If given the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience as a graduate or undergraduate student, would you teach children in foreign countries such as New Zealand or China? Would you want to work side-by-side with government officials at the county, state or even national level? Would you assist at the Ocean Mammal Institute in Hawaii or the Siberian Tiger Training School in Ohio?

Perhaps you've known since fifth grade that you want a career in law enforcement or business, or you see yourself as a designer of computer games, a fashion designer, or an engineer. That's great! Knowing a field is of particular interest can help you choose a college that's a good match. But if your path isn't clear right now, that's OK. Don't feel that you have to choose a major right away. You can start out as an undeclared major and explore areas of interest once in college.

"I want financial aid, not loans". How many times have you said or have heard someone say this? The truth is federal education loans are forms of financial aid. Unlike gift aid such as grants and scholarships, loans must be repaid with interest. Though this type of aid may not be a student's first choice, many students find that they must supplement their savings and other financial aid with student loans. With the rising costs of college education, grants, scholarships and other types of "free" money may not be enough to cover the full cost of college.

One of the most important steps in the road to higher education is finding the right fit. Too many students plunge into the college application process without first visiting campuses to discover what atmosphere makes them most comfortable.

The very first thing students and families should do after settling on a list of prospective colleges is to schedule preliminary visits. These visits consist of campus tours with current students and information sessions or individual conversations with admission professionals. This first step should not be a high-pressure situation but rather an opportunity for students to really see what a college is like first-hand. The best time for this type of visit is in the spring of the junior year. Keep a notebook handy for notes and thoughts. I remember visiting colleges with my family and on the way out of campus each of us would write down the best things, the worst things, and overall thoughts. It really helps to keep a record once you are visiting 2-3 schools a day.

An Education System that Ranks Amongst the World’s Best

Canadians place great importance on learning and have developed a first rate education system with high standards. A Canadian degree, diploma or certificate is well-regarded in business, government and academic circles around the globe.

Whether you are choosing a traditional career in sciences or humanities, or you are exploring new alternatives at the college level, every higher education institution wants you to have a breadth of knowledge that helps you succeed in the job market, along with expertise in your particular discipline. Studying abroad, the learning process that takes place in a different country, often amidst different cultures and languages, allows students to earn credit towards graduation while they are enrolled in educational programs overseas.

Education is the gateway to great things. Your decision to continue your education beyond high school represents a major step toward increasing your lifetime earning potential, broadening your career opportunities and improving your overall quality of life for the future. It will require a commitment of time, money and energy on your part, but the potential rewards are substantial.

Consider that a high school degree will never again provide a guarantee of a comfortable middle-class life. The increased complexity of most occupations, the increasing reliance on technology in almost all businesses and jobs, and the rapid pace of change will require that more and more of you obtain two-year, four-year and even more advanced degrees. An individual with a four-year college degree earned $19,096 more than an individual with a high school diploma in 2003. That college graduate will earn $1 million more in his or her lifetime than the average high school graduate.

A college education is one of the best investments possible. Think of the benefits: knowledge and skills that lead to tremendously expanded opportunities for a good job, for earning a higher income, and for making the best decisions possible in everything from personal finance to voting throughout the rest of your life.

But that’s not all. The rest of society benefits too. When more people go to and complete college, there’s a better-educated work force that grows, attracts, and retains the best businesses and industries, for example.

Clearly, everyone should strive for a college education, but many people don’t have the financial resources to pay for college. There are many different types of financial aid that help people pay college costs, however. You just have to know how to tap into it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college graduates earn an average of $1 million more during their careers than high-school graduates. That's quite a return on investment. In fact, the value of your investment in a college education will continue to grow for a lifetime. It will pay for itself both personally and professionally. More than simply four years of job training, a college education not only challenges you to broaden your interests and achieve your goals, it opens doors that would otherwise remain closed.

Youve already taken the PSATs, ACT, and SATs. Youve visited the college campuses, taken the tours, had the interviews, mailed the thank-you notes, filled out the applications, completed the essay questions, paid the application fees, sent the letters of recommendation, and requested the transcripts from your guidance office.

Now is the time to have a frank talk with your parents about money. Remember that unless you have older brothers or sisters, this is new to them too, and they may be worried about how much youll need and whether theyll be able to afford it. There are a lot of myths about college costs. Some parents are worried because theyve heard it can cost as much as $40,000 per year to send a child to college (and there are some private colleges which do cost this much).