Is The College Education Necessary For The Student?
Paper II: Multi-Source AnalysisPurpose and DescriptionContributing to a scholarly conversation requires that you have something meaningful to communicate based on your own research. It also requires, however, that you consult existing scholarship on your subject in order to demonstrate, precisely, what is new or relevant about research findings. With these ends in mind, your aim in this assignment will be to 1) locate and analyze multiple scholarly sources related to the problem, question, and audience you identified in your research proposal; and 2) use your analysis to begin positioning yourself within a scholarly conversation that you would like to join based on your ongoing inquiry. The instructions described below are designed to guide you through this process. Invention & InquiryConsider the following as you develop the first draft of your paper:• Identify 3-5 key words related to your research problem and question;• Research the key words using appropriate university library databases;• Locate scholarly sources that examine problems and questions similar to your own;• Create a digital repository for the articles you find and can access through the library;• Select 4-5 sources that you would like to analyze for this particular assignment;• Analyze the sources using methods drawn from Chapters 2 & 3 in IAW;• Craft a thesis that positions your own voice within the scholarly conversation you have begun to define through your research. The Composing ProcessYour process for composing this paper will be similar to the work you completed for Paper I. In particular, you should introduce your subject, offer some context for your analysis and state your thesis, present your analysis, come to a general resolution that reinforces your thesis, and conclude the paper by pointing toward additional research that should or needs to be undertaken. Consider the following structure as you draft your paper:• Introduction (designed to frame your paper)• Research Context (designed to build on Exercise II)• Rhetorical Analysis (designed to focus on 3-4 scholarly sources)• Resolution of Perspectives (designed to reinforce your thesis)• Conclusion & Directions (designed to gesture toward future action) Specific RequirementsYour paper should:• Analyze 3-4 scholarly sources related to your inquiry;• Develop a compelling thesis based on methodical analysis;• Have a well-defined and coherent organizational structure;• Be written in a clear, precise, and active prose style;• Cite sources correctly using appropriate citation style (MLA or APA);• Include a title that reflects the spirit and scope of your paper;• Be 6-7 pages in length (double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman or Garamond typeface);• Be uploaded to Canvas as a Word document by the deadline (consult your course syllabus and schedule for details). The process of defining a scholarly conversation does not end with the analysis of 3 or 4 sources. Rather, it begins with this step and continues to evolve as you focus your inquiry and develop your argument over time and through ongoing research and writing. Please write or stop by my office (or both) if you have questions about this assignment or anything else related to the course.
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Research Context: Is The College Education Necessary For The Student?
Introduction
There has been a long-standing debate on whether the college education is worth the enormous amounts spent by the individuals pursuing various degrees or not. The proponents of the higher education contend that even though it takes a lot of resources and time to complete a four-year course, the college education is a highly valuable asset (OECD 152). Having a university degree is accompanied by several benefits such as equipping a person with the ability to achieve personal financial goals and broadening their intellectual knowledge. Therefore, individuals planning to pursue higher education will find this experience more beneficial as it will prepare them to become productive members of society (OECD 152). In addition to increasing the employment opportunities, college education plays a crucial role in teaching individuals how to network, become more open-minded and being part of a team. People with a college degree have higher chances of securing employment than high school graduates. Employers have a perception that university graduates have the necessary skills required for a particular job (Collini 15).
Also, people with university degrees typically earn higher salaries than other individuals working in the same institution. This leads to improved quality of life among these fellows. With higher wages, they can live a much-improved life since they can afford to buy healthy foods, holiday expenses, health insurances and education for their children, among others (Collini 17). Nonetheless, some people disagree with the much-hyped importance of higher education, citing the massive amount of money spent in the duration of four years as the primary reason for their contention. During the college period, students spend an enormous amount of money to cater for tuition fees, books, and upkeep expenses. Most of the students cannot afford this, and they resort to higher education loans, which they must pay after college. However, since employment for university graduates is not a considerable problem, repaying their loan is not a big problem. The paper focuses on the necessity of obtaining by reviewing some relevant sources.
Rhetorical Analysis
Is having a four-year college degree important in today’s job market? Generally, it is believed that having a four-year university degree increases the employment chances of an individual. In 2014, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducted a survey and found that enrolling in a college course is vital in the current world, considering the increased competition for employment opportunities and significance of possessing the knowledge required to survive in the much-modernized world (OECD 154). The research indicates that most of the government and private jobs expect an individual to have a bachelor’s degree. Although in some nongovernmental organization a degree is not enough, it is required eligibility and it is therefore essential to have one. A considerable number of professional careers today require that one to at least have a university certificate to get started. For example, individuals anticipating to become accountants, lawyers, doctors, and teachers must spend at least four years in college (OECD 155). Their time in colleges helps them to acquire critical thinking skills, strong knowledge-base and ability to maneuver in organizations.
To support the study by OECD Baum, Ma and Payea (2013) indicate that in 2012, individuals between 25 and 64 years, approximately 67% of the high school certificate holders were employed. Contrary, 82% of persons with a bachelor's degree were employed (Baum, Ma and Payea 13). In the same year, the rate of unemployment for individuals between the ages of 25 and 34 with a bachelor’s degree was about 3.9% compared to 11.2% of high school certificate holders (Baum, Ma and Payea 19).
On the other hand, Julian Kirchherr and Asit Biswas (2018) have an opinion that, interventions are required to improve the practical relevance of university education. In their study, they have pointed out that the higher education as it is currently is not worth the massive amount spent. According to their study, approximately 33% of university students aged between 20 and 24 are unemployed compared to about 30% of individuals with a high certificate (Biswas and Kirchherr 1). Their survey found out that most young people do not take higher education as the main tool to enhance employability. 50% of the youth stated that post-high school education helped them to land a job (Biswas and Kirchherr 1). Only 42% of young people believe higher education will adequately prepare an individual for a job. This study is reliable because authors obtained data from various countries and did a comparison to obtain a comprehensive conclusion. They have also offered various interventions that can play a great role in enhancing the practical relevance of higher education.
Do financial returns warrant investment in college education? Baum and Payea (2014) assert that in the entire lives of college graduates, they make approximately 73% more than their fellow high school graduates, whereas those who have advanced further in higher education earn three times than the high school certificate holders (Baum and Payea 10). In 2003, four-year college employees received an average salary of $49,900 per year, whereas high school graduates received approximately $30,800 annually (Baum and Payea 10). The average annual salary increased with level of education and those with a master's degree earned twice the wages of those with a professional four-year degree.
Further, Baum and Payea (2014) indicate that society benefits as a whole from the financial returns on investment in college education. The high rate of employment contributes massively to the gross domestic product (GDP). Educated employees pay taxes from their earnings to local, state and federal governments. According to research, the university graduates working full time pay 100% than high school graduates in federal income taxes, and approximately 78% more in total local, state and federal taxes (B...