College? An article opposing college.
In this TIME U.S. article, The Case Against College Education, author Ramesh Ponnuru makes the argument that college may not be essential for high school graduates.
Ponnuru mentions both sides of the argument. He points out that people who graduate from college make a better salary then those who don’t and that college helps to make students well rounded and productive workers. Ponnuru, although doesn’t agree, does make his article more reliable and credible by mentioning both sides of the argument.
Ponnuru then refutes these claims and backs up his argument by saying that around 40% of college students don’t get a degree with in six years and after college most students get jobs that don’t require their degree. These points prove that college doesn’t guarantee a high salary job, or even a job in general. Ponnuru’s data and statistics help him prove that college has some downfalls.
Along with discussing the downfalls of college, Ponnuru discusses the alternatives to college. Ponnuru mentions online degrees, certifications, licenses and specific career training as other options for those who don’t attend college.
Ponnuru ends this article in somewhat of a question. He says, “The tight connection between college degrees and economic success may be a nearly unquestioned part of our social order. Future generations may look back and shudder at the cruelty of it.”
I found what Ponnuru says here very interesting and thought provoking, a good way to end this article. This quote got me thinking and questioning if he is right. I always knew I would attend college because everyone I knew went to college. Attending college was never a question for me, I had no other options because it was always decided I would go after I graduated high school. I wonder if one-day things will change and people will see what Ponnuru was trying to argue, that a college education doesn’t insure a better quality of life and that there are other options out there.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1967580,00.html
