Research Blog 10

Abstract

My paper explores the choices one can make in college, and how they can affect post- graduation life. The three that I found most important were choice in finances, choice in socialization, and choice of major. I found that there are problems and solutions with each topic. Students who take out loans must choose wisely how they wish to deal with it during college, such as work a part time job, which proves successful. Students should find a equilibrium in their social lives, balancing between socialization and academics. Finally, choice of major can be crucial in success. One should find a major that interests you, which proves success. Some jobs pay out more than others, and it should be taken into consideration before choosing it.

Bibliography

Scholarly Sources:

1.Armstrong, Hamilton, Elizabeth A., Laura T. "Paying for the Party." Harvard University Press. (2013): n. page. Print.

2.Dietz, Janis. "The myth that college and major choice decides Johnny’s future." n. page. Print.

3.Kalil, Wightman, Ariel, Patrick. "Parental Job Loss and Children's Educational Attainment in Black and White Middle-Class Families.." Social Science Quarterly. (2011): n. page. Print.

4.The Institute for College Access and Success, . "Paving the Way: How Financial Aid Awareness Affects College Access and Success." (2008): n. page. Print.

5.Goldrick-Rab, Sara. "Following Their Every Move: An Investigation of Social-Class Differences in College Pathways." Sociology of Education. (2006): n. page. Print.

6.Holland, Eisenhart, Dorothy C., Margaret A. Educated in Romance. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1990. Print.

Secondary Sources:

1."Balancing College School Work and Social Life." College Advice. n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000241.htm>.   

2.Elizabeth Baylor and Sarah Audelo, . "What Do You Wish You Had Known About Student-Loan Debt and College Choice?." Center for American Progress. n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/higher-education/news/2013/12/12/80908/what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-about-student-loan-debt-and-college-choice/>.

3.Fairbanks, Amanda M. "College Major More Important Than Degree Itself." Huffington Post. (December 12.2013): n. page. Print. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/24/college-major_n_866359.html>.

4.Ilgunas, Ken. Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2013. Print.

5..Jonathan M. Orszag, Peter R. Orszag, and Diane M. Whitmore, . "LEARNING AND EARNING: WORKING IN COLLEGE ." UPromise, Inc.. n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://www.brockport.edu/career01/upromise.htm>.

6..Kingkade, Tyler. "Student Debt Is Making All Your Life Choices Worse." Huffington Post. (2013): n. page. Print.

7..Jake Levy, . "The Smartest Party Schools In The Country."Buzzfeed.com. n. page. Print. <http://www.buzzfeed.com/jakel11/the-smartest-party-schools-in-the-country>.

8..Linda Emma, Demand Media, . "Why Is it Important to Have a Social Life in College?." Global Post. n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/important-social-life-college-6425.html>.

9."Living at Home During College: Is It A Good Idea?."Campus Explorer. n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/48E30BE4/Living-at-Home-During-College-Is-It-A-Good-Idea/>.

10. PHILIP A. BEAN, . "Choosing a Practical Major." New York Times. n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/choosing-a-practical-major/?_r=0>.

11.Serrano, Ken. "Massive college debt can burden graduates for decades." Asbury Park (N.J.) Press. (2012): n. page. Print.

12.Szalavitz, Sara. "Why College Binge Drinkers Are Happier, Have High Status." (2012): n. page. Print.

13.Scholarships.com, LLC, Publisher, . Choosing A Major. (1998-2013): n. page. Print. <scholarships.com>.

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WFmB9fwdVbb4WoSWqZL_nnEruO0_IEdImd4rd8KRIpo/edit

Literature Review 5

Research Blog 9

For each topic, I have a counterargument for each. 

Financial-Students should know their financial situation, yet some make bad decisions and think they are good.

From a source listed on my paper-Some students think that by working full time and not taking out loans, they will cut costs. However this is not true. They may extend their undergraduate career by trying to juggle work and academics. 

Social- A social life can be harmful, or helpful.

From a source listed on my paper-A social life can be harmful in that it distracts you form your studies. But it can also be helpful-by providing time away from academics and work for relaxation, opening social circles, offering diversity, and opening networks. 

Major-Choosing a major can directly impact your future, or it wont, depending on which major you choose. The outcomes can be different. 

