Aiya Almogaber

ENGL 102-- Inquiry Topic Proposal

How Beneficial are College Degrees Nowadays?
I am interested in this particular research option because more people
are attending college today than ever before. I am interested in seeing
how college degrees are benefitting, or not benefitting, people these
days. Being able to attend a university is a big deal, especially because
of all of the expenses that come along with it. Each year, college
tuitions are increasing and college graduates end up sinking in debt.
There are many successful people in the world that never even made it
past a high school diploma as far as education. Its interesting to see
how people have different views about going to college. Most people
would say that is it obviously beneficial and in most cases imperative
to have a college degree. Others, however, will argue that it is not as
important as it seems. My personal experience with this topic is
limited, since I am only a freshman in college. However, I have grown
up with the notion that college degrees are the only way to succeed in
life. Right now, I am qualified to write on this topic because my goal is
to eventually earn a college degree. So, by researching the benefits of
having one, I will be better educated and aware of how my degree
will/will not favor me in the future.
Sources
1. Shapiro, Gary. "College Degrees Are Vastly Overrated." Forbes.
Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
a. The central claim of this specific article is to convince
people that college degrees are becoming more and more
overrated. It explains that while many of todays successful
entrepreneurs did graduate from top-notch business
schools, there are many others that did not attend college
at all.
b. The article seems to value the fact that college degrees
alone do not produce successful business. The author of
the article includes examples of well-known people who are
famous now for their inventions/creations, and never
earned a degree. Daniel Ek, for example, who dropped out
of college and went on to launch Spotify.
c. The author of the article does seem a bit bias towards the
fact that college degrees are becoming less and less
needed for todays world. Shapiro states that innovation
has no limits or rules. He explains that many successful
people have made a big mark in the world before ever
going to college.

2. College Career Life. "Why Four-Year Degrees Are Overrated."

College Career Life. N.p., 29 July 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
a. This article, written by College Career Life, breaks down
four reasons why getting a college degree is not as
beneficial as everyone thinks. They are: degrees are no
longer distinguishing in the job market, you can not get
anywhere without experience, return on investment is not
guaranteed, and many high growth jobs dont require a
bachelors degree.
b. The article values the fact that a four-year degree depends
on each students specific circumstances. Today, simply
having a degree is not enough. It might even be harmful to
ones financial and career future. Despite popular belief
that college is necessary to succeed, there are reasons as
to why it is overrated.
c. The author of this article discusses both the reasons for
going to college and earning a degree and counteracts the
notion with reasons to not go as well. This author is less
bias because they provided solid evidence for each reason.
3. "How a College Degree Is Beneficial." FCC Student Blog. N.p., n.d.
Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
a. Unlike the previous two articles, this one offers insight to
how/why a college degree is beneficial. The author of this
article explains that no matter what a college degree will
result in: attaining your dream job, great pay, benefits,
back up, and retirement.
b. The article values going to college and earning the degree.
It states that when you think of college, you should be
thinking of your future. The author openly says if you want
to work a dream job, get paid well, have nice benefits, and
retire early, you should consider a college degree.
c. There is definitely a bias tone to this article, because it only
discusses one side of the argumentgoing to college =
having a bright and successful future.
Reflection
This research question is arguable because there are many
people who think that having a college degree is the only path to
success. Others argue that being successful has nothing to do
with having a degree. Two of the sources I found explain that
there are many alternatives and ways to be successful without
going to college at all. The last article stated that without a
college degree, chances of having a comfortable life style are
slim. I might revise the question by focusing on the benefits of
having a specific major over another.