A bachelor’s degree is the key to a prosperous life. That’s the thinking of most hopeful college students. We have been trained at a young age that without a college degree you will not be successful in life.
I disagree. Changes in the economy have made it increasingly harder for college students to find a high-paying job out of college.
You might look at someone who never went to college but went to a technical school, trade school or certificate programs and find that they are making more money then someone who went to a four-year college.
I am an advocate for students to go to college for the knowledge, the training and follow through that it provides but we need to play the college game smarter. We should go into college with a clear picture of what we want.
If you want a high-paying job right out of college then you will need to get a degree in the area of (STEM), Business or Finance. If you have a passion to teach kids and want to be a teacher then know that you are going to make a lower wage even with a college degree.
By knowing what you want you can organize your college life to reflect your goals. Don’t go broke over student loans when you know you want to get into teaching, film work, theater degree etc. These are degrees that are lower-paying right out of college.
The key for students is to find out what you really want and what you are willing to do to get it.
I would suggest that students go online and do some research on your degree and the reality of how much you might get paid in that field (payscale.com).
Don’t over-pay for your degree when your field or degree doesn’t merit paying it back.
That’s creating a lifetime of struggle before you even get started. Go after your passion but be smart about it…

Uilani Gray is a Tower staff writer. Email her at uilani.gray(at)gmail(dot)com.