-From a source listed on my paper-Your major may not be important in that it depends on how you work, your gender, ethnicity, and race. There are so many factors that contribute to success in your major that it may not be the type of major that affects success, rather the individual person.

These counterarguments have been kept in mind as I write my paper.

Research Blog 8

I have interviewed a family member, as accepted by Professor Goeller, about choices made in college. I interviewed my grandfather about college, because I knew he handled college, being in the service, a family, and a full time job. I knew he had many choices to make, and decided I wanted to interview someone personal so that I could form conclusions about choices in college. I learned that choices are very important in achieving success, in that students must stay focused, even if they are juggling many things. Although it is a busy time in every student's life, the right choices can lead you on the path to success.

What were the hardest choices made in college?

-It was an easy choice to go to college, but the hardest choice was the subject load. I had to go at night and I had a full time job. I had to make choices of things I could and couldn't do throughout the year.

Did you socialize in college?

-No. I went to night school and had a family.

What was your major?

-Business Administration

Did you get a job pertaining to your major? If so, what?

-Yes-Corporate Auditor for a major utility company

Did your social life affect your academics?

-No.

How did you finance college?

-G.I. Bill of Rights

Did your financial choices prove successful? Why?

-I did not have financial choices in college, my GI Bill covered the costs. I just had to be responsible and go to my classes and manage a home life as well.

Do you feel you made the right choices in college to ultimate success? Why?

-Yes. From high school and being in the service, I was always focused that one day I would probably be working in the accounting and financial disciplines at some future time. I stayed focused and went regularly to my classes, did homework, and managed my social life and family. I proved successful because I made a comfortable living for myself and my family.

Research Blog #7

My "case" or most important area to explore is the overarching theme of how choice affects success in college. There are many choices a student will make throughout their career as a student, but some important ones include choices in debt, socializing, and choice of major. Being aware of debt can ease the lives of students, choice of friends that have similar interests affect success, and choice of major directly impacts the job one will obtain after graduation.These can all directly affect success or failure, and each student is different, therefore some choices may be easier for some or have less of an impact than others. It speaks to the debate in my proposal because these specific examples will help me to argue my overarching theme of choice in college. These three examples have been studied and written about, and I have found a theme among all. There is an overwhelming amount of information regarding choice of major, awareness of debt, but not much on socialization. However, form the sources such as Armstrong and Hamilton, it is clear that socialization has an impact on success.

Research Blog #6

This chart describes the life of a college student and what contributes to success. Included in the chart is personal factors, such as social choices and choices regarding debt, ability factors, such as the ability to achieve good grades, and circumstance factors, such as social class and debt. It is significant in that all the choices a college student makes are vital to their success. Included in these choices are ways of paying back loans, choice of friends and amount of drinking and it's affect on academics, and how social class and status can affect all of these choices. This chart demonstrates the top three major aspects of life choices that a student faces upon entering college and how much impact it will ultimately have on their success or failure.

Literature Review #4

2. Holland, Eisenhart, Dorothy C., Margaret A. Educated in Romance. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1990. Print.

3. The chapter I read had to do with how students, when surrounded by peers in which their work was important to them, were more likely to succeed than if they were friends with those who did not care. Students often complain about school to peers often, about too much homework, unfair teachers, and tests, and this can predict future career paths and success. Some friends do not care if you are failing or are having trouble in school, because they see it as a purely individualistic life choice. Friends do not get together to talk about school work and college majors. This can lead to failure for some who are involved in their studies. Students who want to succeed should surround themselves with people like them and who want to succeed.

4. The authors are Dorothy C. Holland and Margaret A. Eisenhart. Holland is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Eisenhart is associate professor of anthropology and education at the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

5. Socialization: a term (commonly used by anthropologists) to describe the process of inheriting norms, customs, and ideologies to participate in society. It is common in college culture and can ultimately define the amount of success one achieves after graduation. Friends are influential in choices and socialization, which can in turn affect academics. 

Peer culture: A social group of people who commonly share the same beliefs, customs, and ideologies. They can be greatly influential in choices regarding socialization and college pathways. 

6. "When Paula was asked directly whether she and her friends from high school ever talked about why they chose their majors, she said "No....It's just that we all picked things that we did well in high school". (164).

