Outline

      I.         Introduction

1)   Hook: Give examples of successful people that did not receive a college diploma. Include the recent death of a great innovator, Steve Jobs, a college drop out.

2)   Thesis: In modern times going to college is almost a rite of passage. Those who don’t attend college right away are instantly left to fend for themselves. But in a country with a failing economy and the infinite freedom to become whatever you want to be, there might be more fulfillment by foregoing college.

3)   Implication: The economic and social advantages of skipping college. The availability of online courses. Comparing and contrasting the income of a college graduate and a person with only a high school diploma.

    II.         Background

·      Go back to reasons why education is so valued and how these reasons have changed over time.

·      A very brief summery of the introduction of colleges into society.

·      The psychology of learning and the different ways that people learn and the different learning types.

  III.         Paragraph 1

1)   Give a brief history of education

(i)   Dating back to Greek and Roman times those with great knowledge had great power.

(ii) There were schools for higher learning but not a specific age assigned to attending.

(iii)  Shift towards more modern style schools

(2)  Question the purpose of colleges today

(i)  
College students should pursue a higher level of thinking and go in depth in a study.

(ii) The shift to college only symbolizing a piece of paper.

(iii)                  Use the example of Steve Jobs as a successful person that has enough creativity to create a trade for himself.

  IV.         Paragraph 2

1)   In an advancing world there are more ways for people to receive a proper post secondary education.

2)   The ability to attend college at any age.

3)   Understanding that all a successful person needs to have a job is a trade that they are skilled at.

    V.         Paragraph 3

1.)  Discuss the large opportunity cost of attending college and getting a job.

                                                    i.         By using graphs and charts I can back up the information I provide.

                                                  ii.         Good transition to the economic strain that college puts on students

2)   Many students that come out of college owe an abundance of money to lenders and their University.

3)   However, those with a college degree make a higher starting salary than those without.

                                                  i.         So in the long run the debt should be paid off.

  VI.         Paragraph 4

1)   Shift argument, and give the pros of gaining a college education.

                                                ii.         Although there are a large amount of advantages of foregoing college, some people are completely ready for the college experience.

2)   Give the example of Caitlin, the dancer at my school.

i.       She had great grades and could have gone to college but she felt that at that moment in her life she wanted to dance.

ii.     She also knew that with the money she earned she could start education after her dancing career.

3)   College isn’t for every person but for those that do not know what they want to be it will provide the tools necessary for earning a decent job.

VII.         Conclusion

·      Establish again that I believe that college is not mandatory after high school. However, it is not the only choice that high school graduates have after receiving their diplomas.

Annotated Bib.

Baum, Sandy and Kathleen Payea. “The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society.” Trends in Higher Education. Ed. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 2004. 5-25. Web.

This is a pamphlet created by one of the most trusted sources when it comes to education, College Board. The researchers from the Board create a book showing the statistical data along with anecdotal evidence that proves in the long run those with higher education continue to have long and successful careers. With this source I plan to disprove some of the data shown that has inconsistencies.

Becker, Gary. “Encyclopedia Essay on Human Capital.” Human Capital. 1975. 1-4. Print.

This article was written by a professor that investigated the services and goods humans contribute to society. He concluded that students that go to college earn significantly more than those that chose not to attend. These findings did not surprise me at all but I was interested more in the way he came his conclusions. Ultimately he stated that the key to a successful job is through extensive training. A few decades ago when this was written that might have been the case, but I plan to show how in modern times there are different ways to achieve success.

Burdman, Pamela. (2005). The Student Debt Dilemma: Debt Aversion as a Barrier to College Access. UC Berkeley: Center for Studies in Higher Education. Web. 18 October 2011. <http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6sp9787j>

This article shows how over the years the college tuition has risen. Due to the rise in tuition many college students are graduating with large amounts of debt and spend most of their lives paying off loaners. I plan to use this information to show that although college brings an abundance of knowledge. Many young Americans pay a large price for the jobs they receive in the future.

