The Investment for a College Education: Is It Worth It?

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As high school graduation approaches, millions of teenagers around the country are making a difficult choice between college and full-time employment. In Katherine Porter’s essay, The Value of a College Degree, she explains the importance of higher education. A college degree will guarantee a person's successful future, improve our economy, and send young adults into the world with excellent critical thinking skills. Adults returning to college will have the benefit of increased self-esteem, the ability to change professions, and future opportunities for advancement in their current careers. Katherine Porter argues that it is worth the debt and time to pursue college education. Katherine's essay, which originally appeared in the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), uses cold hard facts to back up her claim. This argument targets a younger audience having doubts about the pursuit of higher education. This is a great subject because today's young people are apprehensive of going to school for another two or more years. Although Katherine's argument makes a couple great points, the tone is boring, and the essay is dry. She fails to make it interesting for the reader, although, she delivers some of her points well and certainly provides credible information. First, Katherine Porter uses a very straightforward title, The Value of a College Degree. There is no confusion regarding the subject of this essay. At the same time, the title only previews what Katherine is going to talk about, but doesn't reveal which side she is on, so there is still mystery to engage the reader. It also reveals the tone of the writer. The title is straightforward; the essay isn't going to mess around. Katherine immediately provides her audience ... ... middle of paper ... ...only announced in the conclusion: “. . . the long-term benefits to individuals as well as to society at large, appear to far outweigh the costs,” but I this is a great way to end this essay. Katherine stating her thesis in the conclusion leaves the reader with a clear answer. The purpose of this essay is honorable. Before teenagers make the decision whether to continue higher education or not, they should be informed on how higher education can improve their future. While some may query the value of a college degree, the fact is that various thing in life benefit from continuing your education. Katherine Porter presents the readers an unexciting essay with unanswered questions, nevertheless, she does make some excellent points. It was a decent argument, but it would have benefited by being less passive and by trying to inspire the reader to pursue higher education.

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