"In general, schoolwork and career decisions seemed to be conceived by the peer culture as matters of individual choice, not for group discussion or debate". (164)

"For most, schoolwork and peer activities were viewed as competing domains: time spent studying was time spent away from peers, and time with peers accomplished little schoolwork". (165)

7. This material helps me to explore my question because it discusses why students choose to be with friends, or why they choose to do school work and how they relate. I found it interesting that many people thought time spent studying was time away from peers. Students go to school to learn, as well as being peers. But they are paying to be there for academics, not socializing with friends. Students seem to place a lot of importance on socialization, which is why I am exploring how this socialization can affect success.

Literature Review Blog #3

2. Goldrick-Rab, Sara. "Following Their Every Move: An Investigation of Social-Class Differences in College Pathways." Sociology of Education. (2006): n. page. Print. <http://search.proquest.com/sociology/docview/216499114/141238DBA9A136AFD1A/4?accountid=13626>.

3. This article assesses the different college pathways and how students achieve success, and if ethnicity /background/social class is involved in these decisions. Many students attend college and all outcomes seem to turn out different, and this could be based off of how a student was raised and how they achieved success in high school. This study looks at advantaged and disadvantaged students to determine if their social class had anything to do with the choices they made in college and if it affected their success.

4. The author of this article is Sara Goldrick-Rab. From her personal biography on the University of Wisconsin's School of Education's website, it states "Sara Goldrick-Rab is associate professor of educational policy studies and sociology at UW-Madison. She is also the Founding Director of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, opening in EPS in 2014. Dr. Goldrick-Rab is Senior Scholar at the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, and an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, Center for Financial Security, LaFollette School of Public Affairs, and Wisconsin Center for Educational Research. She is also the Project Director for the What Works Clearinghouse's expansion into postsecondary education. As a scholar-activist and sociologist with a deep commitment to bringing research into policy and practice, Dr. Goldrick-Rab's research explores policies aimed at reducing socioeconomic and racial inequalities. She was named a 2010 William T. Grant Scholar for her project "Rethinking College Choice in America." She was also a 2006 National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation postdoctoral fellow. She is the co-author of Putting Poor People to Work: How the Work-First Idea Eroded College Access the Poor (Russell Sage, 2006), which was a finalist for the C. Wright Mills award. Her research has been published in journals such as Sociology of Education and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and been financially supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Spencer Foundation, American Educational Research Association, William T. Grant Foundation, and many others." She is a professor at the school, has published other scholarly works, and received numerous academic awards. 

5. Social Class: Groups of individuals who occupy a similar position in the economic system of production This includes: Upper Class/Elite, Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Working Class,  and Poor. ((http://udel.edu/~cmarks/What%20is%20social%20class.htm) )

College Pathways: This is a term that describes the "path" that a student will take throughout college. This can include party oriented or career oriented, or various other ways of attaining success/failure in college. The pathway chosen usually directly impacts success because of the choices made within that pathway. 

6.As an article in the New York Times (Leonhardt 2005) observed, there are enormous social-class differences in college completion. Among 1992 high school seniors who began college at four-year institutions, 84 percent of those in the top fifth of the socioeconomic distribution finished their bachelor's degrees by age 26, compared to barely 39 percent of the students from families in the bottom fifth (author's calculations using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, NELS). Variation in facets of postsecondary pathways may contribute to some of these differences. Research has demonstrated that engaging in nontraditional pathways has a negative effect on students' chances for completing bachelor's degrees. 

Family background may shape how a student attends college by introducing both opportunities and constraints into the attendance process. A large body of research has demonstrated that family background is associated with the social, cultural, and economic resources (or capital) that are needed to further educational attainment (Bourdieu and Passeron 1977; Coleman 1974, 1988; DiMaggio 1982). In the case of higher education, students from families with higher incomes and those whose parents attended college are more likely to have access to critical information and financial resources that enable them to follow more "traditional" college pathways. The quantity and quality of information that students have at their disposal when entering and proceeding through college is essential to their decision-making processes. To make effective decisions in an environment with a plethora of choices, actors need both more and better information (Rosenbaum 2001).