Common Good Forcaster: Exploring the Impact of Education in Your Community. Interactive graphs and charts. American Human Development Project. Web. 15 October 2011. <http://www.measureofamerica.org/forecaster?gclid=CNbHzY_R9KsCFQJ-5Qod7y3IMA>

This is an interactive map of the country that allows users to select a state and observe statistical data. It is full of information on literacy rates, college success rates, etc. The most useful feature is the ability to change information and see how the lack of education affects the economy. This source would be useful to compare and contrast different states and see how each state values education differently.

Deresiewicz, William. “The Disadvantages of an Elite Education.” Exhortation. The American Scholar, Summer of 2008. Web. 14 October 2011. <http://theamericanscholar.org/the-disadvantages-of-an-elite-education/>

This article speaks of the slight social disadvantages that people who receive a higher education may encounter. The author of the article gives first hand experience of challenges he faced being a highly educated person. The overall tone was still in favor of getting a higher education, but there were little bits of information about an alternative route.

Hansen, Randall. “Next Step After High School? Some Alternatives to College.” QuintCareers. Web. 18 October 2011. <http://www.quintcareers.com/college_alternatives.html>

This article gives several alternatives to going to college. The author’s stance is more toward college can wait rather than it being a necessity. He states that today, college has become almost a rite of passage for teens into adulthood. Another quote that I enjoyed from the article was, “Education is critical; college is not.” With this as almost the motto of my research paper I can show the reader alternate ways to have a successful and meaningful career.

Harmon, C., Oosterbeek, H. and Walker, I. (2003), The Returns to Education: Microeconomics. Journal of Economic Surveys, 17: 115–156. Print.

This article uses principals of economics to determine the returns students receive from a college education. Most of that information was irrelevant, but I did find most of the statistical information comparing our country with countries that “valued” education more or less. The article would be helpful to provide visuals and back up statements against not going to college.

Price, Brendan. “The Opportunity Cost of College.” Columbia Spector. N.p., 2 September 2008. Web. 14 October 2011. <http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2008/09/02/opportunity-cost-college>

The main issue the article discusses is the opportunity cost for a person who decides to go to a college or university. The author also speaks of the increase in tuition, and how those who aren’t in college are actually making money. While some college students are entering the inescapable world of debt. The writer of the article is an economics major and takes a more concrete stance to the situation. He has little opinion, but gives straight facts. I favored this article because it focused on the positives and negatives of each side.

Singham, Mino. “The Purpose of College.” Mano Singham’s Web Journal. Case Western Reserve University, 9 March 2005. Web. 18 October  2011. <http://blog.case.edu/singham/2005/03/09/the_purpose_of_college>

This is a blog post from an insightful student that  simply asks the question what is the purpose of college? He gives information how over the past decades the meaning of a college education has changed. After reading this article I thought of a new aspect of my topic that I could look into. What do most high school students plan to receive from a four-year institution? From this question there are many angles from which I can approach the larger topic.

Rex, Tom, Kent Hill and Dennis Hoffman. “Five Reasons to Skip College: A Reply.” Productivity and Prosperity Project (2006): 2-5. Print.

This article was written at a school of business at Arizona State in response to reasons to skip college. Several charts and graphs are used to show how Americans benefit from a post secondary education. College graduates earn more than dropouts and that trend seems to continue as students go further into their studies.

Szold, Charlie. “Is College Necessary.” USA Today. N.p., 8 June 2010. Web. 12 October 2011. <http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/blog/is-college-necessary>

This atrial is somewhat informal but gives great examples of successful Americans that did not attend college. A point that the article touched that I enjoyed was the statement, “normal guy or gal, then get that degree.” For most people they do not know what field they are going into until their second or third year in college. The author knows that college will give the opportunity to millions of young adults each year to enter an endless amount of professions. I would like to argue that there are also professions that offer the same satisfaction; however, does not require a college degree.

“Teaching College Courses Online vs. Face-to-Face.” The Journal. 1105 Media Inc., 1 April 2011. Web. 17 October 2011. <http://thejournal.com/articles/2001/04/01/teaching-college-courses-online-vs-facetoface.aspx>

Many busy Americans are finding alternative ways to receive a college degree. This article talks about the benefits of in class teaching and online teaching. Ultimately the article leaned towards the in class setting. However, it stated that online classes are more flexible when it comes to scheduling therefore more convenient for those who have jobs. This article shows that there are ways around the standard four-year institution.