Feeling Duped

       Almost a year and a half into this process, not to mention 20K in debt - and all I can say if you are thinking about college . . . DON'T DO IT! When all is said and done - the jobs I will be scrambling to get, if I am lucky - are the very same jobs I was scrambling to get BEFORE I went back to school. Jeez. The best bit of advice I ever got, was two years ago from  disillusioned, broke, unemployed recent college grad - he told me to learn a skill rather than obtaining knowledge: be fluent in another language, know how to fix cars, bake cakes, cut hair - doesn't matter what it is - just become proficient in a SKILL and you can always make a living. College degrees are useless - toilet paper would be more useful. I now totally agree.

UPDATE 10/9/11 - OK so perhaps this hormone induced rant was a bit melodramatic - since I wrote this, I took a few deep breaths and did some reflection . . . if you want to pursue a professional career: attorney, physician, CPA - OR - if you have a free ride and want to kill some time - OR - if you, for your own edification want to study medieval art - OR - if you are 18 and needing a smooth transition into the rigors of adulthood, then maybe college is for you.  MAYBE.  (taking another deep breath here) But, I do believe that for many, perhaps most folks who are looking for a livelihood, college is no longer the answer. It seems that universities, banks and governments are all in collusion in the exorbitant rises in tuition and the main focus seems to be making sure that the majority of students graduate not with a quality education, but massive student debt.
         I still do believe, even at this stage, so close to having that college diploma in my hand - the best way to provide for yourself is to capitalize on a skill  that you possess. After two years in college and 20K in debt - I think the last 24 months of my life would have been better spent fine tuning and marketing my fantastically delicious cheesecakes (Kahlua, espresso, dark chocolate cheesecake anyone?). Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned from my college experience is that I never really needed a piece of paper and crippling debt to show that I am smart - I bought into the line that I have been force fed  'you need a college degree'. Yes, I need a degree if I plan on begging someone else for a job - if I plan on turning over my fate to someone else while they decide if and when they want to hire me - if I plan on giving up my power to control how much I earn and let a corporation dictate to me how much they think I am worth. So in the end, perhaps the best lesson taken from college is . . . learn from your mistakes.