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Dalton Green Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 February 13, 1 College, Is it really worth it? !s the school year starts to come to an en" high school seniors #ill begin to consi"er #here they$ll atten" in the %all or #hether they shoul" go at all& !s tuition continues to rise the number o% gra"uates in "ebt are higher than e'er& It$s becoming a (uestion #hether or not college is paying o%%& !lthough a )tan%or" gra"uate *eter +hiel co,%oun"er o% *ay,*al, an" billionaire claims that college is not #orth it in -the age o% start ups&. /ather last year +hiel o%%ere" 0100,000 to t#enty smart in"i'i"uals in or"er to start their o#n company& +he only con"itions being -"on$t go to school&. Matt Mullen#eg, an eighteen year ol" %rom 1ouston, +e2as, #as your a'erage high school senior& 1e stu"ie" 'isual an" per%orming arts #hile in high school an" #as 'ery s3ill%ul at music speci%ically playing the sa2ophone& Matt "i"n$t 3no# #hat he #ante" to "o or #here he #ante" to go in li%e& 4ut at the en" o% the 2002 school year %ate lan"e" him in the 5ni'ersity o% 1ouston& Matt ma6ore" in *olitical )cience7 although, that "i" not seem to be his interest& !%ter a trip to 8ashington DC "uring his %reshman year Matt %elt the nee" to share this e2perience #ith his %rien"s& It #as at this time Matt really got into blogging& 4y 9anuary 2003 Matt announce" on his blog that he #oul" "esign his o#n #ebsite that allo#e" others to blog an" #ith the help o% t#o %rien"s he "i" 6ust that& +he site #as complete" in May o% 2003 utili:ing co"ing %ar more comple2 than the stan"ar" 1+M; co"es that are still the most commonly use" to "ate& 4y 200 Matt coul" no longer a%%or" to go to college an" "roppe" out& Matt le%t 1ouston to pursue a 6ob

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in Cali%ornia at C<E+, a large tech me"ia #ebsite that publishes re'ie#s, ne#s, articles, an" po"cast on technology& Matt le%t #ith the sole promise that he #oul" continue to "e'elop his ne#ly %oun"e" site& 8ithin a year Matt retire" %rom C<E+ in or"er to gi'e the pro6ect his %ull attention& 1is pro6ect an" many other en"ea'ors became #hat #e 3no# to"ay as 8or"*ress, the largest blogging ser'ice to "ate #ith o'er 103 million global users& 4uisness#ee3 rates Matt Mullen#eg at 1 on the list o% 2= most in%luential people on the net& )o the (uestion arises, ho# #ill #hat college stu"ents are "oing in the present a%%ect them in the %uture> -In 2010, recent college gra"uates le%t school o#ing an a'erage o% 02=,2=0 in stu"ent loans,,the highest amount e'er&. ?5nite" )tates <e#s@ )ome loo3 at college as an in'estment in themsel'es an" li3e any smart in'estment one has to consi"er the potential gains along #ith the potential ris3& Athers li3e /ichar" Be""er, the "irector o% +he Center %or College !%%or"ability an" *ro"ucti'ity, argues that -<o Ccollege is not #orth itD #e no# ha'e E0,000 barten"ers an" ta2i "ri'ers #ith bachelor "egrees&. )ome argue that #hile tuition an" "ebts ha'e gro#n they ha'e not gro#n unmanageable an" that the return on the in'estment is re#ar"ing& 4ut then again college,"ropouts li3e Mar3 Fuc3erberg, 4ill Gates, an" )te'e 9obs sho# that you "on$t ha'e to go to college to be success%ul& Is a college "egree still #orth it> Does it hol" the same amount o% #eight in to"ay$s society as it "i" t#enty to %orty years ago> Is college less about learning an" more about paying %or a "egree> 8hat has change" that$s ma"e the price o% college tuition go up> 1o# #ill the amount o% Debt College stu"ents are %acing a%%ect them in the long run> 1o# much "ebt is too much, an" i% not the stu"ents #ho is pro%iting in this situation> Is the "ebt truly manageable> 1o# much "oes the a'erage college stu"ent ma3e upon gra"uation> 1o# much #oul" a college stu"ent ha'e to ma3e upon gra"uation in or"er to pay o%% their loans in a timely manner> 8hat

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percent o% college stu"ents %ace unemployment upon gra"uating> 8hat percent o% college stu"ents en" up #ith a 6ob in their %iel" o% stu"y> 8hat is it loo3ing li3e %or college stu"ents ten to t#enty years "o#n the roa"> !s a college stu"ent these are all important points to consi"er& I 3no# that you nee" a college "egree in or"er to get a goo" 6ob, or at least that$s #hat #e are tol"& !re colleges being run li3e multimillion,"ollar corporations> 8ho see$s the pro%it> Ma2 <isen o% -4usiness Insi"er. argues that college stu"ents shoul" not %ocus on those rough %irst years out o% college& 1e states -the real bene%its o% college sho# o'er the course o% a career, an" they$re massi'eG. 1e claims although many stu"ents %in" themsel'es initially earning the same amount as those #ithout a "egree, this "oes not last& +he;a""ers Bice *resi"ent o% Data )cience !n" !nalytics )han3ar Mishra agrees ma3ing similar statements -In"i'i"uals #ith a college "egree may start in the same compensation range, but gro# e2ponentially o'er the course o% their careersH )ome #oul" say these %actors are #hat "i%%erentiate a career %rom a 6ob& +hese same in"i'i"uals are the ones #ho #oul" consi"er college to be a long,term in'estment& ! stu"y con"ucte" by +he;a""ers sho#s that a %our,year "egree sees payment rises at about 03,IIE a year, compare" to 03JK %or non,gra"uates& +he stu"y goes %urther by e2amining gra"uates, 'ersus non,gra"uates t#enty years "o#n the roa" #here the becomes gap e'en more massi'e #ith gra"uates earning 02=,000 more than those #ithout a %our,year "iploma& I% #e loo3 at a gra"uates 'ersus a bachelor$s "egree %or recent gra"uates consi"ering gra"uate school the long term pay,o%%s are e'en greater& 9ust ten years a%ter completing gra"uate school, those #ith gra"uate "egrees ma3e 01=,000 more than someone #ith 6ust a bachelor, an" 01E,000 more than someone #ith no "egree at all& +here is a lot o% 'ariation "epen"ing on one$s %iel" o% stu"y& I% you go into the lo#er,paying %iel", such as e"ucation, e'en #ith a master$s "egree one #oul" not bring in a 'ast return& 4ut #ithout at least a %our,year "egree one is completely shut out o% many

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o% the highest paying 6obs& 4usiness insi"er reports, -In three o% the %our highest pai" in"ustries L %inancial ser'ices, biotech, consulting, an" computer science L more than E0M o% employees ha'e at least a %our,year "egree&.