Is Now The Right Time For College?

By drodriguez Mar 26, 2011

By: Marcia Y. Cantarella PhD

Author of I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle

and Get Your Degree Guide

Is now the right time for you to attend college?

College years can be a time of transition between adolescence and adulthood, especially if you’re between the ages of 17 and 21. But college at age 17, in a traditional setting, is not right for everyone. Given the costs of higher education, it is important to think through the options that may be available, to assure that you get your money’s worth out of the experience of whenever you decide to go.

Let’s begin with the assumption that you’ve decided that finishing college is a worthy and necessary goal for you to achieve. First, you should understand that college training has a much greater significance today than it did earlier. More than a century ago most often work involved physical labor. As the twentieth century progressed, however, more and more work became administrative or managerial, though physical skills were still in demand. Following World War II and in the 1950s in particular, as a bigger share of the population had access to free public high schools, workers developed more exclusively mental skills, such as are suitable for office work. Presently we are clearly in a service- and knowledge-based economy, where the skills developed through a college education are the ones driving both the economy and personal growth.

So lets say you have decided to go for it and want to start in the fall. Is it too late? Not really. There are schools that have what are called rolling admissions and allow you to be admitted, enroll and register right up to the first day of classes. As noted above, however, be a cautious consumer and be sure any school is accredited, does not have problems with the better business bureau if it is a for-profit-school, and delivers what it promises before you give them your money. Look for brand names in schools with a vocational focus?like the University of Phoenix or Devry or look to your local state or city colleges and universities for the best return on your investment. Take one course to get your feet wet if you have been away for a while. Build up your savings now for books and any expenses not covered by financial aid. Fall is doable but takes planning and thought.

For more on this topic see Chapters 1 and 2 of I CAN Finish College available at www.icanfinishcollege.com in softcover or ebook or on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com in softcover.

Stay tuned for part II of this blog where Marcia Cantarella lists the types of schools that may be right for you.