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Diarra Everett
UWRT 1102-41
Ropko
17 March 2016
Annotated Bibliography
Abbie M. "College Advice: 'Pursue Your Passions'" The Huffington Post. 28 Dec. 2011. Web. 10
Mar. 2016.
The point of this article is to show that there are two main decision factors when it comes
to college students picking majors are family and money. It is better to be making a little money
doing something you truly love than to be making a lot of money and being unhappy daily with a
career you do not like. The purpose of this article is to tell young college students to be wise in
making a decision about what to major in. Bottom line, you are the main person who has to live
with your decision. To parents, she says that it is important to be realistic with their children, but
if they do not let their children dream and pursue a passion, it could create stress and
unhappiness. Those dreams define us. The author of this article, Abbie M., is a college student
aspiring to be a journalist. The article was found and posted by an editor at Huffington Post. She
uses pathos by telling a personal story about how people told her that the career path she is
taking would lead her to starvation, but she is going to stick with it because it brings her
happiness that money cannot bring. This helps the readers sympathize with her, and understand
the importance of living your own dream through your passions and not listening to other
negative voices. One rhetorical device she used was dialogue. This essay is effective for both the
subject at large and for my individual essay.

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Deresiewicz, William. Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to
a Meaningful Life. First Free Press hardcover edition. Free Press, 2014. Print.
In chapter five of Excellent Sheep, Deresiewicz writes about the purpose of college and
what it is for. He is writing to inform readers about what the purpose of college is. William
Deresiewicz is a credible source because he was once a college professor. This is ethos because
of his credibility. Also, he incorporates pathos into this chapter because he uses very strong
wording. This chapter is relevant to the topic as a whole because it is specifically about college.
In my essay I will be able to use this because Deresiewicz speaks about what students pursue and
why, which relates to passions.
The Evolution of the College Degree. Digital image. Top Degrees Online. Top Degrees Online,
n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
This info-graphic shows the progression and evolution of college. Its purpose is to show
how colleges and universitys attendance has changed, and it's relevance to society. In the past,
less people went to colleges and universities than now because a degree is required to build a
resume. Editors on top degrees posted this info graphic online, which specializes in topics about
online higher education. This info-graphic includes statistics, which adds the logos appeal. To
the topic of higher education as a whole, this is very relevant. To my essay, this will help to show
the portion of the past of higher education, and I will be able to make a comparison.
Exploratory Studies. Exploratory Studies. NC State Student Affairs. 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 10
Mar. 2016
NC State offers a program for students who may be undecided or want to explore
different majors. The students receive an advisor that ensures the students get into something
they are passionate about, and will succeed in it. The article basically just states facts, which can
be ethos, and it is credible because it is a university program. A rhetorical device used was the
organizational structure. I liked one specific section that states, For example, a student who is

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interested in a major/ career with Computer Science, but struggles with the coursework to be
accepted into the program, may find their strength in the social sciences. Through discussion of
interests, it may be revealed that the student is really excited about designing video games. In
this case a major in Sociology, with possible minors in Graphic Communication and Computer
Programming may give them the skills to seek a career they are passionate about, without
struggling through the courses they are not strong in. It is effective for the topic at large and is
also ethos because it applies to all college students who need help finding what to do. It is
applicable to my essay for the same reason, and because there are resources and solutions to this
issue.
Freedman, Liz. "The Pennsylvania State University Division of Undergraduate Studies." The
Mentor. Penn State, 28 June 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
First year college students are not mentally or developmentally ready to make the longterm decision for their major. The writer believes that an exploratory track should be
implemented in the freshman year for everyone, using it as a time for self-reflection. Also, the
time to declare a major should be postponed to sophomore year. The purpose of this article is to
share alternatives or a way to keep students from spending money staying in school longer to
other colleges and universities. With the percentages of the amount of students who change their
major, something needs to be done. The author of this article, Liz Freedman, is a student
employment coordinator at Butler University; this is an example of ethos. Freedman is a credible
source because she understands the students perspective and sees first-hand what happens when
students start to dislike their internship or career. Also, logos was used in this article by
incorporating statistics. A rhetorical device she uses is the organizational structure. Each section

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and point of her article is clearly written and defined. This effective in the subject at large and for
my individual paper. It states the problem and provides a reasonable solution.
Green, Alison. "Why You Shouldn't Follow Your Passion." U.S. News. N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web.
7 Mar. 2016.
One should not simply follow their passion in college, but rather do something they are
good at. The difference between following your passion and doing something you are good at is
the risk factor of not making enough money and ruining your passion by overdoing it as opposed
to finding the right major and understanding what you will be doing for the rest of your life. The
purpose of this article is to let people going into college know that they should not follow their
passions so they can have financial support. The author, Alison Green, is a writer of a blog, Ask
a Manager, a chief of staff responsible for hiring and firing employees, and the co-writer of a
managing book. This is ethos because Green is a credible source for telling people about getting
a job; one of the main reasons students attend college. Green also incorporates pathos and
rhetoric into this article by evoking emotion and using strong words by saying that anyone who
has told you to follow your passion has given you terrible advice. She also says that building a
career around what you are passionate about is a bad idea. Also, the article is very organized and
the point was clear. She stated her stance on the topic, gave a few examples and resolutions, and
concluded by restating her stance. This article is effective at large because some people view this
issue the same way. They believe that one should not pursue their passion in college to find a
career. This is effective for my essay because I can use it as a part of a counterargument. I do not
believe following your passion in college to find a career is a bad idea as long as you go about it
the right way, which can be a good point in my essay.

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Ramos, Yuritzy. "College Students Tend to Change Majors When They Find the One They Really
Love - Borderzine." Borderzine. N.p., 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
The point of this article shows that some college students find their passions after being
in college after a while, but not until changing their majors and being in school longer. But once
one finds what they are passionate about, and obtain a career in that area, it is really satisfying. In
the article there were two real life examples with two people who successfully changed their
majors and are doing what they love in spite of the difficulties and setbacks. The purpose of this
article is to tell college students that they should learn from example and major in something that
they love rather than majoring in something that their parents choose or that they believe will
make them good money. This article also shows that students should change their major if they
are not happy, but not to do it too late. Yuritzy Ramos is a journalist for Borderzine, which
prepares bilingual writers for jobs in news media. This is a credible source because Ramos uses
logos and ethos to get her point across. She uses statistics to show the percentage of students that
change their major. She also tells two personal stories about people who changed their major and
stayed in school longer because they were scared of upsetting or disappointing their parents (who
were paying for their education). This individual had to take two years off to work to pay for his
own education, and graduated 5 years later than anticipated. One rhetorical device she uses is
quotations from an interview. This makes the article more credible and personal. This is very
effective for the subject at large because deciding on a major is essential for finishing college and
choosing a career. For my essay this is effective because it helps to show that when you choose
something you are passionate about, it is easier to finish college in a timely manner, and you can
save money.