For some, the reason to attend college is to get a good job. For others, it is to fulfill a dream of getting an education. For many students like Tia, a first-generation college student, it’s both. College not only helps you land a better job but also helps you become an effective leader, prepares you for graduate school, enhances your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and elevates your societal status based on merit. Over the past few years, the economy has experienced fluctuations not seen in your or your parents’ lifetimes. In 2012, the unemployment rate for students with new bachelor’s degrees was 8.9 percent. This rate is high, but it’s a shattering 22.9 percent for job seekers with a recent high school diploma and an unthinkable 31.5 percent for recent high school dropouts.¹ The good news is that employers will likely hire many college students in the next few years. Economic uncertainty is a reality, and although a degree is one of the best weapons a job seeker can wield in the fight for employment and earnings, it is important to make decisions about your course of study and career path based on information about yourself and your economic need.