Students

1 name Professor English date To Debt or Not to Debt: Why College is Worth the Investment When most people think about college they generally have the same mind set. You are taught from a young age that college is the only way to go but is that true? With recent tuition risings and the “American dream” seeming to vanish, college doesn’t seem to be worth its value anymore. Others believe that its college or you will be working at a fast food joint for the rest of your life. Most people in-between believe that money is the determining factor but with the amount of options should people even worry about this?

Even though college might seem like a stretch with tuition rising, college is something more people should take part in because there are so many answers to get past the money and just enjoy the full college experience. For most students applying for colleges is all they have thought about since starting kindergarten. For others it’s been a lifelong dread about how do they even begin to try and 2 afford it essay writers online. With all the horror stories about finishing college with such enormous debts it can really turn student s away from college.

Although the prices may have gone up the investment is still something to pursue. “Even in this economy, college graduates are much better off than high-school graduates. Yes, white-collar employees are losing their jobs. But the unemployment rate for people over twenty five years old who hold at least a bachelor’s degree is 4. 4 percent, compared with 9. 3 percent for the people that age who hold only a high-school diploma, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” as put by Robin Wilson in A Lifetime of Student Debt, Not likely.

Students complain about the large debts they can conjure up during these college years you truly are better off with it. It’s not just about the piece of paper; it’s about the opportunities that it creates. For most people college can be the best time of their lives. You just got to be smart with what you have. Sara M. Harrington (A Lifetime of Student Debt, Not likely) wanted to be smart and looked ahead. She didn’t want to borrow any money that she knew she couldn’t pay back.

Some students just want to not worry about any costs and just be done with college and get into the working world not thinking of any consequences. Although some might argue that you shouldn’t think about the future just think about today, you really need to be logical when borrowing money. You shouldn’t let money run your life but it usually does. Another thing to consider is that some of the students coming out with such enormous debts are because they go to private colleges. For some it’s too far out of reach and they choose 3 ommunity colleges and are most of the time they are better off. For me I chose the community college way because I knew my parents could not afford to help me if I went away. Without my parents I wouldn’t be able to go to school, but I know even the payments for school now are hard enough. I could never imagine the burden of private or even state college tuition on my parents. Loans never go away so just be smart with your money and borrow less. When growing up teachers, parents, and counselers have always drilled college into your head but did they ever explain why?

If asked it was to get a better job or to give your self a better furture than what they have. But maybe college isn’t always about learning but its about finding your self. “…College is not only about learning how to earn a living, .. , but also about learing how to live: how to be an informed and involved citizen, how to communicate effectively, how to understand other cultures and peoples, how to think and reflect” (Ch 14 opening statement). Most people seem to overlook these simple things. College might have the large goal of getting that diploma but its about the experience.

You are not only sitting in a classroom but you are figuring out new ways to do the things you love. Not only can you make life long friends but you can learn different backgrounds, try new things, and take any class imaginable. College may seem like a lot of work in the big picture but you can make it fun and worth the experience. Overall College might seem like a lot of work, stress, and debt but it is something that you should enjoy. Not only for the sake of saying “I went to college” but for bettering 4 yourself. You can come out with so much more life skills just from competing this life step.

Every ones ecperience is going to be different, but you are only bettering your self in the end. 5 Works Cited Birkenstein, Cathy, and Russel Durst. “Chapter 14 Introduction: Is Higher Education Worth the Price? ” They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. By Gerald Graff. 2nd ed. N. p. : W. W. Norton &, 2012. 256-73. Print. Wilson, Robin. “A Lifetime of Student Debt, Not Likey. ” They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. 2nd ed. N. p. : W. W. Norton &, 2012. 256-73. Print

There was a time when the world we live in was in a somewhat peaceful mode. There was existing discord among countries and there were political and social misunderstandings being resolved but overall, there was a semblance of a fragile peace and tolerant understanding of each others problems, race, and gender. That all changed overnight after the events of September 11.

Overnight, the tolerance and fragile peace existing between our country and those of the Middle East, Europe, and Asia was thrown into a dizzying tailspin. Everything that we thought we knew about our middle-eastern neighbors was thrown out the window and they suddenly became an almost persecuted race worldwide. This loss of tolerance and understand towards the Middle Eastern nationals saddens me no end. Perhaps it is because, even though I was born and raised as an American, my family’s roots are deeply entrenched in the Middle East.

I lived eleven years of my life as a citizen of the Middle East.  I am one of them. Therefore, I understand the culture and religion even though I am now more influenced by my westernized upbringing. Even though my parents tried hard to instill some of our Old World value into me, it was a struggle for me to identify with the traditions and ways they wanted me to follow.

No one else in my social circle had to follow the same norms as set by their family that I did. Eventually, the western ways won out and I forgot what it was like to be a Mid Easterner. This is why I believe that the person or classmate who will have a tremendous impact on my life while in college will be someone who is an exchange student or foreign national enrollee from any part of the Middle East.

The reason I believe this is because; I have slowly come to realize that the people from the Middle East have been suffering from prejudice since the events of 9/11. The race has been judged collectively and branded by the world as terrorists. All member countries of that eastern block have been judged by the decisions and acts of a few misguided people from their area of the world. It is time for us to stop the prejudice. It is time to stop the war. It is time for us, as the free leader of the world, to stop, analyze and think about what we are doing to those people. It could be an act of veiled of revenge already on our part. That understanding can start small and trickle down. It can start with me.

I would expect that this potential classmate of mine to help me understand where the prejudice comes from. Why do we see them in such bad light? How do they view us as a nation? I believe that a fellow Middle Easterner student and I will be able to relate and have many things in common.  He may not be from the country my parents come from. But, he will at least share the same beliefs and traditions as my parents and maybe, just maybe, I can learn even more from him about my roots and traditional heritage. Those things and lessons will be fun for me to encounter because I missed out on those things when my family moved to the United States.

Since he will be like a mentor to me, I also expect to learn other things from him. I expect to learn more about tolerance for others who may not understand from him. He can show me how to deal with the situations he faces everyday. I have been known to have a short attention p so dedication and effort are not really very strong points in me as a student and person. I am hoping that he will be able to teach me that since Middle Easterners are known for their tolerance and patience in the face of adversity.

Aside from those specific things, I know that I will learn a lot in terms of life lessons from him or her simply by observing the person as his or her daily life unfolds. Everyday is a learning experience for everyone, he or she can be my out of class mentor, friend, and ally if need be.