Eubanks 1

T’erra Eubanks

Simon Workman

English composition

March 29, 2020

Why do some people consider college to be beneficial, why do others oppose?

College is a place of higher learning after high school that provides education and grants

degrees or certification. (“College.” College Dictionary Definition | College Defined,

www.yourdictionary.com/college). There are some careers that in order to pursue your dream job

you must have a Bachelor’s, Associates, or a Masters’ degree in order to get the job. Teachers

always say, “go to school and get a good job.” College is beneficial when it comes to a certain

status such as a doctor, lawyer, nurse, computer scientist, etc. But some people think that college

is a waste of time and causes financial and mental health. Another reason that some people

oppose college is because they feel that all the stuff taught to them is irrelevant to what they are

pursuing, or the degree was put to no use after they have graduated. It is only a waste of time if it

is not helpful for what you are trying to pursue. Not everything needs a degree to be successful.

A teachers favorite saying is “Go to college and get a good job”. There is a percentage of

people that have listened to the teacher and did receive a good job. There are others that have

listened to the teacher and are in a major hole. High school gives you a taste of some things that

you go through in college, which is what they are supposed to prepare you for. Therefore,

teachers get the question from students, “How will this help us in the future or when will we ever
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use it?” Some teachers will tell you the truth about college and others will try to emphasize that

it’s a good decision and a good experience that everyone should have. But the part they are not

stating, is the expenses, the stress, the late nights and early mornings. They will tell you the

writing skills you need and make sure that your work gets turned in on time. High schools are

starting to develop more learning for students to prepare them for what is to come. There is this

one college student that played sports and received a scholarship to play basketball at a private

college. After high school, they were not prepared for their freshman year in college. First

semester started off well, then the second semester started to run downhill. This was because

they didn’t stay updated with financial aid, started turning in work late, wasn’t getting to sleep

because of all the responsibilities they had, and was also commuting back and forth. Mind you

there are curfews, rules, and gas money all tied in with homework, practice, and trying to have

fun, going through their freshman year. Then sophomore year comes around and they have

switched schools because the private school was too expensive. Then another school was giving

them a basketball scholarship and the school costs less. They start off their sophomore year a

little shaky and then started to manage everything. Then an injury happened during the season

and the student didn’t continue their sports career. Got through 2 more years of college and

received their degree. But with this degree they were able to find a few jobs. But also ended up

with $40,000 in debt. They then found a decent job, but stuck paying off this tuition for years

and years of their life.

Patel discusses his meaning of why college was not beneficial for him. He emphasizes

why college is not for everyone but that it is for some people. For Patel’s career, whom is an

entrepreneur, he said that college did not help him, nor was it useful for what he pursued in. His

whole point of college was, “I went into college expecting to sharpen my critical thinking skills.”
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He explained that college was nothing but reading a textbook and then taking a test at the end to

test your memory on what was covered. He then discusses how college was a waste of money,

time, and didn’t learn anything for his field, which he could have learned all online. (Patel, Neil.

“My Biggest Regret in Life: Going to College.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Jan. 2017,

www.forbes.com/sites/neilpatel/2016/12/26/my-biggest-regret-in-life-going-to-

college/#5d2cb1e71Suppose that Carson earns $85,000 per year but must pay income taxes

according to the tax schedule as shown below.ac7.)

From a book called “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs” by Jaison Abel

and Richard Dietz, discusses the expenses that college students have during and after college.

Abel explains how students that have graduated with a bachelors or associates degree get jobs

that don’t compare to the cost of their degree. The author explains how people find it harder to

find jobs after college or they find a job, but it has nothing to do with their degree. “Nonetheless,

despite the recent struggles of college graduates, investing in a college degree may be more

important than ever before because those who fail to do so are falling further and further

behind.” The author still believes that college is important because it helps with some people’s

fields, even though the cost can outweigh the degree. (Abel, et al. “Do the Benefits of College Still

Outweigh the Costs?” SSRN, 10 Aug. 2014, papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2477864. )

A news article called the Public Service & Student Debt: Analysis of Existing Benefits

and Options for Public Service Organizations discusses the tuition of colleges around the world.

It explains how in some areas of the world they are helping students pay for college and be in

less debt once they finish and get their degree. “Some countries, like Denmark, charge no tuition

for bachelor's degrees at public universities and offer substantial aid to students that can help pay

for living costs. Others, like the U.S., charge high tuition and fees but also provide well-
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developed financial aid programs.” This articles also analyzes people’s thoughts on college

whether they think it is worth it or they oppose of it. It also explains why the cost of college is

rising and how some students struggle or are getting help to pay for student loan debt.

(Consumer financial protection bureau, issuing body, United states. Public Service & Student

Debt: Analysis of Existing Benefits and Options for Public Service Organizations. 2013,

http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo63787 http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201308c̲ fpbp̲ublic-

service-and-student-debt.pdf.)

