Heading off to college is a near-universal rite of passage in cultures around the world. It marks a young person's coming of age as he or she reaches the cusp of adulthood. A time of excitement and self-discovery, college provides you with a chance to test your wings, push your limits and find out where you want to go in life.
Thus, where to go to college and what to take are major decisions. With tuition rates continuing to rise in both public and private universities, it is very important that you find a school that offers the right balance of affordability, location and quality education.
Some career paths are very direct; if you want to be a doctor, for example, you will begin with pre-med studies in college, write your MCAT exam and head off to medical school. However, some aren't nearly so clear-cut, so if the career to which you aspire doesn't necessarily have a cut-and-dry educational path to follow, think about studying a generally related topic or pursuing an education in a field you find engaging and interesting.
In other words, if you want to work in finance but aren't sure of the exact capacity, a general college education in economics or business administration will provide you with an excellent set of tools. On the other hand, if you aren't sure what you want to become, a good rule of thumb is to wait until you have a clearer path, or simply pursue a subject for the sake of interest rather than because you think it will lead to better job prospects.
Once you have narrowed down your list of potential majors, research schools around the country and around the world that are known for providing quality education in that field. As a general rule, the more exclusive a college's admissions policies, the better its reputation (and, usually, the more expensive it is to attend).