It's All About YOUR Future

 I enlisted into the military, not because I wanted to go fight in the Vietnam War, but because I dropped out of college and could not find a job because I did not have my military obligation behind me...  so, I decided...  what the hell...  I might as well get that behind me.  Had I not enlisted, I would have been drafted in the Army/Marines and sent to Vietnam.

Fortunately, I used the GI BIll to pay for my college education which included Graduate School.  I earned a BA and an MBA using my own money and the GI Bill and had NO STUDENT LOAD DEBT.

Had I not gone into the military, I would have continued to work while attended college and graduated with NO STUDENT LOAD DEBT.

Either way...   NO STUDENT LOAN debt...

Working full time and going to school full time is not easy but it can be done.

Does it make you appreciate your education more?  NOT SURE...  But, it makes you appreciate the fact that you DID IT ON YOUR OWN.

Would I recommend a college education?  NO!!!

WHY?

1. It costs too much
2. It is not worth the return on investment
3. Very little knowledge is retained
4. What you learn in college is not really used in the real world

Are the TRADES better?

Not necessarily...  it depends on what you want to do.

Trades might include:

• Welding
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Heating/Air
• Construction
• Mechanic

And, while they pay high wages now, it still might not be what you really want to do...  plus, it can be dirty work.

You could work in a bank.

You could work as a chef.

You could work as a waiter/waitress.

You could work as a truck driver.

You could manage a restaurant/hotel.

You could be a pilot.

You could join the armed forces.

NOTE:  if you joined the armed forces, I would recommend the air force...

There is also going to a Community College and earing an Associates Degree in 2 years...  not as costly...  and if you are in TN, those 2 years are FREE...

• Dental Assistant
• Paralegal
• Nurse
• Pharmacy Technician
• Massage Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Business/Accounting

There is a local franchise restaurant near where I live called PERKINS...  The owner of the local restaurant started out as a bus boy, became a cook, then a waiter, then assistant manager, then manager, then purchased the franchise...  The only education that he had was high school.

A neighbor of mine is a legal Mexican immigrant who is now a US citizen who quit high school and learned the trade of making cabinets on the job.  From there he went into building homes and a few years later, got his building license, formed a crew and started building houses.  Over the years, he purchased several house and started renting them out.  His rental income has allowed him to retire at the age of 55.

Don't just go to college and acquire debt because someone told you that a white collar job is the best job to have...  First of all, that is not true and very misleading.  Second, it is your life not their life...  as a result, you should decide what you want to do.

FINALLY, if you simply want to find a way to become wealthy and you don't care what you do, then perhaps you should think about moving south and joining the Mexican Drug Cartels.

All wealthy people, except those who simply inherited the wealth, had to pay their dues for 10-20 years before they could claim they were BILLIONAIRES...