College Essay

AP English Language

09.30.14

College Essay

Many students currently face the dilemma of whether or not going to a four year college or university is worth the cost. In this day and age, the price to go and attend a college or university continues to rise at a steep incline. The current debate revolves around the reason that the price you pay to attend college, in both time and money, will be advantageous to you in your future. At first thought, it would seem that going to college wasn't really worth it in the long run. You spend thousands of dollars and quite a few years to get “properly educated.” However, what good is this proper education? Would it help in earning a job? “Now, with unemployment expected to remain above 8% well into 2014, it will be many years before young college graduates – or any workers – see substantial wage growth.” (Chart) This would make one believe that college wasn't worth the trouble. Nevertheless, earning a higher education, by attending a four year college or university, is beneficial and worth the energy and financial trouble.

Even with unemployment rates on the rise in the United States and elsewhere, most of the unemployed are without the earlier stated “proper education”. “College graduates, though hardly immune from the downturn, are also far less likely to be unemployed than non- graduates.” (Leonhardt) This gives a glimpse of hope to college graduates, showing that they have a higher rate of employment than that of a mere high school graduate. Graduating from a college also gives a person the chance of making more money than they would have with a lesser education. (Pew) “Adults who graduated from a four year college believe that, on average, they are earning $20,000 more a year as a result of having gotten that degree. Adults who did not attend college believe that, on average, they are earning $20,000 less as a result. These matched estimates by the public are very close to the median gap in annual earnings between a high school and college graduate as reported by the US Census Bureau in 2010: $19, 550. A more detailed Pew Research Center analysis … shows that this gap varies by type of degree and field of study.” This shows that people with college degrees essentially earn a much higher income than those without.

College also offers you both intellectual growth and experience, rather than just the intellectual growth that many would assume. Statistics show that most four- year college graduates don't regret attending college and view their experience as constructive. “Among survey respondents who graduated from a four- year college, 74% say their college education was very useful in helping them grow intellectually...” (Pew) When applying for a real- world job, employers look for certain skills as well as education levels in their potential employees. Going to a four- year college or university helps you obtain these certain skills. Be as it may, these skills are not obtained through attending classes or courses. They are gained from life experiences, and going to college is considered a major life experience. You get to begin your maturity in the ability to care for yourself and become responsible for your own life. Graduating from a college helps you grow in intellect, work ethic, and is, overall, valuable in leading a successful life.

Revised Locavore Essay

AP English Language

27 October 2014

Locavore Essay

The locavore movement is becoming a widespread movement everywhere, with people absolutely falling in love with the concept; and maybe even the execution. However, there are a few parts to it, that people don't necessarily realize or think about; as to if and why becoming a locavore could be entirely beneficial. One can give many reasons as to how and why eating locally grown food is, oh, so much greater, than the food you buy in the supermarket; that had traveled thousands of miles. On the other hand, there are those who believe that the nutrition difference is not as great as it initially seems, there are other methods used for food production that use a lot of energy and continue to leave a large carbon footprint, and lastly, that not everyone lives within a local farm or an area with good soil for farming, as the entire Earth isn't made of rich soil.

“There will be nutritional differences, but they'll be marginal.” (Source B) A large part of the reason that people would choose to be a locavore, is based on the thought that they don't get a good supply from the foods that we eat compared to the nutritional values of the locally grown foods that we could be eating. According to Marion Nestle, a dietitian, there might be nutritional differences , usually only if your “local” soil is really great, they wouldn't be that distant. Conforming to her, “We're just not nutrient-deprived.” Another big idea of the locavore movement is the thought of leaving a significantly smaller carbon footprint by eating the food less traveled. Yet, there are other “energy-hogging” factors in the production of food. (Source C) “But New Zealand lamb is raised on pastures with a small carbon footprint, whereas most English lamb is produced under intensive factory-like conditions with a big carbon footprint.” With this, it is seen that the pastures that are local to you, aren't really the best the best place for you to get food from in terms of the wasted energy. There is also an issue regarding “food miles”. With certain growers being able to supply more people, further away, and with a higher supply of food; compared to another grower with the less amount of produce and miles traveled. “The critical measure here is not food miles but apples per gallon.” Following those thoughts of locavore consumers, they don't necessarily know about actually growing food in regard to processing practices, water availability, packaging waste and fertilizer application.

The largest problem found with the locavore food industry has to do with our current societies. “In the United States, 80 percent of us live in large, densely-populated urban areas, usually on the coast, and typically hundreds of miles, from the major centers of food production.” (Source F) How is it that the world can become relying on just what's near you to get the food you need to survive, if you don't live near a place of food production?

Barbara Ehenreich

Barbara Ehenreich has what appears to be, quite a strong opinion on television that goes back to the 1980's. The 1980's is when television was really brought out, and people began to watch. The shows on T.V. were written to entertain watchers, and so they did. The characters on the shows led similar lives to those watching, until, as Ehenreich points out, it was realized that that wasn't so. Television shows didn't have clips of people watching T.V. If in the televised world there are people who don't watch T.V. as we do, what's the point of watching? "So why do we keep on watching?" is Ehenreich's main focus. Well, why wouldn't we watch television just because it shows that watching television is boring? It isn't showing that watching television is boring, but that watching people stare a screen providing entertainment to others, isn't all that enjoyable. Yet, there are cases where it can be. In modern times, not the 1980's, there are, in fact, television shows, that receive immense praise; that follow, specifically, the lives of people who do watch a lot of television. Now, what is depicted there?

