English 101 Reflection Post! :)

Being in Mrs. Thomas’ English 101 class has been such an awesome experience. She makes learning interesting and fun instead of dull and boring. I have learned so much in just a few short months. Before coming here, I thought that my high school English classes had prepared me well, but I was so wrong! English classes in college require a lot more critical thinking than in high school. That was something I definitely needed to work on and I feel that my critical thinking skills have improved. I ask questions about everything I read. Instead of simply reading a text, now I read it, interpret it, and analyze it.  I have learned to read between the lines and not automatically assume things based on the surface.

                I know that I am a good writer and I have the potential to write great papers, but I have a few downfalls. I have always struggled with creating a thesis statement and I still have a few issues with it. I tend to be a little too “wordy” when I create a thesis statement. So, I still have to work on making my thesis statements direct and to the point. My researching skills have definitely improved. I used to have so much trouble trying to find sources for my papers, but now I am able to go on the library database or Google and find what I need. Oh, and I cannot forget about Bridging the Difference! That book literally became my Bible this semester. I was always referring to it and checking myself.

                The fact that we are able to use technology in the classroom was really cool. I am not the most tech savvy person out there, so being able to use technology often has definitely helped me. I like using the blogs to post our thoughts and ideas because it was kind of like posting an outline for everyone to see and give their opinions on. I also liked being able to see other people’s ideas. It is good to see different ideas from a different point of view. And I absolutely love that we could submit our papers through Blackboard. It is so easy and convenient to do. I also liked doing the infographics because they were actually really fun to do. It gave us a chance to show our creativity while presenting research for a topic.

                I have learned so much in this class that will benefit me in the future. I am so glad that Mrs. Thomas was my teacher because she is just the best. Any questions or concerns I had, (and trust me, there were plenty) she was there to answer them. I would recommend Mrs. Thomas to any incoming freshmen. So, thank you Mrs. Thomas for making my first semester of college a great one! I’ll see you in English 102 next semester!

Rough Draft for Essay 4!

***So, this one was really tough to write. Emphasize the word ROUGH in rough draft haha! :) Not my finest work, but here it is anyways.

Ashley Lewis

Instructor Thomas

English 101: Critical Conversations Research Paper

7 December 2012

Should We Be Scared of Student Loans?

            So, here is a scary thought: according to TIME magazine, the amount of student loan debt has reached $1 trillion dollars. This is more than what Americans owe on their credit cards. The article titled “Occupy student debt” has said that, “of this $1 trillion in student loan debt, $36 billion of it is owed by people over 60, coming from either unpaid loans right after college, loans for mid-career educations, or co-signed loans for younger family members.” One would think that getting an education would be a good thing, but with numbers like these, does it really pay off in the end? A loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest (Loans). The people that use these loans are college students. They are given the loans through the government. And the college students are given information about loans from their university. It seems simple enough, but why is it that the student loan debt is $1 trillion dollars? The government and universities need to educate college students about the benefits and harmful effects of loans before students jump right into applying for student loans.

            The group that is impacted the most by student loans, obviously, is the college students. They are the ones going after an education to better themselves and their future. Most of the time, they cannot afford all of the costs of college on their own. Some are lucky to get scholarships, but the majority has to take out loans. According to Janet Hansen, writer of “Student Loans: Are They Overburdening a Generation,” student loans are used by both the middle class and lower income families. The majority of Americans come from the middle class and lower class families, so that means they have to turn to student loans in order to have a good education. There is nothing wrong with taking out a student loan; the problem is paying back the loan. Student loans are common at community colleges and proprietary schools as well as among students in traditional baccalaureate programs, but the heaviest dependence on loans and the highest debt levels are among students at private colleges (Hansen). Tuition of private colleges are so much more expensive than public colleges, so it makes sense that loans and higher debt levels would be from students attending private colleges.

