AI and College Degrees

B1 – Intermediate 

More students in the US are choosing skilled jobs instead of college. Jobs like welding and plumbing pay well and do not need a degree.

At the the moment, some college students use AI to do their schoolwork, which makes people question the value of college. Because of this, more people support training programs that teach practical skills and lead to good jobs.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about US students choosing skilled trades instead of going to college.

https://newsinlevels.com/products/ai-and-college-degrees-level-3

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “skilled trade” mean? “More students in the US are choosing skilled trades instead of going to college.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
  2. What does “field” mean here, “Many high school students are offered well-paid jobs in welding, plumbing, or similar fields right after graduation.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
  3. What does “shop class” mean? “They want to bring back shop classes and support programs where students learn real-life skills.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are more students choosing skilled trades instead of going to college?
  2. Do you think skilled trade jobs are a good alternative to college? Why or why not?
  3. How is AI affecting students’ learning in college?
  4. Do you think using AI tools for schoolwork is helpful or harmful? Explain. 
  5. Do you think schools should focus more on practical skills like shop classes? Why?  
0.00 avg. rating (0% score) - 0 votes

Related posts:

  1. College Grads Struggle to Find Jobs B2 – Upper Intermediate Earning a college degree has long been viewed as a reliable...
  2. Gen Z’s Are Ditching College Degrees for Blue-Collar Careers B2 – Upper Intermediate US college enrollment is declining as more Gen Z students are...
  3. College Admission Scandal C1 – Advanced Recently, there’s been news about the cheating scandals on college admission. These...
  4. Anti-College C1 – Advanced Is college fast becoming irrelevant for many or most students? A lot...
  5. 12-Year Old Scores College Acceptances B2 – Upper Intermediate 12-year old Tanishq Abraham is just like any other young boy...

2 replies on “AI and College Degrees”

Let me summarize my opinion.

AI is far superior to any human intelligence; its processing speed is measured in microseconds, making it useful for configuring systems and quickly solving problems.
If young people use it frequently, they risk becoming enslaved by these tools—growing dependent on them for trivial tasks such as which car to buy, which perfume to wear, what to order at a restaurant, or even deciding whom to spend their free time with or which type of partner best suits their lifestyle.

For these reasons, formal education—supported by teachers who fully leverage insights into emotional intelligence—is crucial to maximizing student performance. This ensures that when young people enter the workforce, they do so with confidence and a commitment to continuous learning, ready to take risks and make their own decisions.

Welcome to the Phone English Blog! Great job starting with writing practice today!

Your passage is already strong. Here is a grammatically refined and more natural version of one of the sentences from it:

AI is far superior to any human intelligence; its processing speed is measured in microseconds, making it useful for configuring systems and quickly solving problems.

AI is far more powerful than human intelligence in certain tasks. Its processing speed is measured in microseconds, making it highly effective at configuring systems and solving problems quickly.

Building your ideas through writing is an excellent way to strengthen your English skills. Keep up the great work!

Leave a Reply

Only registered students can submit comments.