A quarter century ago the late Dr. Stephen Covey, businessman, author, and educator, wrote his most famous work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. These “habits” are just as powerful today as they were twenty-five years ago.

In particular when I talk to graduating high school students about college, Habit #2 is foremost in my mind:

“Begin with the end in mind.”

Usually these young people, dependent adolescents, are just thinking about getting accepted at a good college, or perhaps capturing that desirable piece of paper. My advice is that they think about their post-secondary education choices in the context of how they can become independent, financially self-sufficient, adults.

In that light college is ONE of the potential pathways to that goal.

Unfortunately educators, guidance counselors, politicians, social media, pop culture figures, and, yes, probably their parents have filled their heads with misinformation. I am going to attempt to dispel twelve of the college myths they are likely to have soaked up.

Myth #1 A college degree is the surefire road to middle class, or better, prosperity.

Mastering a marketable skill and (probably) earning a credential is the roadway to financial self-sufficiency. In the-good-old-days–fifty years ago–college was the traditional path to accomplish this. If you graduated with any kind of a degree with any GPA, you could waltz out of the college gates straight into a well-paying, entry level corporate job. College in America doesn’t work that way anymore. College today is a speculation. You need to hedge your bets.

Myth #2 A college degree is the new high school diploma.

This is nonsense. Unlike fifty years ago many four-year degrees are completely worthless in today’s job market. A high school diploma is free. A four-year degree costs a pile of money, and that changes the calculus dramatically.

Myth #3 With a bachelor’s degree you’ll make a $1,000,000 more than with a high school diploma.

I have written extensively why this oft stated catchphrase is not true. The problem is that, intuitively, it sounds and feels right. I’m not going to reproduce the entire counterargument, but here are three of the major points:

• On the first day of Statistics 101 we are taught “correlation is not causation.” The economy rewards smart people. Smart people go to college.
• The data includes lots of people who graduated before 2008. The job world changed dramatically in 2008.
• Sometimes the data includes figures gathered through surveys. Guess who responds to the surveys?

Myth #4 Go to the best school you can get into.

Go to the best school you can afford that is strong in your marketable major.

Myth #5 Go to college and explore your potential major.

Flip the college decision-making paradigm. Identify a career. Pick your major. Choose the right school.

Myth #6 The financial aid office will help you figure out how to pay for college.

The financial aid officer works for the college. You have to do your own homework, and it is very complicated.

Myth #7 It doesn’t matter what you major in, just get a degree.

With hordes of high school graduates rushing like lemmings to the ivied halls there is a huge supply (grads) versus demand (suitable jobs) problem. Half of all recent college grads are under employed or unemployed. College is a competition for a few good jobs. Your major matters.

Myth #8 Invest in yourself. A college degree always pays off regardless of cost or the amount of student loan debt.

After spending an average of five years studying, fifty-one percent of 2016 college graduates are making $35,000 or less. Seventy percent of these grads have debt—the average being $34,000. Do these statistics lead you to believe these grads made a good investment decision?

Myth #9 Your advisor can be depended on to lay out your course schedule and tailor a plan of study.

Take responsibility for your course schedule and plan of study. Your advisor is juggling a lot of balls in the air. If he drops one, that is going to cost you.

Myth #10 Student loans are “good” debt.

In this job market career outcomes are highly uncertain. Student loan debt will “own” you when you graduate. Be very conservative in taking on debt.

Myth #11 There is nothing to be done about the escalating costs of post-secondary education.

Many of the costs are manageable or negotiable. Become a savvy consumer. Make better choices.

Myth #12 Your college degree will get you a job.

It will be your entire resume including experiential learning and your contacts that will get you that first good job.

I try to give recent high school grads something to think about before they commit to devoting four, five, or six years of their life and thousands of their parents’ hard earned dollars to earning a bachelor’s degree. That four-year degree might be the right credential to get them on their way towards financial self-sufficiency, or perhaps not.

Community college is a much less risky and a much less expensive route.

Dr. Kevin Fleming, “(RE)Defining the Goal: The True Path to Career Readiness in the 21st Century,” explains where some of the good jobs are:

“The true ratio of jobs in our economy is 1:2:7. For every occupation that requires a master’s degree or more, two professional jobs require a university degree, and there are over a half a dozen jobs requiring a 1-year certificate or a 2-year degree, and each of these technicians is in very high-skilled areas in high demand.”

Your local community colleges has numerous marketable, technical certifications. Hopefully you can pursue this full time. If your financial aid doesn’t allow that, do your best and go part time. Earn that certification and get a better job. Now layer that certification and get an Associate’s degree. Now you can get an even better job.

Other pathways include the military, trade schools, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training opportunities.