Cheyenne Vavrina

Writ 1120 11:00

Dr. Michel
21 September 2015
Paper #1: Argument Essay

Decide for Yourself

Many people view the American Dream as becoming a happy person
and, of course, making a lot of money! How each person goes about making
their American Dream come true varies. For some, its getting a high school
diploma (if that) and building off that on their own; while others may think of
it as going to college and securing a career after they graduate and possibly
building off that. Some people might argue that the latter is not worth the
cost a college graduate has to pay to get that shiny degree. This argument
has good points on both sides, its only a matter of who the individual is that
makes a college degree worth while. College education is worth the cost
given the student puts in the time and effort and utilizes his resources to
make the degree worth it.
A way that students can utilize their resources to make their time in
college worth the cost is through internships. Internships seem to always be
readily available to college students. So far I, a college freshman who has
only been in school for about three weeks, personally have already seen
dozens of alerts about internships. Whether it be via email, professors, or on

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boards throughout the college, internship opportunities are everywhere. The
experience gained from an internship may just be the deciding factor on
whether a person gets the job they had applied for. According to a survey by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, greater than 3 out of 5 post
college employees had internship experience. If a college student is willing to
put in the extra time and effort to complete an internship and gain that realworld experience, it could pay off.
Internships supply students with the experience students need to make
their degree worth while. In Tony Brummels article Practical Experience
Trumps Fancy Degrees he describes how having a do-or-die work ethic
(50) is all one needs to be successful in business. Brummel mentions in his
article that having real world work experience is what got him to where he is
with a successful company. Brummel states, because I never went to
college and didnt automatically have industry contacts, I had to learn all of
the business fundamentals through trial and error (50). This process might
work for some people, but for most others it isnt that easy. What if one
decides to take Brummels do-or-die work ethic (50) and put it toward an
internship? Going to college is expensive but the schools lay out what the
student needs to succeed and make the cost worth the degree. A student in
college wouldnt have to go through all the trial and error Brummel talks
about in his article if he is guided through classes and takes advantage of
internships to gain experience throughout college. Through internships one
can gain the industry contacts Brummel highlights in his article in a much

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simpler way. According to an article written by Brooke Chatterton in the
Huffington Post, a study on students was done from Southwestern University.
They found that students that completed one internship while in school at
Southwestern were 13 percent more likely to receive a full-time job. Thus,
the more internships students participated in, it was found that they were
more likely to get a full-time job. Chatterton then stated, it provides work
experience and eases student entry into the labor market (1). An internship
could possibly turn into a career! Careers arent easy for everyone to come
by, but if one decides to use internships and modern resources to advance
their image for employers, it might just be the thing that gets someone that
job they always dreamt of and accomplish the American Dream.
If a student is willing to apply himself and work for his degree, there is
no doubt that it is worth the money. Jennie Le discusses what it means to
have a degree today in her article What Does It Mean to be a College Grad.
Le said, holding a college degree seems like the norm: its not a very
outstanding feat. (36). This may be very true that more people are getting
college degrees and this may bring the value down a little bit, but as that
number rises so does the amount of jobs that require a degree. Just having a
degree can be the difference whether someone gets a job rather than their
degreeless counterpart. Moreover, Le also argues the opposite take on this
idea. In her article she states, those who earn bachelors degrees are likely
to earn twice as much as those who dont Realistically, having a college
degree will likely mean a comfortable way of living (36). Les statistic shows

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that, in some ways, getting a degree may be the safest route. Having a
degree will at least bring up ones status a little when looking for a job. Eli
Amdur from the Las Vegas Review Journal found from a study at Georgetown
University that approximately sixty three percent of all job openings by 2018
will require workers with at least some college education. If one decides not
to go to college and decides to look for jobs straight out of high school, it
may be a lot harder to find a job and to work their way up more efficiently.
Employers tend to view a degree as a reliable source to help decide who they
should hire. This alone makes a college degree worth the cost.
Although, getting a degree is what one makes of it. If one decides to
slack off in college, their degree might not be as valuable as someone who
works hard to gain as much experience as possible. Naomi Schaefer Riley
states in her article What is a College Education Really Worth, They
(college students) may spend Monday in 19th Century Womens Literature,
Tuesday in Animal Behaviorbut their courses may bear little relation to
any they took the previous semester or any they will take the next (40).
Riley makes a good point that many students may take classes just because
they look fun, but as adults its up to the student to design their class
schedule to fit what they plan for the future. Not everyone has the
motivation to take important classes because they might be boring or too
difficult. This is why many schools set up many resources for their students
so they can be successful. For example, tutoring programs have positive
outcomes on academic performances along with the students mindset. A

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person doesnt necessarily have to be struggling in a class to have a tutor.
Tutors are there to answer everyones immediate questions and deviate
some of the stress that comes along with studying. Tutors know how to study
and its their job to help students gain more insight on the specific topic. The
point is, there are always resources available for students to get the best out
of their college experience. In an article written by Jeffrey Durso-Finley and
Holly Burks Becker called Tip Sheet|How to Succeed in College they supply
tips for college student on how to be successful. They state in their list of
tips, take advantage of ways to talk to professors outside the classroom
(you will) have a greater appreciation of your academic experience and have
more ways to find mentors, professional and academic references, and
employers (1). If a student isnt willing to put the time and effort into
getting their degree then it might not be worth the cost, it all depends on the
person.
Some people do very well in school, but others work differently. Some
people arent the school type and would work much better somewhere where
they dont need schooling. Each person is different and its up to each person
to figure out a way using resources given to them to make their college
degree worth while. Going to school and making ones degree worth the cost,
takes time, effort, and the persons ability to shape their education to be the
most beneficial. Everyone strives for the American Dream, but how they go
about getting it varies. Achieving the American Dream through college can
be worth every cent if utilized correctly.

Works Cited
Jones, Elka. Internships: Previewing a Profession. Occupational Outlook
Quarterly, 2006. Web.
Kirszner, Laurie, and Mandell, Stephen. Practical Argument. Boston: Bedford/
St. Martins, 2014. Print.
Chatterton, Brooke. "What Job Statistics Say About the Value of College
Internships."

The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost, 7 July 2014.

Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

Durso-Finley, Jeffrey, and Holly Burks-Becker. "Tip Sheet | How to Succeed in
College."

The Choice Tip Sheet How to Succeed in College

Comments. The New York Times,

6 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

Amdur, Eli. "By 2018, 60 Percent of Job Openings Will Require College
Education."

Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas Review-Journal,

14 July 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.