These findings imply that students with greater access to financial resources are better able to take advantage of the new higher education marketplace. Given the significant link between social class and interrupted schooling, it seems reasonable to conjecture that low-SES students who change schools interrupt their schooling not because they are shopping, partying, or choosing to take time off to "find themselves," but because they have suffered academically or financially in school.21 Thus, while some analysts have suggested that competition among institutions will benefit disadvantaged students, who theoretically should enjoy greater opportunities to assess and compare their multiple options (Levine 2001; Newman and Couturier 2001), these results indicate otherwise.

7. This material will aid in my research because I will be able to read and find out how and why different social classes are affected when attending college. Privileged students seem to graduate more easily and their decisions are less impacted by the issue of money. Students who are in a lower social class may find it harder to maintain their path in school, and their choices are very much affected by their socioeconomic standing. I think this will help me support my argument that social class affects college choices and ultimately success by providing statistical evidence of such cases.

Literature Review Blog #2

2. 

"Paving the Way: How Financial Aid Awareness Affects College Access and Success." (October 2008): n. page. Print. <http://projectonstudentdebt.org/fckfiles/Paving_the_Way.pdf>.

3. This reading is about how financial aid awareness affects college choice and success. It assesses what parents and students know and do not know about financial aid and how it works. It states how students can learn about financial aid and become aware of the amount of money that they will owe and how they can be funded. Therefore, they may make different choices if they are

fully aware. College decisions can be based off of awareness of debt and financial aid that can be awarded to a student, such as choosing a school and major.

4. The article is written by "The Institute for College Access & Success", which is "An independent, nonprofit organization, the Institute for College Access & Success works to make higher education more available and affordable for people of all backgrounds. By conducting and supporting nonpartisan research, analysis, and advocacy, the Institute aims to improve the processes and public policies that can pave the way to successful educational outcomes for students and for society" (As quoted from the article).

5. Financial aid awareness: Not all students and parents are aware of financial aid and the process that is required to attain it.  Students can learn about it from counselors, other students, the internet, and various other sources. Students, especially of various ethnicities and low income are the less knowledgable of students who want to attend college. They may not be eligible for some aid because they did not apply in time or did not know that they were eligible, thus affecting choices they make regarding school and major. 

Affects on college going behavior- 24% of students in Texas did not fill out a FAFSA form because they did not know about it, but knew vaguely about financial aid. With more information, students found that their decisions were less hard to make and less affected by the financial aspect of college. If knowledgable, students were more likely to attend a four year college than those who did not know about financial aid.

6. 

c)  A lack of timely financial aid knowledge affects a student’s likelihood of going to college. (6) 

d)  A student’s expectations concerning financial aid eligibility influence whether they will apply to and attend college. (6)

d) The availability of financial aid, or lack thereof, can affect college enrollment and completion. (9)


7. This material will be able to help me in my research because this aspect of my research tends to be narrow due to the fact that I am looking at the fact that debt and money can affect college choices. This article directly touches upon how money and debt can affect the choice a student makes in college. I think that this article will be able to show me how various students of different ethnicities and backgrounds become knowledgeable of financial aid and how it affects their choices in entering and staying in school.

 

Research Blog #5

(Working) Bibliography

Scholarly Resources:

1.

Blow, Charles M. "A Dangerous 'New Normal' in College Debt.." New York Times. (2013): n. page. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=2&sid=ee645982-7dd4-46cd-affa-03111fa8142e@sessionmgr113&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==

2.

Gray, Vitak, Easton, Ellison, Rebecca, Jessica, Emily, Nicole. "Examining social adjustment to college in the age of social media: Factors influencing successful transitions and persistence.." Computers and Education. (2013): n. page. Print. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=ee645982-7dd4-46cd-affa-03111fa8142e@sessionmgr113&hid=5&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==

3.Dietz, Janis. "The myth that college and major choice decides Johnny’s future. ." (2010, June 1): n. page. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/College-Student-Journal/228428412.html>.

4.

Kalil, Wightman, Ariel, Patrick. "Parental Job Loss and Children's Educational Attainment in Black and White Middle-Class Families.." Social Science Quarterly. (2011): n. page. Print. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&sid=ee645982-7dd4-46cd-affa-03111fa8142e@sessionmgr113&hid=109&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==

5. BOOK:

Fogg, Neeta. College majors handbook : with real career paths and payoffs : the actual jobs, earnings, and trends for graduates of 50 college majors . 3rd. St. Paul, MN: Jist Works, 2012. Print.

