changes in higher education

Essay #1 (150 points) – Expressing an opinion on personal opinion alone Write a 4-6 page classical (persuasive) argument based on a claim and evidence drawn from personal experience. Include a Works Cited Page if you cite any of the articles we reference for this essay. Your essay should be thesis-centered, meaning that all of your supporting points and paragraphs tie back to one central idea. This idea should be something that is arguable or, in other words, there are people who disagree with you. You should also state what it is you anticipate people to disagree with and counter-argue or refute their opposition. You will be graded on how well you reason your argument and support not only your main idea (thesis), but also any minor points. For this essay, you will reflect upon the ideas about “Getting a College Degree” brought up in the below-listed articles from our textbook, Reading Pop Culture. Then, connect these ideas to your own personal experience, draw a conclusion on the matter, and create an argument about an aspect of consumption and/or advertising. *Remember: because this is based on personal experience, you do not need outside research. I encourage you to use the below texts to give you food for thought, but don’t rely heavily on them for your argument. [PROMPT: Changes in Higher Education] What changes are on the horizon, and what changes should be in store, when it comes to higher education? As the rise in tuition increases and the competition in the job market gets tougher, some people, including our own president, are really examining our current higher education system. The questions in many of the essays in the unit on Education: Does College Still Matter? in our text book ask not only, “Does college matter?” but also, “What is the purpose of college?” Is the purpose of college to find a job after graduation, or is it something less practical? As college is becoming increasingly more expensive and nonetheless expected in the workplace, what should the primary focus of a college career be? Think of your own college experience. What prompted you to go? In 4-6 double-spaced typed pages (1,250-1,500 words) write an essay in which you describe the various factors that have affected how you view higher education and why you decided to attend college. Explore the following questions: ? What makes a college degree worthwhile? Is it just a ticket to a better paying job? Or is it more than that? ? How should higher education be taught? Is the current model of “credit hours” working? What other models might be more effective? ? Should higher education be free? Obama is proposing we make community college (the AA/AS degrees) free. Will this work? Or will this make community college less valuable since everyone will have access to it? Once you have explored the above set of questions, your essay should ultimately answer the question: What can we do to make higher education better?