[Mr 5 0]

It's a cliché that 'college isn't for everybody' but these days, if you're not in professional sports, an entertainer or have some very special skill that people need and want, it's almost obligatory. Most employeers feel that if you didn't have the smarts or the desire to get through college, you probably don't have what it takes to succeed in their business and a guy who may be a slacker and only half as bright as you will get the job before you do, simply because he has a degree. Sad but true. The good old days of being able to make a good living (50k+) with just a high school diploma are about over. As has been noted: there are always exceptions. Entrepreneurs are usually that exception but even then, building a successful business takes a lot of business-specific knowledge and hard work, as many of us know.

I would recommend that everybody who can find the money and pass the courses go to college and obtain a degree. Student loans are always available. Avoid useless majors such as 'fine arts' or 'medieval history' unless you already have a job lined up somewhere because those kinds of degrees are basically useless outside of museums and art galleries - and they usually pay squat. Teaching is a noble profession and pays well in the bigger cities, especially if you get into administration, but more emphasis is put on the process of 'teaching' than knowledge of the subject, which makes for poor teachers, in my opinion. My teacher friends tell me that classroom discipline is also a major problem today and makes the job a lot harder than it once was.

When it comes time to get a job, be prepared to move away from the old home town (unless it's a major city like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago) and go where the work - and the real money is. Limiting yourself to a small geographic area is a downfall of many an aspiring college graduate who ends up with a near-menial job. Degree or no degree, ambition and the willingness to work hard and not be more interested in your vacation time and watching the clock than the job at hand will always help anyone succeed. If you limit yourself in any way or are afraid to take a risk (move away from home or join a new but small company) then it will make success harder than it has to be.

Finally, another cliché that still is true. Do what you like. If working on cars makes you happy, go for it and get that Mechanical Engineering degree - or something like it. Most ordinary auto shop mechanics I know are making around $50,000 per year - with no degree. Imagine what a degreed tech in a fancy shop makes. Whatever your passion, try to go with it and even if you never get rich, you'll probably make a decent living and have the reward of doing something you like. That, alone, is worth a lot.