Other Sources (Online Sources)

de Vise, Daniel. "Is college too easy? As study time falls, debate rises.." (May 21, 2012): n. page. Print. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-05-21/local/35456815_1_college-students-study-time-students-report>.

"Paving the Way: How Financial Aid Awareness Affects College Access and Success." (October 2008): n. page. Print. <http://projectonstudentdebt.org/fckfiles/Paving_the_Way.pdf>.

KingKade, Tyler. " Student Debt Is Making All Your Life Choices Worse ." (9/24/13): n. page. Print. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/student-debt-impact_n_3983321.html>.

Serrano, Ken. "Massive college debt can burden graduates for decades." (6/23/12): n. page. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-06-24/college-debt-burdens-graduates/55784174/1>.

Szalavitz, Maia. "Why College Binge Drinkers Are Happier, Have High Status Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/20/why-college-binge-drinkers-are-happier-have-high-status/

Research Blog #4

Chrissy Tympanick

The topic I am choosing to explore is how the choices one makes in college affects success post graduation. I will take a look at four different aspects of important choices, which include choice of major, choices in socialization, and choices regarding debts. I will look at many variables that affect these choices, such as class, status, gender and personal interest. I will research as to why some students will experience failure, or success after graduation. Certain variables that go into choice making are whether they party a lot, whether they are part of the “elite class” and what race or gender they are. Some students cannot succeed if they are part of the “lower” class if they party too much because they cannot afford to put off debts and finish the classes they may have failed. However, students with strong parental support do not have as dire consequences from their choices because they are wealthy enough to graduate debt free, and can party and choose any major that they please. Privatization places emphasis on choice in college, and depending on certain variables, success can either be expected, or success will not happen.

The main research will involve how the choice of major, choice of socialization, debt, and class and status affect success post graduation. I believe there to be various angles that this topic is seen. Some may think that college major, socialization, debt, and class/status do not have anything to do with success post graduation. Some may argue that it is personal interest and motivation that affect success. A student may beat all odds and have tremendous success even with being part of the “lower” class and having a lot of debt. They may socialize a great deal and not have a job in their major.  I believe that exploring these four variables in college choices is a great way to understand how the choices a college student makes affects success, and what other aspects can be taken into account when exploring this.

I will explore the college major theory, and whether major or choice of school could possibly affect success. I have looked at an article that uses numerical data to explore this aspect of college choices. I can look at this data and see if major and college selection had any affect on success, specifically on CEO’s of major companies. I will also look at the socialization aspect, and I could potentially look at the article “Paying for the Party” by Armstrong and Hamilton. I can explore reasons as to why particular students flourished or failed in school because of socialization choices. Another aspect of choice I will examine is debt, and how it affects choice. I can look at “Walden on Wheels” by Ken Ilgunas. He made many particular choices regarding money during his college years, especially the fact that he lived in a van to cut costs and stay out of debt. He altered his way of life so that he could pay off his debt, and chose to live frugally so that he did not have to be under the looming money that he owed. Lastly, I would like to look at the class/status aspect of success. It is believed that if a student is part of the “elite” class, their choices do not have as much consequence as those who are in the “lower” class. Those in the elite class may be able to pay off debt, and do as they wish in college without any serious consequence.

I am going to look for numerical data regarding college major in the Major Selection article by Janis Dietz. She explores many good aspects of college major choice by gender and race. I plan on researching how socialization affects success, and an additional question would be: Does partying affect the elite class, or just the lower class? Also in the case of debt, I would like to see if debt affects those in the elite class at all and their choices, or only the lower class. Also, how do students deal with debt, do they choose to ignore it or are they conscious and make a deliberate effort to overcome it? Lastly, as for class and status, I would like to explore how the elite class can get by in college without having any consequence to their actions. Is this true for many student, or just a select few?

Literature Review Blog #1

1.

Janis Dietz: Author of article

Unemployment rates for recent grads by major.

Many majors to choose from.

