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4 Year College Student Debt

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What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word college? Is it “beer pong”? Maybe just “beer”? What about the word “debt”? The average college student graduating in 2015 from a 4-year college or university has about $28,400 of student debt monkeying on their back. Although the amount of student debt has increased 2% since 2012 (Vaught, Jabbaar-Gyambrah.), more and more students are being pressured into attending a higher level of education institution. Attending a private, college prep Catholic High School, I was taught “you either get a degree or you don’t succeed.” My parents instilled those values in me as well, however neither of them attended college or a 4 year university, yet are still able to pay for my out-of-state …show more content…
It is the one last barrier between adolescence and adulthood. Personal interaction among professors, admission counselors and staff is central to student development and continues to shape learning experiences beyond the walls of the classroom and after graduation. In an age when social skills are arguably in decline amid a millennial generation that would rather text than talk or troll than publicly debate, these concerns raise serious questions about the future not only of the workplace, but of a functioning democracy.” (Cox, John Woodrow). Not only does college push us outside our social groups, it pushes us to interact with people face to face in the classroom, something that is becoming a declining trend in today’s …show more content…
From a young age I was taught that a college education is going to be the key to living a lifestyle my family has already given me. I attended a school where there were no other options besides college, and if you wanted to pursue something other than a secondary education, you were questioned and looked down upon. Many of my peers had no desire to attend college, but insisted on going because it is what they were being told to do. Almost 78% of incoming college freshman in 2014 surveyed by Forbes.com, said that they questioned their choice to go to college days before even moving in ("College Degrees Aren't Becoming More Valuable.”). Many people argue that a college education’s value is becoming lesser because students are finding new and innovative ways to obtain a college education. In an article that was recently published and written by two college admission journalists, stated “students are making decisions about college, with the help of more information available than at any time in history. Students have the ability to go on the Internet to get the equivalent of a college education, without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes.” (Vaught,

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