This is a debate that has and will go on until the world itself stops spinning. But the truth is, the way the world is constantly changing, a college education isn't the be all and end all that it used to be. That is not to say that college isn't important. But how important? Well, that all depends on what you want to do with your life. We'll take a look at some of the factors involved in determining just how important college will be to you.

The first thing that even a good teacher will admit, is that not everybody is suited for college. Some students just don't have the smarts or the grades. That is not to say that they can't be successful in life without getting an education after high school that involves going to a fancy university.

Let's face it. A lot of this world is run by people who work with their hands. Think you're going to get through life without having a sink clog that's so bad that no amount of Liquid Plumber is going to get it out? It happens. Plus, pipes get old, rusty and fall apart. For these jobs we need plumbers. Try to imagine a life without one. Well, in case you didn't know, plumbers don't have to go to college. A good technical school specializing in things like plumbing and heating is all the education these people need. The schools specialize in just what they need to learn to get the job done. They don't have to take English Lit and Chemistry and there's no need for them to have to.

Having said that, if you want to be a doctor, well, college is pretty much the least of your worries because that is only a preview of the real work ahead of you, four years of medical school. Same thing if you're planning on being a lawyer. There's about three years of law school after that.

But what if you want to do something that's sort of in between technical and the college "professions?" For example, let's just say you want to work in a bank as a teller? Do you really need to go to college for that? Certainly everything you've needed to learn to do a job that simple has been learned in high school. So what is college going to do for you? Will it help you get the job any easier? Will it make the job itself any easier? This is where many people disagree.

The die hard college advocates argue that, because the competition is so fierce for even the simplest of jobs, not having a college education is the same as cursing yourself to a life of unemployment. The argument is that everyone goes to college today and not to go is plain suicide. Doesn't matter if you really need it or not. You just have to go in order to have any chance.

Those who aren't so gung ho college argue that there are kids that just don't belong there and to keep them from earning a living for another four years and on top of that add another $100,000 plus to their debt is just plain ridiculous. These kids should find jobs right away. Even by working in a shipping department, if you get in with a good company, you can work your way up to the point where you're making a nice living.

So who's right and who's wrong? Most likely, there is no right or wrong. Everybody is different and each student has to decide what is best for him or her.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Education