Phoenix Chassin

UWRT 1103

19 Sept. 2019

639

● A descriptive narrative: What story or event drives your inquiry? This could be personal,

global, or hypothetical. Be creative!

As a new college student, there have been a lot of changes that I have had to adjust to.

One of them is the fact that my education now costs money. The cost of college has been

steadily increasing over the past 30 years, as has the cost of living. Now that these

expenses have become a reality for me I started to ponder the question: is a college

degree still a worthwhile investment, despite the rising cost?

● A brief history/context of the question. Consider the reporter's questions: Who? What?

When? How? Why?

Having a college degree has always had many benefits concerning one’s career.

However, the increasing cost of living and the increasing cost of obtaining a college

degree might have offset the benefits one gains from receiving a degree.

● What did you know about your subject before you began? How did you learn it?

I knew very little about my topic before I began. I was aware of the ever-increasing cost

of a degree but I had always been told without much explanation that getting a degree is

very beneficial in the long term. I decided to take it upon myself to find out if this
 statement stood true by looking at statistics and discerning how the cost and benefits from

the past compared to today.

● What evidence have you gathered to establish that it is researchable? Include a couple

titles you have found.

I have found a variety of studies and statistics from different sources that share the same

overall conclusion. Research done by The College Board and The Bureau of Labor

Statistics, as well as surveys and reports presented by NPR have helped support the idea

that the value of a college degree is researchable.

● What keywords/subject words can you generate related to your inquiry? Consider

synonyms for key words in your question.

The main keywords that I found beneficial to me when doing my research were

“college”, “cost”, and “over time”. While certain synonyms for these words, such as

“university”, expanded articles I could use for research somewhat, the cost of college

over time remained the most reliable.

● Where might you look next for more perspectives on your question?

I will continue to look for published research studies from reputable sources, looking at

the cost of living, the cost of college, and the benefits of having a degree. Understanding

the benefits of having a degree will be important when determining whether or not to

pursue a degree and if it is possible to keep up with the rising cost of living while paying

off the debt accrued from a degree. While there are many different articles providing
 limited examples about the benefit, or lack thereof, of getting a college degree in the

modern day, I want to continue to search for the big picture.

● Can you limit or enlarge your question in terms of geography (UNCC, N.C., the U.S.),

time, or population?

It is possible to limit or enlarge my question, however I found the right time frame for

what I am trying to accomplish with my inquiry question. I want to find the general

overview of the benefits of a college degree, so I want to find data from throughout the

US. Limiting the time frame to the last 30 years creates a strong point of reference when

searching for statistics and creating comparisons. While useful information can be

obtained by looking at the changes that have occurred over a wider time frame, keeping

the time frame concise helps to draw more relevant conclusions concerning the modern

day.

● What specific questions are occurring to you now that you’ve begun to think on paper

about your question?

I want to know how the exact benefits of having a college degree in terms of

employability and salary. While these two factors do not encompass the benefits of a

degree, when considering the cost of a degree, they become more relevant. I also want to

gain more insight into what other options could be pursued if one chooses not to obtain a

college degree and what benefits those options have.

● Why might your inquiry question be important to your classmates and the larger UNCC

community?
 My inquiry question will be important to anyone pursuing a college degree. While my

research as a whole will not pertain in particular to UNCC, the information gleaned from

looking at information about the US as a whole can be referenced when thinking about

smaller scale situations. Looking into universities outside the US, or looking at specific

examples about UNCC could help provide better context for those attending UNCC.

Reflection: I learned that it is important to have your writing reviewed by another person so they

can help catch your mistakes and give their perspective on the writing. Whenever I write, I

always take a step back and look at the piece from the perspective of the reader. While this

strategy can help catch some mistakes, my preconceived knowledge and ideas about the topic

prevent me from being truly objective when viewing my writing. Having someone review my

writing allowed this obstacle to be overcome.