For a majority of the people, watching television is not boring. Yes, it might not be the most stimulating activity, but does it absolutely have to be? No, it doesn't, but it provides an escape to those in need, and a pleasing pastime for others. To this day, hundreds of shows are being produced, and no two shows are entirely identical. There is quite a large variety to choose from, based on what a certain person would find appealing and enjoy. Writers for shows are constantly brainstorming and incorporating new concepts for the purpose of administering a continuously improving source of entertainment.

However, there is one aspect to T.V. watching, as Ehenreich points out, that can be, to some, quite uneventful; the actual viewing of a show. Now there are those who watch an episode a day, and then others who view an entire season a day. In most casing of watching the tube, you sit and stare and really without much else going on. These people, are what Ehenreich so delicately dubs, "modern people; i.e. couch potatoes". She claims that these people only exist for the sole purpose of using a talking, light-up box for entertainment. They would never do anything that they watch so dutifully, simply due to the "fact" that they're lazy. Yet, television is watched by people with more "successful" lives that use it as a means of relaxation. For example, a doctor may watch a drama revolving around another, fictional, hospital, to get some comic relief on such a weighted duty. Teachers who spend countless hours in an attempt to educate the masses, need breaks; and watch television. There are shows on teachers and professors as well as shows following cops and even students. All of these different people do watch T.V. shows, possibly and especially those those that relate to them. It is simply ignorant to say that people who spend hours on watching television "do nothing that is ever shown on television (because it is either dangerous or would involve getting up from the couch)". What would Ehenreich then call these people, with jobs that require "getting up from the couch", that watch T.V. shows based on the same jobs? From her statements, these people are obviously just simply unheard of.

Locavore Essay Metacognitive Comments

AP English Language

27 October 2014

Locavore Essay

            The locavore movement is becoming a widespread movement everywhere, with people absolutely falling in love with the concept; and maybe even the execution. [Unknown A1] However, there are a few parts to it, that people don't necessarily realize or think about; that becoming a locavore is entirely beneficial. One can give many reasons as to how and why eating locally grown food is, oh, so much greater, than the food you buy in the supermarket; that had traveled thousands of miles. On the other hand, there are those who believe that the nutrition difference is not as great as it initially seems, there are other methods used for food production that use a lot of energy and continue to leave a large carbon footprint, and lastly, that not everyone lives within a local farm or an area with good soil for farming, as the entire Earth [Unknown A2] is made of rich soil.

            “There will be nutritional differences, but they'll be marginal.” (Source B) A large part of the reason that people would choose to be a locavore, is based on the thought that [Unknown A3] we don't get a good supply from the foods that we eat compared to the nutritional values of the locally grown foods that we could be eating. According to Marion Nestle, a dietitian, says that there might be nutritional differences , usually only if your “local” soil is really great, they wouldn't be that distant. [Unknown A4] According to her, “We're just not nutrient-deprived.” Another big idea of the locavore movement is the thought of leaving a significantly smaller carbon footprint by eating the food less traveled. Yet, there are other “energy-hogging” factors in the production of food. [Unknown A5] (Source C) “But New Zealand lamb is raised on pastures with a small carbon footprint, whereas most English lamb is produced under intensive factory-like conditions with a big carbon footprint.” With this, it is seen that the pastures that are local to you, aren't   really the best the best place for you to get food from in terms of the wasted energy. There is also an issue regarding “food miles”. With certain growers being able to supply more people, further away, and with a higher supply of food; compared to another grower with the less amount of produce and miles traveled. “The critical measure here is not food miles but apples per gallon.” Following those thoughts of locavore consumers, they don't necessarily know about actually growing food in regard to processing practices, water availability, packaging waste and fertilizer application.[Unknown A6] 

            The largest problem found with the locavore food industry has to do with our current societies. [Unknown A7] “In the United States, 80 percent of us live in large, densely-populated urban areas, usually on the coast, and typically hundreds of miles, from the major centers of food production.” (Source F) How is it that the world can become relying on just what's near you to get the food you need to survive, if you don't live near a place of food production?[Unknown A8] 

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 [Unknown A1]Confusing sentence as doesn't shine clarity on the matter of the locavore movement. Could/ should be written more along the lines of “ However, there are a few parts to it, that people don't necessarily realize or think about; as to if and why becoming a locavore could be entirely beneficial.”

 [Unknown A2]Is should be isn't.

 [Unknown A3]they

 [Unknown A4]Conforming to

 [Unknown A5]Initially didn't see the relevance of this quote and what it is truly conveying; at this point, I was looking for  a good quote to use that shows that local pastures aren't necessarily wasting less energy.

 [Unknown A6]I think that adding more substantial information into this paragraph would be beneficial to the reader.

 [Unknown A7]Really impressed with the use of this quote to use as a counterclaim to earlier written claims on the locavore movement.

 [Unknown A8]Even thought the locavore movement sounds great in concept., not everyone could participate in it due to their geographical location. I thought that this was a very important point to dicusss, and am pleased with ending the essay with it. Also, after reading the entirety of my essay, I have noticed some unappealing flaws in my writing and words that I seem to continuously repeat.. One flaw would be not providing a thorough enough analysis on quotes used and another would be possibly quotes that are too lengthy. The word “thought” was continuously used throughout the essay, and even in the comments, which was somewhat annoying.