2.  Dietz, Janis. "THE MYTH THAT COLLEGE AND MAJOR CHOICE DECIDES JOHNNY'S FUTURE." College Student Journal. 44.2 n. page. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=b083d3c3-b11d-430a-9625-0431b6f99042@sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==

3. This article explored choice of major and it's resulting success. It tests various hypotheses regarding choice of school and success (Ivy League or public), CEO success of Fortune 500 companies with and without degrees and success,  whether major decides success, and it's opposite argument that major does not affect success, as well as many charts using numerical data including type of school and major.  This article looks at whether choice of major/school affects things such as availability of jobs. Certain aspects also go into success, such as student interest and student population. Also, there is influence from gender and ethnicity. The article asks "Do certain people tend to choose certain majors?" Certain people tend to be more interested in a specific subject. Males are more influenced by career advancement and compensational potential. Females are influenced by aptitude for the subject. There is also an influence from family and friends, and this plays a large part for some.

4. Janis Dietz is a professor at the University of La Verne in California. Her department is Business and she is a professor of Business Administration. She has published reviews of scholarly works in the Journal of Consumer Marketing. She has also published books entitled "Yes, You Can!", and "The 3 Simple Secrets of Success after the Diploma: Integrity, Persistence, and Discipline".

5. Race/Gender Influences: 

Race and gender can influence college major choice, and therefore success. For example, females are significantly more likely to choose interdisciplinary/social science majors over science. African Americans (Over Caucasians) are more likely to choose the same, however, Hispanics (over Caucasians) are more likely to choose arts and humanities, and interdisciplinary science over science majors. Students with liberal views are more likely to pick a non-science major. Asian origin students are more likely to choose majors with greater early economic expectations based on immigrant status, family background, and parental expectations. 

College Choice:

College can potentially have a large impact on the rate of success post graduation. There are many variables that could go into this, such as student interest, the school's product, and even the student population. Ivy League and Public schools were studied and percentages were found regarding undergraduate degree. Many more CEO's of Fortune 100 companies attended a public school rather than a Ivy League school.

6.. "Past experience suggests that the particular college

     a student attends is far less important than what the

     student does to develop his or her strengths and talents 

     over the next four years" (Shellenbarger, 2009). 

"After all, study upon study has shown that where a
     person went to college has no effect on personal
     happiness, income level or professional satisfaction
     in later life" (ibid).

A study in Economics of Education Review in 2007 "found that across all fields, new grads who were in jobs matching their majors earned more than those who weren't (Barrett, 2008). Porter & Umbach (2006) found that undergraduate major is significantly correlated with job stability and job satisfaction. Major choice may be affected by gender and race. It is most certainly affected by personality.

7. This material will help me in my research because it includes many valuable charts, explanations, and hypotheses exploring every spectrum of choosing a college major. It includes counter arguments and explanations as to why school and major choice affect post graduation. It includes the variables included in making the decision, and who is more likely to make choices for specific majors. I think this will help me because it will allow me to explore the major selection aspect of my research, because we have not had a reading talking about major choice and it's affects. I think this gave me a lot of insight as to how one chooses a major, and how much success will radiate off from this choice. I liked how this article gave me reasons why someone might choose a major based on race and gender. I found out a lot of things I did not know regarding major and success, and would like to use this article in my research.

Research Blog #3

The issue of privatization connects to my topic in that it puts emphasis on the choices one makes in college. In particular, the choices regarding choice of major, social choices, the class/status one is in, and the amount of debt one is in. The choices made regarding these certain topics can greatly affect the success a student will have after graduation, especially if they are not in the "elite" class. The elite class does not have to worry as much about the choices they make regarding partying, major choice, socialization, and debt. They may be able to pay back loans easily because of parental involvement/money, and therefore their choices may include partying and choosing friends that only care about partying as well. For instance, In "Paying for the Party" by Armstrong and Hamilton, Emma and Taylor were both followed and studied throughout college and post graduation. Both students shared the same major, but both had different outcomes. Taylor had generous parental support and was able to pay off school, and therefore could afford to party and date freely. Emma did not have that privilege, and became tied to her military boyfriend, Joe, and ended up in a dead end job. Her choices deeply affected her success and she could not afford to party and succeed at the same time. For someone that does not have that privilege, the choices they make are closely connected with how much success they will have post graduation. Choice of major is especially  a huge choice because that is the most direct choice in regards to success. If a student chooses a major, and can not commit to it, and would rather party while they have huge amounts of debt, they may go down the wrong path and not be able to succeed properly in their major choice. HOwever, if there is no debt, and the student follows their major and parties at the same time, they may be able to succeed better. Ultimately, privatization puts emphasis on choice in college that affects success after graduation.

