9781422274903

While a summer job was a great way to begin to learn about the agriculture industry, James decided to go to college for many reasons. “My parents offered to pay my college tuition, so I wouldn’t have had too much debt [money that is loaned to someone and that must be paid back] to worry about afterward.” Although James was lucky, student debt is an issue that affects many college graduates. The Wall Street Journal reports that students who graduated from college with debt had average debt of $37,712. This much debt takes more than ten years to pay off! “When I was in high school,” James says, “a lot of my friends were going to college. I wanted to go too, but for many of the wrong reasons. I wanted the college lifestyle, but I wasn’t all that interested in going to classes. Don’t get me wrong. I like learning, but educationwasn’t a priority for me. The kind of learning that I like is being able to see what you are talking about firsthand. There is a big difference between being told how something works in a classroom and seeing something work on a farm. If you pay attention, experience can be one of the best educations you can get.” James is right. No matter A farmer tends his crops.

what career you want to pursue, firsthand experience in a job can be one of the most important factors for an employer deciding whether or not to hire you. Depending on what career you choose, expe- rience can be more important

Your Future Career 11