Investing in Yourself is Important

Higher education is the key to financial freedom.  You may have hope of becoming the next Bill Gates, or perhaps winning millions of dollars in the lottery, but with those kind of odds that is akin to gambling.  Work hard and it will pay off, it really is as simple as that.  Far too many people forgo continuing education because of the cost, and because of the money they can make right away.  We here about the importance of investing, and there is no investment better than the one you make in yourself. 

The mistake many people make when attending college is choosing only expensive schools.  There are many ways to lessen the cost burden.  If you live near a higher learning institution you may want to try commuting to the school rather than living on campus.  This was a method I employed, and it literally cut the cost of college in half for me.  You don’t necessarily need to attend the #1 rated school halfway across the country when a perfectly acceptable school is right down the street.  Often times you will receive a discount based on your geographical proximity to the school.  Next, apply for any and all scholarships in which you meet the requirement.  It may be based on religion, race, grades, or even your first name, regardless just throw your hat in the ring and you may be chosen.  Multiple scholarships of small denominations can add up to big dollars in savings.  Financial aid and work study programs can fill in the gaps.  I was happy to do all the above and managed to come out of graduation nearly debt free.  The little bit of debt I did carry was at a low fixed interest rate.

Another looming mistake is that college students tend to pay far too much for a degree that will never give them a positive return.  I’m all for attending school simply because you love learning, but you don’t need to overpay for it.  A lower level college may be perfectly suitable for you.  If you insist on going to the most expensive school then you may want to consider a field that will provide a suitable return on investment.  Consider Economics degrees,  the school work is difficult, but obtaining one of these degrees from the best schools can land you a high paying position at virtually any company in the world.