Sample Body Paragraphs, “Is College for Everyone?” Summary ...

ENG 105: Composition I

Learning Unit 4: Handout

Sample Body Paragraphs, "Is College for Everyone?" Summary and Response

Overview: Look closely at the following paragraphs and take note of the balance between source references and student response. At least half (if not more) of each paragraph focuses on response. Also notice that while Paragraph A and Paragraph B reference the source before responding, Paragraph C does not reference the source because it's highlighting a point the source overlooked. You will find a key at the end of this document to help you identify the elements of each paragraph.

Sample Thesis and Body:

Thesis: Despite the accuracy of Pharinet's guiding claims, much of his support for that claim unnecessarily discredits a number of potentially successful but economically-challenged students. Economically-disadvantaged students should not be encouraged to avoid college simply because they cannot easily pay for their studies.

A. Pharinet aptly highlights the financial strain college puts on many students; however, he fails to fully acknowledge the ways wise use of funding and financial planning make college a viable option for most students. He does acknowledge the availability of financial aid and the possibility of students working while attending school, but concludes that "certain individuals should consider a different life choice, as the long-term responsibility of repaying student loans can be overwhelming" (635). Through his brief reference to and even briefer dismissal of options like grants and loans, work-study programs, part-time or full-time jobs, and part-time study, Pharinet implies that these financial support mechanisms are not truly viable choices for students. Grants and loans can truly lighten students' financial burdens while in school and allow them to get through school without working. Yes, students may find themselves with hefty loan payments after graduation, but ideally, they would be able to acquire jobs allowing them to repay the loans--jobs which they would not have been qualified for if not for their college degrees. For these students, college loans are an investment in students' futures, investments which allow them to prepare for jobs to better themselves and contribute to their communities.

B. Furthermore, students can find manageable and, in some cases, enriching ways to alleviate their debt. Pharinet mentions full-time or part-time work along with full-time or part-time study, but comments that working while attending school is not ideal (635). He argues that "[s]tudents find themselves working full-time while attending school full-time and their minds, bodies and grades end up suffering" (635). He's right. Trying to balance work and school is not always ideal and can detract from students' ability to devote themselves to their classes. However, working while going to school can be an enriching experience. Often students find jobs in fields related to their majors and gain skills that will ultimately make them better students and prepare them for future jobs. For instance, as a student, I worked part-time in the campus library my first two years of school and in both a women's shelter and a writing center the second half of my

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ENG 105: Composition I

Learning Unit 4: Handout

undergraduate career. Each of these jobs taught me valuable skills I now use as a teacher. I learned research methods in the library, conflict resolution and compassion in the women's shelter, and teaching methods in the tutoring center. Though I often found myself stressed out by the rigor of juggling papers, classes, projects, and work, in retrospect I realize that my work experiences were part of my college education. Just as importantly, each of those jobs helped build my resume and made me a more desirable job candidate once I graduated. Students can gain helpful work experience and life skills if they choose their college jobs wisely.

C. Finally, though Pharinet at least mentions grants, loans, and work as cost-reduction methods, he completely overlooks an option that can significantly reduce education costs: community colleges. Because community colleges allow most students to live at home with parents or spouses while attending school, students can save money on housing and meal-plans often costing upwards of $6,000 a year at state colleges and even more at private colleges. Also, since community colleges do not look for the most widely-published and well-known research instructors but instead hire "teaching" instructors and do not finance large athletics programs, they can keep their tuition fees lower than state schools. Thus, students can attend a community college and enjoy smaller class sizes, teaching-centered instructors, and low prices, later transferring to larger schools to pursue the upper-level courses in their majors. Furthermore, considering that the average student changes his or her major three times before attaining an undergraduate degree, attending a community college gives students the chance to explore various fields at a lower cost before investing more money in state and private schools. Ultimately, then, the options of financial aid, work, and community colleges enable most students afford the investment in college. Students should not have to avoid college simply because of economic challenges.

Key Underlined = Topic Sentence Bold Underlined = Transition Bold = Unifying element (like repetition or transitions) Italicized = Reference to or summary of Pharinet's main ideas

Work Cited

Pharinet, "Is College for Everyone." Introducing Practical Argument. Ed. Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Manell. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 635-36. Print.

? Kara Beary and Indian Hills Community College

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