In response to income guidelines regarding students and their families, there are

programs available to offset the costs affiliated with higher education. The Qualified State

Tuition Plan is a program that helps students with low income families pay for their schooling.

Their main focuses are dedicated students that really want to pursue their dreams by going to

college. This book explains the troubles that families and students go through financial while in

college. It also discusses how families should prepare for their children to go to college to help

them with their tuition in the future. Not only does it say for the families to save but also for the

students before and during their time there. (I fill, et al. “When Saving Means Losing: Weighing

the Benefits of College-Savings Plans. New Agenda Series. Volume 5, Number 2.” Lumina

Foundation for Education, Lumina Foundation for Education, P.O. Box 1806, Indianapolis, IN

46206-1806. Tel: 800-834-5756 (Toll Free); Web Site: Http://Www.luminafoundation.org., 30

June 2004, eric.ed.gov/content delivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED484240.)

In this film called Do You NEED a COLLEGE DEGREE to Be SUCCESSFUL? it

discusses the costs of college from the 1980s to today. The film emphasizes how some students

dropped out of college because of the cost of college, and it caused health issues with all the

stress they were under. This filmed also discussed the difference of For-Profit colleges, private
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college, and public colleges. This also emphasizes that the money that students pay for college

goes to merit scholarships which helps other students get into college either for free or helps pay

off most of their debt. Most of the people in the film discusses how they wish they had different

plans going into to college or before they started it or regret even going. (Carmichael, Evan,

director. Do You NEED a COLLEGE DEGREE to Be

SUCCESSFUL? Https://Www.youtube.com/Watch?v=7fTrux8ym8Y.)

Tuition in America has a higher student loan debt then it does in credit card debt.

Because of the rising college tuition, it is causing the students to go to subsidies for loans to take

care of their college funds. These funds are adding up at the end of your college years. The

longer you’re in college, the more loans being taken, creating more debt. The tuition increases

because the federal and state funding start to decrease. “States have spent more on higher

education than the federal government.” Ms. Hunter describes that the tuition has increased

because the government is who increased it. Hunter then justifies her reasoning based off a video

called Refinery29, and a report released by the Pew Charitable Trusts in June 2015. She opposes

what the video was stating, and was agreeing with what the report was stating, based on why

college is expensive. (“Why Is the Cost of College Tuition Becoming So Pricey?” Center for

Individualism, 7 Mar. 2018, centerforindividualism.org/why-is-the-cost-of-college-tuition-so-

pricey/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0-S6hvbA6AIVirbICh0hOQtjEAAYAiAAEgJWpvD_BwE.)

“Top 5 Mental Health Challenges Facing College Students” discusses how college

students are going through mental issues because of being in college. It discusses depression as

being one of the reasons students are dropping out of college, and it could lead to other mental

illnesses. The symptoms that they stated was Physical Well-being Symptoms: Changes in sleep

habits, whether sleeping more or — more frequently — difficulty sleeping. Appetite changes,
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including either a loss of appetite or overeating Emotional Symptoms: Sadness, feelings of being

overwhelmed, feelings of hopelessness, and feelings of powerlessness Thinking

Symptoms: Seeing a glass 'half-empty,' having trouble concentrating and paying attention,

resulting in difficulty in reading and completing work tasks. (Writers, Staff. “Top 5 Mental

Health Challenges Facing College Students.” BestColleges.com, BestColleges.com, 26 June

2019, www.bestcolleges.com/resources/top-5-mental-health-problems-facing-college-students/)

This article states that if students show symptoms of stress, headaches, shortness of

breath, and other forms, is a sign of anxiety. College students will commit or attempt suicide and

it emphasizes how students get overwhelmed because they feel as if they are not good enough.

The article discusses how students have eating disorders and addiction to tings such as drugs and

alcohol because this helps them not think about their stress or issues they have going on.

In an article called the Top 10 reasons Why College is Important by Susan Bogle

identifies a few reasons as of why college is important. It states that having college degree will

be better for people, financially, physically, and could be effective for people everyday lifestyles.

Also states that having a degree can cause better health meaning, you could live longer. Its

beneficial when looking for jobs and more “Financial savvy” says Bogle. She also states that

having a degree can cause you to become a better citizen and have career stability.

In a news article called “Is College Worth the Cost” by Emma Kerr, she did a national

survey on freshman college students on whether college is worth it. 85% of the students stated

that they are going to college to make more money. 72% stated that they are going to college to

receive a better job. 76% of the freshman say they are gaining a general education as the main

reason for their enrollment. “One way to weigh the costs of going to college against the financial

benefits after graduation is to research median salaries for a student's expected college major.”
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(“Is College Worth the Cost?” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report,

www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2019-06-17/is-college-worth-

the-cost). The article also demonstrates how students need to choose their major and school

wisely to reduce the cost of their education. Kerr discusses how students should decide whether

to go to a four-year college or to a community college before they enroll because not every job

you want to pursue in is a need for a bachelors or master’s degree.

