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.