T-Chart for "Is college worth it?" Opinion by William J. Bennett and David Wilezol

Pros

Cons

-          LOGOS: Before deciding whether or not college is the right choice, it is important to make an honest assessment of a student’s ability and inclination to do college-level work. -          LOGOS: If a student can get into a highly ranked school, it is probably worth it to go there, even if she has to borrow money -          LOGOS: Secondly, it is important for students to consider the probable financial impact of their course of study -          LOGOS: Students need to make smart decisions about their capacity for academic work, the job prospects for their major, and how they will pay for their education

-          ETHOS: Federal Reserve has estimated that the current nationwide amount of student debt is over $1 trillion. -          PATHOS: found that approximately 50 percent of the class of 2011 was either unemployed or underemployed. As a result, many recent graduates are putting off getting married, starting families and buying homes. -          LOGOS: Too often, unchallenging or novelty academics, such as courses on Lady Gaga, have replaced rigorous learning in the traditional liberal arts and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines. -          PATHOS: Additionally, most college campuses have an unabashedly liberal political orientation, and are rife with binge drinking, illegal drug use and the degrading “hook-up” culture. -          LOGOS: If a student has real doubts about whether he can commit to four years of papers, tests and class time, he shouldn’t go.

"Is college worth it?" Opinion by William J. Bennett and David Wilezol

Summary: In “Is college worth it?” (2013)  by William J. Bennett and David Wilezol, they begin alluding to the recent news declaring that going through college has many hardships and as a  result many graduates become “boomerang” students or college graduates that return home and are left without a  job. The authors then proceed to acknowledging studies that negate the idea of going to college. They conclude with stating their position on the topic and supporting it with three main points that students should consider before entering college.

Analysis:  William J. Bennett and David Wilezol’s main assertion is that college is worth going to depending on the circumstances. The authors allude to both side of the topic by stating facts that put a bad image on college but stating reasons that give an insight to the reasons why people should enroll into college. They establish ethos by stating statistics given by the Federal Reserve “ student debt is over $1 trillion.” The Federal Reserve handles money crisis of the nation and therefore should know the debt that surrounds college students after graduating making it a reliable source. Going to college and not being successful will also have negative effects on society, “many recent graduates are putting off getting married, starting families and buying homes.” Having a companionship or a family will have positive effects on the soul. It will bring inner peace to rely on someone to be there after a hard day. Also, these students are left with debt towards the government with no way to pay it back. College is just a plain waste of time and money to people. Many colleges spend money on not classes that do not teach anything and as a result “only 45 percent of college graduates made substantial gains in critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing skills..” College is just a waste of time to some people and is seen as an opportunity to enter the party life. These students are still not adults and are not able to comprehend real responsibilities which lead to bad temptations like drug use. The authors appeal to the other side of the issue by stating suggestions in which students must consider before going to college. Many of these suggestions are logical but many students seem to ignore.

Works Cited:

Bennett, William J. "Is College worth It?" Www.foxnews.com. Fox News, 3 May 2013. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.

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