Wasting Time

Thesis, evidence, refutation, conclusion. These are the key elements (commonly known as "Four Pillars") used to create an argument. Dale Stephens' piece titled "College is a Waste of Time" utilizes these elements to argue the worthiness of obtaining a college education.

Thesis:

Unlike many essays in which the thesis is located in one sentence, this essay's thesis is split throughout the first four paragraphs. In paragraph 1, he ends with the statement "I believe higher education is broken." This, however, is merely a vague opinionated statement. He develops this statement further in the 2nd paragraph, stating, "Our creativity, innovation, and curiosity are schooled out of us." Stephens continues his thesis in paragraph 3. He claims, "College fails to empower us with the skills necessary to become productive members of today’s global entrepreneurial economy." Finally, in beginning the 4th paragraph, he begins with "College is expensive," thus developing all his points to support his thesis.

Evidence:

In paragraph 4, his first reason as to why college is a waste is the high costs involved. Stephens lists multiple statistics to back up this claim. Public university tuition has increased 3.6 times in the past 30 years, according to The College Board Policy Center. The book Academically Adrift (written by two sociology professors) says that 36 percent of college graduates showed no improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning, or writing after four years of college. Finally, Stephens writes that student loan debt had outpaced credit card debt as of 2010, topping $1 trillion in 2011. By using well-sourced facts, Dale Stephens is able to solidify his initial claim and develop his argument successfully.

Throughout the rest of the essay, he relies less on statistics. While some factual statements are made, he doesn't back them up with reliable sources, causing them to be somewhat less trustworthy than his previous paragraph. He makes anecdotal statements in paragraph 6 such as "Learning by doing—in life, not classrooms—is the best way to turn constant iteration into true innovation." And in the 8th paragraph, "Employers are recruiting on LinkedIn, Facebook, StackOverflow, and Behance. People are hiring on Twitter, selling their skills on Google, and creating personal portfolios to showcase their talent." 

Refutation:

Stephens addresses possible refutations with a mature attitude and a reasonable challenge towards said refutations. In regards to people who want a formal education, Stephens tells us "I do not think everyone should leave college, but I challenge my peers to consider the opportunity cost of going to class" (paragraph 9). He acknowledges the fact that his path is not for everyone, avoiding an either/or stance, but challenges us to reconsider our plans.

Many people fear that not going to college leads to a deadbeat lifestyle. He reminds us in paragraph 10 that "the people who indulge in drugs and alcohol do so before, during, and after college."

Concluding Statement:

Also in paragraph 10, Stephens concludes his essay be reiterating his argument from the thesis. "We who take our education outside and beyond the classroom understand how actions build a better world. We will change the world regardless of the letters after our names." This reinforces the idea that college is not needed in order to educate ourselves or become successful in life.

Appeals:

Stephens applies the three appeals of argument throughout his essay in order to drive his points home. Paragraph four is littered with logos as he uses multiple statistics to exemplify the high costs of college education. He references a book written by Daniel Pink in paragraph 6, which develops ethos. The fact that an author's views coincide with his own causes the argument to appear more credible.