Research Blog #2

1. As for my original topic idea, I have decided to make it more specific. I agree that the pathway theme is too narrow and there is limited resources available for it. I have thought about it and decided to stem from that idea and focus on how the choices you make during college effect success after graduation. I plan on focusing primarily on choice of major, the social aspect of school, class/status, and debt. I will include pathways in this research, but not focus solely on them. I think that would be good support for some of the new points I have come up with.

2. When looking online, I decided to Google my four points of interest. First, I searched broadly and typed in "choices during college affect success". A few web pages came up that had to do with choices in college and how they effect success.  One was about scores, another financial decisions, one about sports, and others more generally speaking. Next, I Googled "College Debt Crisis" and a lot of pages came up. The CNBC page with a lot of resources was one of the top sites. There were many other pages that dealt with college debt crisis, and many of them being reliable News sources.  Next, I typed in " how choice of major affects success" and pages came up that could potentially aid in my research. I found one page that read "Oh the Places You Will Go! How Your College Choice Affects Your Career". I plan on looking through this page because it has a lot of statistics and percentages that could aid in supporting evidence. Next, I searched "how class and status affect success" and a few pages regarding this topic came up. I noticed the first one which read "Does A Student's Social Class Affect Their Success?" and a few other pages regarding this topic. I thought it would be harder to find information on this, but was surprised that there were several pages dedicated to this information. Finally, I searched "social lives in college/affecting success" and found that there were not many if no pages regarding this topic. I might have to look into our readings to find evidence, because my initial web search did not produce results.

3. I searched "college debt" in Google Scholar and the first article that came up is entitled "College on Credit" How Borrowers perceive their education debt.  I think this could be useful to look into how students feel about their debt and how it could effect their success. I decided to then search "Choices in College" on Google Scholar, and found a few articles regarding choices students make in college. One is about choice of major, women's choices of college majors, and occupational choices of college students. It seems to be mostly major related, and not so much social related. I think I may have the hardest time researching how the the social choices a student makes can affect success. I might be able to use the pathways here, and talk about the party pathway and how that effects success.

4. The issue of choices seem to be closely related to major choice. It seems that women are more likely to choose one major over another, which could be more male related. I have found a few articles regarding this, and did not know this was an issue. It seems that major choice seems to be the more prevalent and important choice a student makes in college that directly impacts success, but I also think that social class/status and debt is included in this.

5. I found that http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/nerdscholar/college-and-career-study/ is very helpful in looking at certain majors and comparing them. It talks about salaries, has many numbers and charts, and examines post grad success. It looks into employment, and how choice of school and major affects post grad success. I also found that http://www.inpathways.net/ipcnlibrary/ViewBiblio.aspx?aid=363 was a useful source because it examines how students financial decisions affect their academic success. I think this is important in my research because I would like to talk about class/ status/ and debt and how they affect schooling and eventual success.

6.I do not think my topic has any controversy, but possibly the subtopics may have arguments. One could argue that if a student is in a lower class than elite, their choices are very important. However, if a student is part of the elite class, their choices may not be as influential on their success.

Research Blog #1

I am considering the topic of pathways in college, and how greatly they can affect you're future outcome. I was inspired by the story of Emma and Taylor in the Armstrong/Hamilton piece that we had read. I was surprised at how differently the two girls ended up, with both of them starting at the same place. Many factors went in as to why they either succeeded or failed. I am interested in looking into the reasons why a student will succeed or fail, and what pathway they chose and why. There were three pathways mentioned, the party pathway, the professional pathway, and mobility pathway. Other aspects go into this as well, such as parental involvement, class, status, and background. These can greatly influence the pathways. I am especially interested in the party pathway, and why some fail when choosing this, and why others can still succeed even with partying on a regular basis. I would tend to think that drinking and a involved social life would distract a student from their studies, but there were cases in the reading that proved opposite. Ultimately, I would like to explore the pathways, especially the party pathway, and how the choices made affect the outcome after graduation.