<p>One thing I'm not seeing is a discussion of whether or not one should go to college in the first place. If this important issue were discussed more, and rationally thought about, I have no doubt that the number of people ever going to college would be dramatically reduced. That's probably why academic advisors almost never talk to young people about alternatives to college. </p>
<p>I made the decision to go to college after hearing all of the usual things, most notably- "you can't get ahead without a degree". Please, don't buy into this cruel sales pitch. They're are other options available that don't require your spending tens of thousands of dollars for the privelege of earning no money for 4 years. In big cities all over the country, many well-paying jobs in the construction trades go begging for people. Here in St Louis, MO, the building trade unions are running anouncements on TV and radio to inform people of the well-payed free training they offer (that doesn't take 4 years) and that results in excellent paying, interesting work. They can't find enough young people to apply at the union hall. (And yes, women are more than welcome). The healthcare industry is desperate for technical people that can earn very good money after 6 months to 1 year of training at a technical school. </p>
<p>After you hear academia's sales pitch, please do yourself a big favor and look at the U.S. Labor Department's projections of where the jobs are (and aren't). Look at the number of projected jobs in all sorts of fields that pay well and don't require a degree. Look at the number of people graduating from college with 4 year degrees compared to the number of jobs that actually require a degree. You'll see the disparity. </p>
<p>The beneficiaries of academia won't tell you about this. They can't. They have have empires to protect. And they'll protect it by lieing to young people and their well-meaning tuition-paying parents about the necessity of having a college degree and about job prospects. Keep in mind, the higher education industry is a business. It makes money for itself and all of its support industries, a lot of money. </p>
<p>I know so many people, who like myself, deeply regret that they made the decision to go to college. Unless you major in one of the super-marketable fields, you will make very little more money than the average worker. You'll make much less than a typical construction worker. You'll probably make somewhat less than most truck drivers. And for this, you'll spend 4 years of your life depriving yourself of real earnings and racking up debt that you can't ever bankrupt away. Meanwhile, your professors will be very happy you made the decision you made. </p>
<p>Good luck in making an informed decision.</p>
<p>Scott</p>