Not Going To College Is A Viable Option

Every single individual has once heard the words “get good grades, go to a good college and graduate, in order to get a good job and succeed in life.” However, no one can really assure that a student with a degree is going to have a better future than those who do not attend college. Lawrence B. Schlack, a retired superintendent, asserts in his article “Not Going to College is a Viable Option” that college is not the only place to go after graduating from high school. By using different kinds of persuasive techniques the author effectively supports his claim and makes the article an understandable and important tool for both parents and students who believe that college is their mandatory option after high school.
In the beginning of the piece,

the author uses ethos to establish his position and knowledge as a “retired superintendent,” and state credibility over his publication. Schlack uses logos of reasoning and paradigm when he states “I’ve seen too many high school graduates who have gone off to college in September but are back home with mom and dad in December. And I’ve seen those who have made it through the first year but transferred back home to a community college for the second” (Schlack 2). The essence of Schlack argument is that many students who have moved away for college cannot abide with the pressure of their classes and expenses, or the fact of being away from home, which has made them come back to their parents before time. Delineating matters further, Schlack writes “And there are plenty of those who have stuck it out for a year or two, changing majors, dropping classes, starting over racking up debt and finally dropping out—with debt but no degree” (Schlack 2). With this being acknowledged the author describes that there are some other students who have endured college for a year or two struggling with classes, switching majors, and at the end dropping out, due to uncertainty of their goals and unreadiness to be a college student.