For a lot of people, college is the natural next step after high school.  Our parents tell us to go; our teachers encourage us to go, all of our friends are going.  Once upon a time, there was no question that college was the path to riches.  But things have changed so does college still make sense?

From an economic standpoint, the numbers are still in favor of obtaining a college degree.  People with a bachelor’s degree will earn 84% more over a lifetime than a high school graduate.  A degree will also open more doors.  Some companies will not even look at the resume of someone without a degree, no matter how much experience they may have.  It’s not fair, but it’s what a lot of companies use to screen the huge volume of resumes they receive.  Which college and the grades you got are less important.

There are questions to be asked before making the decision though:

* What kind of job do you want?

* If you want to be a doctor, then the decision is already made.

* Do you need to go to the most expensive, prestigious school that accepted you?

Maybe you don’t.  The first few semesters will be pre-requisites, so maybe the best choice is to go to a local college part-time, work part-time, and live at home.  If more people took this route, there would be a lot less crushing student debt.

College is not for everyone.  For some people, the past thirteen years of school are enough for a while.  There is no rule that you must start college at eighteen.  Maybe work for a bit, save some money and do some traveling.  Just living life can teach you not only what kind of job you want, but perhaps more importantly, what type of job you don’t want.

There is plenty of time to decide on college so don’t let anyone rush you.  It’s you who will be on the hook for those loans so make sure the decision is your own.

Show Notes

iTunes U:  Complete courses from leading universities available for free download.

Khan Academy:  A free online educational resource.

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