            In the article, “A Sharper Focus on What Students Pay, and Whether They Graduate,” written by Sara Lipka, she states that, “among bachelor's-degree recipients, a greater percentage-about two-thirds-took out loans, and the average amount of debt per borrower rose to more than $25,000 for the Class of 2010.” Basically, most Americans that take out a loan will end up in some sort of student loan debt. It seems as if it is inevitable to for young adults to end up in debt. Even our own President had student loan debt. He and his wife started their marriage with a mortgage and two outstanding student loans (Fawn Johnson). This just goes to show people that even the most powerful man in the world went through the same things that most college students are going through now. The difference is that tuition rates at four-year institutions have tripled since he and Michelle Obama were students (Johnson).

            Of course, college students are not the only ones that play a role in student loans. Universities also hold a big part in them too. Most universities give students some form of financial aid. In fact, according to Sara Lipka, “many colleges continue offering generous financial aid, but some seem to have overextended themselves.” Cornell University pulled back from its "no loans" policy this year, lowering families' income eligibility, and Wesleyan University curtailed its need-blind admissions (Lipka). It seems as if more and more schools want people to attend their universities. Even Ivy League schools withdraw their “no loans” policies just so more people can come and attend their school. But tuition for Ivy League schools is so much more expensive, which means students would have to take out more loans in order to cover the costs.

            I think it is fair to say that tuition for college is very expensive. Some people may not realize just how expensive it is. Beginning last October, all colleges were required to post net-price calculators on their Web sites, to provide early estimates of what students would pay to attend. And federal officials urged colleges to adopt a standard form for displaying cost and aid information to students. Financial-aid administrators opposed that move, arguing that they should decide the best way to communicate that information (Lipka). I highly disagree with the financial-aid administrators. It would be very easy and convenient for students to go on the school’s website and see what they should expect when it comes to costs for college. But with financial-aid administrators not wanting to move in that direction, students will be left to decide for themselves how much money in loans they take out.

            Lastly, another very important component to student loans is the government. This is where all the money for student loans comes from. The government is also responsible for a very helpful thing called the Pell Grant. According to Haley Chitty, who wrote the article, “Presidential opinions: contrasting Obama and Romney campaigns' student aid policies,” federal spending on student aid has increased dramatically during the Obama administration, with Pell Grant spending doubling from $15.4 billion in 2007-2008 to $34.8 billion in 2010-2011. This is a very huge jump in just three years. But it has definitely been worth it. With having the Pell Grant and a scholarship or two under your belt, that alone could cover one’s tuition, depending on how much the tuition at that particular school is. I feel that the Pell Grant is very important because with it, students may not have to take out as many loans. As a result, the student loan debt would not be as high.

            My personal stance on the issue of student loans would be that they are both beneficial and harmful. People that come from middle class and low income families take out in loans in order to pay for their education, which is a good thing. But after those four years of school are complete, trying to pay back those thousands of dollars in student loans are the very thing that could make or break someone. College graduates need to create a repayment plan and make sure to make every payment, that way they do not have to worry about going into debt in the future. Student loans are not something that can be taken lightly. They have serious consequences if they are not paid off. Someone’s bright future could be ripped away from them if they have outstanding student loan debt. As long people are aware of how student loans work, they can be a very positive thing.

 

Works Cited

Chitty, Haley. "Presidential opinions: contrasting Obama and Romney campaigns' student aid      policies." University Business Nov. 2012: 20+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.

Hansen, Janet S. “Student Loans: Are They Overburdening a Generation?” Education Resources             Information Center. New York, NY, 1987. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.

Johnson, Fawn. "Obama Largely Powerless to Cut College Tuition." National Journal (2012).       Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.

Lipka, Sara. "A Sharper Focus on What Students Pay, and Whether They Graduate." The Chronicle of Higher Education 59.01 (2012). Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.

Loans. Federal Student Aid: An Office of the U.S. Department of Educaion. 2012. Web. 29 Nov.           2012.

"Occupy student debt." Radical Teacher Fall 2012: 74. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.

Rotherham, Andrew J. “Student Loans: Is There Really a Crisis?” TIME. 17 May 2012: 1. Web.   29 Nov. 2012.