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Assuming that one is starting out with nothing or with debt, you can expect to work and accumulate income for ten to twenty years before you can really expect to be free of the working world.
This means that you need to find career employment which you will be able to perform for a significant part of your life.
In order to be able to maintain your sanity, you need to do some self-assessment as to what kind of work you are most suited for. However don't obsess with job selection because you may not really know what type of jobs are out there and what type of effort and skills they actually require.
You may have to try a number of jobs before finding the right vocation. If you are moving from job to job, just keep trying to move in the right direction. Job selection is a highly personal choice, just be assured that somewhere there is a niche that you as an individual can fill.
You will often be paid the most for a job that requires you to sit for most of the day. Office work is comfortable, relatively safe, and many people aspire to an office job.
However, a number of years at a sedentary job can have negative effects on your health. In order to avoid the typical pear shaped body and heart disease, you need to do some activity that fills your lungs with air and gets your blood flowing every day. In addition you may need to do more strenuous training several times a week.
When working at a sedentary job, you must carefully choose your diet and quantity of food you intake. Walking or riding a bicycle to work is an excellent way to maintain your health when working at a sedentary job.
When you look at a career, check out how prone the occupation is to accidents. Do an honest self-assessment as to whether you have the balance, coordination and awareness to safely do the work and avoid injuring yourself. No need to cower in a corner in fear of moderately risky work, but just be sure that you know the risks going in. You are going to have to find a career that will support you for about 15 years, will you be able to stick it out on a truly dangerous job?
Pursuing full time education at a college or university usually means that you have to take a vow of poverty until you graduate.
Some people will tell you that a liberal arts education will produce a well rounded individual. As you move through most programs you will slowly begin to realize that they are set up to keep you studying as long as possible, and many courses have little or no benefit to you as a person.
It is important to recognize that universities are businesses. Their focus is to run you through the mill, collect your tuition, drop a sheepskin in your hands and show you the door. The longer they can keep you studying, the more valuable you are to them. As a graduate student, they can even get you to work hard for them for very little money.
Don't be fooled by the prestige or the awe of academia. Is there some knowledge that you need? Whether it is computer programming or welding, you need to research the ways that you can most quickly learn what you need to know. Quite often you can learn what you need to know on your own, through books or by talking to people who actually do what you are trying to learn.
There are benefits to a diploma, it is society's badge of "achievement" and is a necessary qualification for many careers. Many people feel unfulfilled and inadequate in their careers without a degree. But when you choose a diploma and course of study, you need to focus on an education that will benefit you after you graduate and will allow you to pursue a well-paid career. Carefully self-assess what professions that you think you could perform, and find the degree that is most valuable in those professions.
One of the most important parts of university life is that the people you meet will often become lifelong friends. In your first years at the university, try to socialize and meet as many people as you can, and spend time with those people that you like being with. As you get older, these people can be an excellent support group and are a lot of fun to be with as well.
Many students can only afford to study by taking out student loans. These loans make it extremely difficult to get started accumulating wealth as you begin work after graduation. Beware of student loans, although you may not be able to avoid them. Housing in student areas is notoriously expensive, and tuition is crushing to someone trying to live while working part time. If you are taking out student loans, at least try to take as many courses as possible, and spend enough time studying to get passing grades.
As always, consider your health; exercise and try to prepare nourishing foods. University towns are notorious for drug use and binge drinking. Have fun but don't fall into addiction, remember that your goal is to gain a degree quickly. Avoid people that are falling into drug use or alcoholism, except as a supporting friend trying to help them recover.
When planning your education, try to select a valuable degree, reduce the amount of student loans you use, get through your degree program quickly, meet lots of people, live healthy, avoid addiction, and have fun!