrounds, as they are “melting pots of cultures, religions, political views and other beliefs.” College is a suitable place to learn about others' values and beliefs alongside your education.

 

College helps develop your skills and work ethic while receiving an education. According to ONeal, “In college, you’re not just learning concepts and taking exams. Your classes help you build skills you’ll need in the workforce, like problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and organization. Yeah [Replace "Yeah" with "Yes"], you could gain this experience in other ways, but it’s part of what makes the college experience a good investment for a lot of people.” Having good skills for work may help you be a desirable component and open more opportunities.

 

Most jobs may require some college education, and this change is already occurring. According to Treinta, “In past generations, a college education wasn’t necessary to earn a middle-class income. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, two-thirds of jobs required a high school diploma or less before the 1980s. That’s no longer the case. Georgetown University predicts that 70% of all jobs will require some college education by 2027.” The demand to have a college education in the workforce is booming and becoming a normal requirement nowadays, so the job you want that does not require a degree may need you to have one now.

 

One may argue that you do not need a degree to be successful. This is true, depending on how you define success, but most people want a great, stable job and to be able to purchase things they want, which will require a bachelor’s degree or higher you would have to ask yourself if you need a degree to pursue your goals before coming to a decision.

Another issue people may have is there not being a guarantee for receiving a high paying job after receiving a bachelor’s degree or higher, but a high paying job is more likely to be given to some that have received their bachelor’s degree or higher over some with only a high school diploma or associate degree. Getting a high-paying job is not guaranteed anywhere, but you can raise these chances by also receiving an internship which is mostly in college.

 

[Include how my generation can be affected by this if we don't have a college education] Some people also counter that the job you want may not even need a degree, but as previously states in my paper from Treinta, “In past generations, a college education wasn’t necessary to earn a middle-class income. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, two-thirds of jobs required a high school diploma or less before the 1980s." (Treinta) Most jobs will require degrees, so doing some research on job requirements for your field of work beforehand will give you some insight.

 

Lastly, someone may argue that a degree isn't needed for success. Depending on how you define success this may be the case, but for most people, success will require a bachelor’s degree or higher, you would have to ask yourself if college is necessary for your goals before coming to a decision. Most people may need some amount of college education to pull this off.

 

[Add Gen Z and conclude reasons specifically for Gen Z] College is becoming necessary to receive placement in many jobs and the type of lives we want to live. College education gives you more opportunities in life than someone with only a high school diploma, and graduating college with at least a bachelor's degree is more important now than ever.

 

 

Words Cited

[Alphabetized Sources, put sources in hanging indentation]

Tretina, Kat. “Is College Worth the Cost? Pros vs. Cons.” Forbes, 24 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/is-college-worth-it/ . Accessed 20 January 2022

“Median Weekly Earnings $606 for High School Dropouts, $1,559 for Advanced Degree Holders.” Edited by Arthak Adhikari et al., U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Oct. 2019, https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/median-weekly-earnings-606-for-high-school-dropouts-1559-for-advanced-degree-holders.htm . Accessed 23 January 2022

ONeal, Anthony. “Is College Worth It?” Ramsey Solutions, 9 Nov. 2021, https://www.ramseysolutions.com/saving/is-college-worth-it . Accessed 23 January 2022

Williams, Amy D. "What Are We Doing with This?": How High School Students' Lived and Experienced Curricula Prepare Them for College, vol. 49, no. 1, Sept. 2021, pp. 37–54. 20 January 2022