Example Of Argumentative Essay On Are Too Many People Going To College?

It is an incontrovertible fact that education, including higher studies, equips one with the tools needed to live a life that is not marked by ignorance. The importance of knowing the world around us in any selected field injects a sense that is not learned otherwise. Therefore, to argue that too many people are going to college and that they need to stop is groundless and flawed. College represents one of the quintessential parts of one’s education and, therefore, this opportunity should not be denied to anyone.
Despite having knowledge of the fact that college education plays a pivotal role in one’s life, some dissuade others from attending college. Charles Murray in his article titled “Are too many people going to college” argues that instead of college education, students should focus more on vocational training. According to him, it is easier to find a lawyer rather than an electrician or a plumber. Moreover, instead of being at the mercy of a boss all the time, the person can be his own supervisor in his field (Murray). Also, Murray writes that a certain kind of satisfaction will also follow suit at being good at a job rather than being mediocre at some other task. However, Murray has ignored the fact that a person who has studied business administration will be more successful at setting up a business of plumbing. In other words, specific or vocational training should accompany college education to reap the maximum benefits. In order to be his own supervisor, the person will need to be able to understand how to run a set-up. Moreover, the person will also be well-equipped in terms of communication skills. Therefore, college education will play an essential part in determining the success of a person.
Moreover, it is often argued that obtaining financial aid and loans to fund a college education is a mistake made by students for which they pay for the rest of their life. Some are even forced to drop out. This premise is groundless. In her article titled “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not likely”, Robin Wilson highlights that one-third of the students who leave college do not owe any debt. Moreover, sixty-five percent of those who have obtained loans to owe around $20,000. Wilson documents the opinion of Michael S. McPherson, president of a foundation that encourages educational research, who says that most of the students who borrow are able to repay and lead a better life than the one they would have led had they not gone to college. Wilson underlines the fact that better college academic advisors are needed in order to help students determine the right amount of loan needed for the most appropriate college according to one’s circumstances. However, this in no way means that students should stop going to college altogether. Although the economy is not providing white-collar jobs to all the aspirants, the unemployment rate amongst those who hold a college degree is 4.4% whereas the figure is 9.3% for those who have not achieved college degrees.
Therefore, it is indubitably true that college education empowers a person and is of utmost importance for a brighter future.

Works Cited

Murray, Charles. “Are too many people going to college?” Aei.org. American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 8 Sep. 2008. Web. 25 March 2015.
Wilson, Robin. "A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely." They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. 256-72. Print.