Should people go to college? 5 ideas for, 5 ideas against

Going to college is a great way to transition from school to adult life. You find your independence. You manage your money. You might work too. It's a relatively safe environment to start going it alone.

This is the perfect time to learn new things. To study a subject that might have no bearing on a future job but is something you feel passionately about.

A lot of people build long lasting contacts at Uni. Some of those connections may be useful in the future.

Experience somewhere different to where you were born or brought up.

Studying is a good discipline and a way to start to focus, and to deliver to deadlines.

Looking back, and with the benefit of hindsight, I would have been far better spending 4 years living in France and working than doing a degree. It would have improved my French so much more as well as giving me work experience. Not having to come back to the UK to finish my degree, I might even have lived in France for a longer period.

Depending on your area of interest, sometimes I think it's more beneficial to work and get experience than study at Uni. Unless you want to be a Doctor or another vocation that specifically needs study, then a job will give you a greater advantage. Plus, no student loan debt.

Here in the UK, you can sign up for an apprenticeship. Not like the old apprenticeships to learn a trade but a programme involving work and study, being paid, and getting a degree level qualification at the end.

The years pass by very quickly. Do the things you want to do when you're in the late teens/early twenties. Travel. Experiment with different possibilities. Do short term jobs just for the money. Have great life experiences.

Want to write? Be in a band? Throw pots? Now is the time to try it. You might fail but you might be great. Do it now. It can become harder to do these things as you get older and amass other responsibilities.