Blog 15

John Acito

Dr. Chandler

Eng. 3029

4/3/14

Short Analysis Essay

The objective of this assignment was to see not what was said, but how it was said. This study examines the current role of student loan debt and the cultural and societal aspects that affect student decisions. The purpose of this study is to see why it is accepted and socially normal to accrue debt to attain a college degree. This study also addresses pressures and fears of debt in life’s daily decisions.

My participant was a great person to interview for a bunch of different reasons; D is 1 of 4 kids to attend college in her family, she has a reference of an older sister who has gone through the college system, she recently graduated, she recently had to start paying back her loans, still lives at home and is on the cusp of trying to move out into the world on her own. These are all themes that I addressed in the interview and she more than met the needs for the research. The interview was done in her house at the kitchen table a setting that made her feel very comfortable.

When looking strictly at the language and how things were said, it seems like D didn’t want to admit to being stressed out in High School during college application time. When asked about this time she said,

“yea well it was a really high stress time for a lot of people in my grade but my goal was to not be stressed, I kind of, I kind of  wanted to go to a bigger school were as some of my colleagues applied to 4 plus schools or even 8 different schools, um , I decided to apply to just Rutgers and Temple, I didn’t do any extensive research really, I didn’t visit any of the schools.”

In this section her hesitation and lack of conviction didn’t make me believe she was stress free

during this big change in her life. She claims she tried to stay stress free but as soon as she states this she stuttered with “I kind of, I kind of”. This may be her gathering her thoughts for the next statement but there is more evidence that she was indeed stressed out during this time in her life. The main thing that adds to stress and anxiety is being unprepared on a subject. In D’s case they only thing she was certain of was that she wanted to go to a big school. She made the claim, “I didn’t do any extensive research really, I didn’t visit any of the schools” which shows that she may have been stressed out. The fact that she mentions her collegues applying to way more many schools than her may lend the notion that her collegues actions could be making her feel like an outsider for not applying to so many schools. In High School, imitation of your friends and peers is a big social pressure and although D does not come out and say it, the language and tone suggests these societal pressures may have weighed on her.

                Another example of how loan debt affected her choices was when I asked her, “did that fear of loan debt affect your choice of major or what field you went into?” She stutters a tiny bit in the beginning of her response but I think it was her wanting to answer truthfully. You could really tell she was carefully thinking when she gave her answer.

“uh um I a little bit, yes come to think of it. It didn’t affect me going to school but my parents weren’t going to pay for it and they made that pretty clear. I also didn’t get a job to save up, for like at least books or something, but to answer your question,  I always liked the sciences I was originally a bio major,  and I was pre-med cause I wanted to be a physician, so I was like uhh it doesn’t matter how many loans I’m going to take out I will make it back after med school. But that was never realized, but as time went on and I found a field I most liked, I looked into what was going to make the most money with that degree and I went into it with my masters.”

This passage reveals that at D’s core she was very concerned with financial security, her financial

future, and her ability to successfully pay back her loans after college. The fact that she brings up that her parents weren’t going to pay for school and that they made that clear, showed ome bitterness to the lack of help or support in attending college. This is an issue that many kids face in wanting to attend college. Earlier in the transcript she even shows this hopelessness when she says, “it was my only option that if I wanted to go to school.” Many kids feel taking out loans are their only options to attend college and sadly, it is the truth.  

                This excerpt also reveals the looming pressures of paying back student loans. She went into a pre-med program for two reasons, because she liked the sciences, and cause it would make enough money to pay back her loans. Accordingly, when she realized she wasn’t going to continue with her pursue of med school, her decision to change was also rooted in making sure she was financially stable enough after college to pay back her loans. She states,” I found a field I most liked, I looked into what was going to make the most money with that degree and I went into it.” This shows her trying to balance her interests with having enough future stability, a balance that many students struggle to achieve in today’s educational system.

                From a small dissection of the language D uses shows her fears, pressures, and stress associated with the college process. These are feelings that most students have to go through and deal with, and unfortunately, her language implies that attending college is a struggle and a battle. For something that is supposed to be helping making kids better off later in life, the pressures are affecting their decision making process and could possibly make them go into fields that make them unhappy in their adult lives.