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

"Sex Differences in the Effect of Education on Depression: Resource

Multiplication or Resource Substitution?" Sex Differences in the Effect of Education on
Depression: Resource Multiplication or Resource Substitution? N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb.
2016.
This article conducted an experiment that tested the differences in whether or not
education increases the depression rates for male and female. It was written by two authors who
graduated from the University of Texas.
The study showed that it is already proven that a higher level of education is
linked to lower levels of depression, but it was interesting to see the two sexes being contrasted in
this experiment.
This article is clearly bias and pro-education and college degrees. The authors
include evidence that prove this as they state education plays a critical role in the path to wellbeing because education is a resource itself and the human capital it indicates helps people
generate other resources.
College Career Life. "Why Four-Year Degrees Are Overrated." College Career Life. N.p., 29 July 2013. Web.
05 Feb. 2016.
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.
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.
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.

Pascarella, Ernest T., and Patrick T. Terenzini. How College Affects

Students(n.d.): n. pag. A Third Decade of Research. Web.
I switched out the last article I had for this one, because the last
one came from a random internet blog which doesnt hold very much credential. I
thought this would be an interesting article to include in my inquiry essay
because it could strengthen my argument for pro-college education.

 The authors of this article discuss all the different ways that
students grow during their years at college. So, they argue that aside from
attaining the degree, there are many other reasons why everyone should attend
college.
The article gives reasons such as evidence from the 1990s
stating that students who go to college become more mature, knowledgeable,
and focused during their time in college. This article also works very well as a
strong piece of evidence to back up my argument. It provides 10 Net Effects of
College with evidence and statements such as: in general, a bachelors degree
provides a net occupational status advantage over a high school diploma of
about .95 of a standard deviation.
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. After re-reading the
sources and evidence I provided the first time, I decided to change some of the sources i included. Through the
research I conducted, I was able to decide on arguing that a college degree is, in fact, beneficial. Although there a
small group of people who have been successful without college degrees, the number of people who are
unsuccessful without them is significantly larger. Revising the inquiry to focus on the difference in salary between
someone who works with a college degree and someone who did not attain one helped lead to my conclusion.