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So, you’re supposed to get a college degree in order to make a decent living. Right? If you don’t want to work at McDonalds—nothing against those folks(they’re saints to put up with what they have to put up with)—you’ll need a profession. General opinion is that you need to go to college to get, at least, a two-year degree.
A college degree in any field was once considered a ticket to working for big bucks. This is no longer the case.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to college. Higher education provides you with more choices and, statistically, more income. Go to college, but be smart about it. There are individuals who are artists, performers or really great plumbers. College isn’t probably as vital for them as, say—someone who wants to do research in neuroscience. Most people need some kind of training in order to achieve their professional goals. College is the logical choice.
It’s important to ask college recruiters questions, but the most important person for you to interview is yourself. There are current college myths you need to recognize. You need to think about what your college education will prepare you for.
What career will fit you best? This isn’t always obvious. You probably have relatives, friends and teachers weighing in on this one. It’s easy to be blinded by the perceived prestige and power of a profession. What you really need to ask is will you enjoy the work that this career will entail everyday. Will you go happily off to work as a lawyer, arguing for a living? You may make serious money as a litigator, but lawyers handle tons of paperwork and phone calls, too. Will you enjoy that? Will you be happy doing this job?
Will you make enough money? Is this kind of job going to enable you to live the kind of life you want (and afford to put your kids through school, as well as, save for retirement)? It’s hard to know what’s enough money for each individual. This is a question you must ask yourself. Then, you need to be honest about what you’re willing to do to earn that income. And, again, will you be happy? You might make a mint in business, but this will be meaningless, if you don’t like your job.
Will attending a prestigious college help you? Once you decide what you want to be, you have to ask yourself if spending the money for a degree from a big name school is worth it. Will going to this school really help you get to know the “right people” and thus, end up making your professional life easier? You need to weigh whether these advantages are worth the college loans you may have to take out. There is a lot a debate on this subject.
Then, when you graduate, will you be able to live comfortably and pay off your loans? This is a really important question. You might be drawn to the prestige of a degree from a name university, but you need to ask yourself if your eventual job—teacher, social worker, theater stage director—will earn you enough money to pay off your college loans and still manage to live. A social work degree from Boston College gets you the same job as a social work degree from a state school. You may argue that the education is better, but that’s generally not the case.
Never think this college thing is simple…and that’s not even including tough professors and 8 a.m. classes. College is a pretty big endeavor. You’ll spend your days reading dense textbooks, writing papers and learning math. This is great if you love math, and not so much if you don't. You’ll have to earn this degree(diploma mills aside). You want the degree to be in an area you enjoy.
The last big question you need to ask yourself--Are there jobs available for your degree in the field? This is a really important thing to explore. You may love psychology and find the classes fascinating, but a four-year degree in psychology prepares you for little besides graduate school. Some degrees are just the first rung on the ladder. Others, such as history and sociology, may offer tremendous insights, but have to be used in a creative way. There’s no obvious jobs for some degrees.
Then, again, you could teach. The world needs enthusiastic, engaging teachers. Make sure that’s the kind you’d be.
