English Essay1

Walter Woodruff
English 1304
Hamilton
1/23/13
Pay Your Own Way In “Pay Your Own Way! (Then Thank Mom),” Audrey Rock-Richardson tackles the issue of how a modern student should go about paying for college. Rock-Richardson uses her narrative of how she paid her own way through college by working while in school to persuade readers that they should do the same, to pay for their own education. Additionally, Rock-Richardson firmly believes that parents should not be expected to pay for their child’s college tuition saying that, “the notion that parents must finance their children's education is ridiculous.”(1) Furthermore she addresses her experience of juggling work, her studies, and even marriage all while being an undergrad at the University of Utah. One specific instance that she recalls vividly in her essay is with a sorority girl who she sees as a spoiled rich girl who does not realize the value of her education. She thoroughly bashes the girl who does not have to work for what she sees as miniscule feats compared to her accomplishment. Although she is very proud of her accomplishment of paying for school, she does admit that at times it was not always the easiest thing in the world: “I'm not saying that it's fun. It's not. I spent the first two years of school cleaning up after 4-year-olds for the aforementioned $4.75 an hour and taking a public bus to campus” (Rock-Richardson 2). Rock-Richardson admits that if she had received financial aid from her parents or another outside source that she would have taken it gladly, and the money certainly would have made her life easier(Rock-Richardson 2). She stays very firm though in saying that the experience she received in college is invaluable and she would not trade it for anything else, not even 50 degrees, “I feel a sense of accomplishment that I believe I couldn't have gained from 50 college degrees all paid for by someone else” (Rock Richardson 2). Rock-Richardson makes the point of paying for her own tuition not to persuade readers that it is the superior approach, but rather to boast to her peers of her accomplishment. Rock-Richardson writes her essay in a purely reflective and arrogant fashion. She uses no facts, research, or studies on how paying for a student’s own tuition is actually beneficial. Instead, she uses very personal and specific experiences to bash those who do receive aid. One such experience was with a former classmate who as mentioned in the summary, was in a sorority and was taking thirteen credit hours, did not work, and did far worse in school than our author (Rock Richardson 2). The fact that she generalizes and stereotypes all students who do not work in to one experience is appalling and comes off as someone who is very jealous and scornful. She seems to be very upset in her writing and to have written this as a release from the years of holding it to herself, “I'm weary of hearing kids talk

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