The advantages of a college degree are that students have an opportunity to pursue in a

passion or even get a well high paying job, and start to receive more cash flow then the average

population. Another is that a college degree can be beneficial to your family in ways such as, you

can be the first one in the family to receive a degree which can be a reflection for the next

generation. Also, with having a degree, going through college can cause personal development.

When in college you are tested based off your critical thinking, your decision making, and

reactions towards certain situations. College can help you make better decisions and it puts you

through obstacles that you could face in and out of school. Lastly, having a degree will make you

feel accomplished or like another goal that you’ve been telling yourself that you will be

achieved, has been achieved.

The disadvantages of college are debt. Student loan debt is the number one debt in

America right now, and some of the students haven’t even received their degrees or are dropouts.

Another one is that students that graduate and try to find a job in their field, they can’t, or their

degree was put to no use because they found a job that they wanted, and it didn’t need a degree.

How would you feel if y0u paid thousands of dollars for something that is not use? College is not

for everyone and that’s ok. There are people whom have not received a degree and are successful

in life.
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For those who believe that college is not beneficial, they explain how student loan debt

can be affective long term for those who get a degree or don’t get a degree. For those whom tend

to drop out become stuck financially and can cause health problems because of all the stress they

encounter. For those that do receive a degree sometimes can’t find a job for their field or find out

that they went to school for no reason and could have begun their career before they even

thought of college. Those that oppose of college say that it is only beneficial when you can use

your degree for a well-paying job.

Those that do agree with college being beneficial feel that everyone should experience it

and they can get more out of it then just a degree. Meaning that college can help build your

character and that if you get a degree you can become a better student. And for students to have

less debt they have programs for payment plans, encourage them to apply for scholarships,

grants, and for the parents to start saving for them to go to college. Those that agree feel that is

easier for students to get a better job.

From each of the films, articles, and books that I have researched they all state how

college students either have struggled, are in debt, or how college has affected them throughout

their lifetime. They demonstrate how those who go to college struggle to get their degree or they

struggle financially afterwards because they have all that debt to pay off. During college, they

explain how students go through stress mentally or even try to find ways to deal with their stress.

It also identifies how parents can help contribute to the student’s college fund to relieve some of

their student loan debt.

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College is beneficial for those that need a degree to pursue their dream job. People make

it seem as though you must have college to be a successful individual. Many people have no

degree or may not have a diploma and still have managed to become successful in life. College

has also caused issues mentally, physically, and emotionally. There are only some benefits for

college such as the experience, it’s an eye opener, and it helps those with a status, such as a

doctor, get to where they need to be in life. No one would want to go to a doctor that has no

degree in their field or have someone do surgery on them and not having a clue what they are

doing. Its ok to not go to college and become a contractor or an engineer because those are things

you can learn from experience. Is college beneficial? yes. Is it for everyone? No.
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Work cited

Abel, et al. “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs?” SSRN, 10 Aug. 2014,

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2477864.

Carmichael, Evan, director. Do You NEED a COLLEGE DEGREE to Be

SUCCESSFUL? Https://Www.youtube.com/Watch?v=7fTrux8ym8Y.

Consumer financial protection bureau, issuing body, United states. Public Service & Student

Debt: Analysis of Existing Benefits and Options for Public Service Organizations. 2013,

http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo63787 http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201308c̲ fpbp̲ublic-

service-and-student-debt.pdf.

I fill, et al. “When Saving Means Losing: Weighing the Benefits of College-Savings Plans. New

Agenda Series. Volume 5, Number 2.” Lumina Foundation for Education, Lumina Foundation

for Education, 30 June 2004, eric.ed.gov/content delivery/servlet/ERICServlet?

accno=ED484240.

“Is College Worth the Cost?” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report,

www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2019-06-17/is-college-worth-

the-cost.

Patel, Neil. “My Biggest Regret in Life: Going to College.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Jan.

2017, www.forbes.com/sites/neilpatel/2016/12/26/my-biggest-regret-in-life-going-to-

college/#5d2cb1e71ac7.

Writers, Staff. “Top 5 Mental Health Challenges Facing College Students.” BestColleges.com,

BestColleges.com, 26 June 2019, www.bestcolleges.com/resources/top-5-mental-health-

problems-facing-college-students/.
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“Why Is the Cost of College Tuition Becoming So Pricey?” Center for Individualism, 7 Mar.

2018, centerforindividualism.org/why-is-the-cost-of-college-tuition-so-pricey/?

gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0-S6hvbA6AIVirbICh0hOQtjEAAYAiAAEgJWpvD_BwE.

“College.” College Dictionary Definition | College Defined, www.yourdictionary.com/college.

“Top 10 Reasons Why College Is Important.” Southern New Hampshire University,

www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2017/08/why-is-college-important.