If you are looking at secondary education, you need to determine what kind of education is right for you. Now, many people are simply going to say you should go to college, because after all, that is what smart people do who want to work and make more money. However, that really is no longer the case now days. In fact, there are many reasons as to why you might want to enroll into a technical program instead of a college. When it all comes down to it though, you just need to seek out what the right answer for you is. For some, heading off to a four year university is right, but for others, it might be a shorter stint in a technical program. There is no wrong answer as long as you follow the path that is best for you.

Length of Time

The first thing you need to look at is the length of time a technical or vocation program is against a college program. For a bachelor’s degree, you can expect to spend at least four years in the program, although many people now take five years to complete it. You are going to cover more and receive a more rounded education. However, if you want to start work right away and if you know what it is you want to do with the rest of your life, a vocational program might be better. In fact, you can often complete these programs in sometime around a year. Plus, even if you need additional certifications to improve your job standings, you can complete these courses while working.

College Tuition Costs

This is something they really do not go over in high school, for whatever reason. Most high schools push going to college, but they do not inform you of what attending a school is really going to cost. Should you decide to go to a school in state, you are probably going to something around $40,000 (including room and board). However, if you go to a private school or a school out of state, you may end up spending closer to a quarter of a million dollars, depending on the location, the school and the length of time you are enrolled. If you are guaranteed to make a large sum of money upon graduation, go for it, but most people are going to struggle simply paying their base school loan interest after graduation. A technical program costs a fraction of that, and as you can work while taking the class, there is a good chance you actually graduate without any sort of debt and some hands on experience.

Dropping out of a University

Perhaps you decide halfway through college it just isn’t for you and you drop out. Guess what. You now have a very expensive tab that means nothing. Employers will not be interested in if you went to school for a few years but don’t have a degree. This could potentially lead to a large amount of money wasted. So, if you do not know what you want to be yet, consider a technical program. It’s less expensive and gives you plenty of options.