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College is expensive. There is no doubt about that, but so is your first car, your utility bill, your health insurance, your groceries, your gas, and often times your recreation. Life is expensive, but without a college education you will not have the same standard of living as those who do have college degrees in most cases. Most careers paying the average US salary of $75,000/year require a bachelor's degree. Of course, there are alternatives to college, but nothing quite replaces that degree. Certifications, for instance, are a good way to advance your career, and in college your advisers and professors or instructors will definitely encourage you to back up your degree with certifications. Whereas you can easily make your way through college doing last-minute studying and cramming for exams, most certifications take a lot of self-discipline to acquire.

There are two different kinds of colleges, and there are varying opinions on them. There are private colleges, often somewhat misleadingly termed "for-profit" colleges, and there are public colleges that can offer lower tuition because they receive state funds. Private colleges are more expensive, but there are some misconceptions about them that can bring up debate. Private colleges don't always have professors, because profs have doctorate's degrees. Private colleges may instead have instructors, who usually hold master's degrees and have at least three years of experience in the field they teach. Where the debate comes into play is whether or not someone really needs, or should be required to have, a doctorate degree to teach college. Often times people with doctorate's degrees don't have the same work experience as those who did not obtain doctorates. Many times having a doctorate's makes them overqualified for the jobs they need to gain the same experience as others teaching in the field. The misconception is that professors (people with doctorate degrees) are better than private college instructors.

Too many times, there is not enough direction in college. For instance, in public colleges there is still the relatively useless "liberal arts" degree, which you will not find in private colleges. A degree in Liberal Arts truly is when college is just an "extension of high school." Private colleges, on the other hand, may offer specialized degrees, but you must be wary of "accelerated learning." This is a term to describe that you will take one five-week class at a time. University of Phoenix, American Intercontinental

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