The Pedagogy Of Debt

Debt is what makes you not want to go to college, but the long term goal is what keeps you going. Unlike high school college is different because you have to pay for an education. What comes along with college is the debt and bills. Debt is what holds people back from reaching their goals when they come to college. For instance, many think college is overpriced, and it seems like you are paying to go to school just to devote more money at the end. So it makes you think is college worth the cost. Although college may be overpriced, it is definitely worth the cost in the long run.

Receiving a higher education and getting that degree or degrees, will not only put your foot in the door by receiving training from qualified professional in a field

of choice, but it also teaches you skills and experience. What is learned will help you land that dream job that will pay you good enough, so you don’t have to worry about paying back student loans. College is the gateway to a successful lifestyle. What is meant by putting your foot in the door is, it’s your way to get as many opportunities as possible to get noticed by these high paying jobs. According to the scholarly article How to Make College Worth the Cost, “from having your resume reviewed to attending networking events, take advantage of the professional job coaching available by the trained career service staff. These services might even able available to you after you graduate!”(CollegeXpress). What many people might think this means is that, like previously stated putting your foot in the door. It basically helps you prepare for your careers or jobs you are seeking in future. It also puts in prospective, how you can take advantage of the available opportunities in college and get the best out of that debt. Instead of letting all that money go to waste. You can gain experience, meet new people, start or join networks. Also as well as learn new things from professors and students there. Therefore, you can’t just let the debt consume you. You have to put in that extra time and work to have something to show for it. For instance, you could get an education, gain as mush experience as possible and continue to grow and start a business from inside. It all depends on how much you can get out of the debt not what the debt can get out of you.
The aspiration of achieving the highest degree possible is countered by the fear of accumulating debt whether you complete school or not.

For those who believe college debt is worth it, there is an opposite end of the spectrum that believes it is not. Here are some reasons why many would disagree. According to this online scholarly review called The Pedagogy of Debt, by Jeffrey Williams. He states that “The Shameful Secret of Higher Educations”(Williams). What people would immediately see as soon as they read this is financing an education has more of an after affect to it than what we believe. With that being said Williams continues by stating that “I am one of 100,000,000 on the rolls of student debt. Every month I write out a check for $660 to Sallie Mae. I simply abbreviate the entry in my checkbook as S-M. It hurts”(Williams). What we analyze he is saying here is that the number of people in debt from paying back college loans is increasing rapidly and continuing to grow every year. Also, Williams states that “At 46 and fifteen years out of grad school, I still owe around $9,000 from my graduate school ….Besides that, my daughter, who graduated in 2002, herself owes about $25,000.”(Williams). This proves that after you graduate, you still going to be in debt regardless. If you graduate or not, the debt still follows you. So is the cost really worth it in the long run? That’s the real question. Therefore, Williams proves that debt will continue to grow the longer you stay in school and the higher you go onto obtaining a higher degree. The reality that one cannot outrun debt, can cause apprehension of going to college especially if the job market is

slow.
For those who think college debt is not worth the price. Here are some reasons/ solutions to why many would disagree. Although paying off some of these loans can be such a major headache. College is a significant investment, and the cost shouldn’t matter if you are eligible for financial aid, grants like Pell and Tap, scholarships, and dedicated to learning. While some people parents either make too much money or are paying out of pocket, or don’t qualify for any of those financial aid help, doesn’t mean you can’t try and apply. Don’t let debt be the reason to stop you from pursuing your dreams. First off, applying for as many scholarships and grants as possible even if you do not qualify for Pell and tap, financial aid, or any other grants, it cannot hurt you for trying. The littlest help can be a big assist in decreasing your debt for college. According to this article called How to Make College Worth the Cost, it states that “Scholarships are another important part of the financial aid puzzle. There are billions- literally, billions-of-dollars in scholarships out there”(College Xpress). What a lot of people thought this article was saying was that the more scholarships you could apply for or get, the better. Many individuals who went to college would encourage anyone who is willing to go to college and face their fear of debt, to get an education. First, they would need to pursue scholarships as a gateway for free money to pay the debts and loans off. College Xpress also points out that “The second step is getting as much value out of each year you spend on campus. After all, whether you pay most of your tuition out of pocket, or you get a full scholarship, that year is still assigned a value of several thousand dollars”. What an abundance of people got out of this was that you have to get as much as you can from the school as possible, because regardless of the price and debt you still paying for the time and school. So you have to get all you can, take into consideration that time is money

College is too expensive, and the prices should at least drop according to the job market and what is economically affordable to society so people could at least afford a chance for school. Nevertheless, regardless to cost the pros outweigh the cons so you should still go to college. Although the prices for college will never fall because schools will lose so much revenue, many would agree that college is worth the cost, and you should still go. Anyone and everyone should be recommended to go to college because you get more than just an education out of it. Even though, you should just be ready to apply for scholarships, grants, Pell and tap, and FAFSA. For instance, it will help you pay for the loans you had taken out. It will also take off some stress so that you could focus on school. College Xpress also does an excellent job by explaining why financial aid is essential. For example, it states that “You should always, always, always file the FAFSA! It’s free, and you have nothing to lose by trying. It’s also important to file every single year as soon as possible” (College Xpress). What many would have taken from this part in the article was that not only is FAFSA free, but it also helps you pay for school. In addition, you have nothing to lose by applying. So it would be a great help. Therefore, many people are for going to college and taking on this college debt head on because it has so many opportunities to offer and it’s worth it in the long run as oppose to not having an education and struggling in a tight job market trying to find work.
In conclusion, college debt has it up and downs when you look at it. Although, many people do not go to college because of their fear of debt they will have to owe at the end. The ultimate goal will be worth the debt in the long run. Many would disagree that debt can be burdensome. However, having an education is the key to success and the experience learned would better prepare you for the job market. The debt for paying for school is just a small obstacle that will soon be paid off, if you focus and do what you have to, and plan properly after landing a job. That’s when debt becomes just a small bill in the future that you pay every month. Therefore, college debt is worth the price even though it might be a minor setback. The actual question is, are you going to let debt keep you from chasing your goals and dream, or are you going to pursue your dreams and one day be debt free?