Rhetorical Discussion of YouTube Video: Is College Really Worth It?
The video portrays specific rhetorical perspectives which are essential in the contemporary world. The purpose of the video is to expand the thinking of students and education policymakers that it is not mandatory for everyone to attain a college. The video targets employers, education policymakers and students. College is worth it.
A college education is essential in various ways. First, college enhances the competency of an individual (PSI Services, 2013, 1:41). At the college level, the practice of specialization enhances the competency of an individual in a specific field. Secondly, college plays a vital role in refining the innovative nature of a person. Most of the innovative ideas require skills to enhance their performance., This is highly attainable at the college level of study. Thirdly, college qualification provides a person with the credibility to perform a particular task even if it is a blue-collar job.
The opposition to college not being worth, the video portrays that, first, college graduates finish their studies with a huge loan debt of $27,000 which makes their net payment at work almost the same as that of high school graduates in a year (PSI Services, 2013, 1:10). Second, college directs young people to white-collar jobs, and this limits their ability to be innovative. Thirdly, with only a high school degree, it becomes difficult for these people to replace the retiring people at the management positions.
The strengths of the video involve its use of interviews at both various levels of study and comprehensive analysis from different viewpoints. However, it has a weakness of using only college students in the interview. The video has not changed my view on the topic since I believe the choice to pursue college studies depends on an individual, but it is necessary.
References
PSI Services. (2013). Are College Degrees Useless? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/R5vwvQs7kks