<prompt> Human: Hi! I am a computer technology enthusiast. Id like to do it for a career, but with only ten thousand dollars in a college fund, I dont think its feasible or a good idea to go to college, not right now at least. Im not a top student so I wouldnt be getting many or any scholarships, so Id be paying all of it - 10,000.My mother thinks that I need to go to college, and Id be perfectly okay with that if I could afford it fully, without having to go into debt, potentially for the rest of my life, depending on the type of school I go to. Now Ive heard a lot of people talk about how college is helpful but not necessary these days, especially in the tech field. I could be completely wrong about this, I dont know. All I know is a lot of people expressed that they dont think its necessary anymore.Is it true? Do I need to go to college, to do computer based work? Id like to go into IT, and I dont exactly know how is the choosing process goes when it comes to if someone has schooling or not.So, is it a good idea to go to college with no scholarships and 10,000 able to be spent on it, to get a degree? I plan to use the 10,000 regardless if it only means getting some classes in, that I could potentially put on a resume, and just get the skills that I would need, not getting a degree or certificate.Thanks for any help you can give!  <response>: Senior Systems Administrator here. Ultimately your ability to be successful in an IT job is your ability to execute. Meaning, do you know your stuff? When you dont can you find the materials and information to learn on your own and figure it out? IT means constantly learning. You cant stop. If you do technology will leave you behind. Its one of the things I enjoy about the profession.Because we in IT are ultimately judged on how we perform, it means that you can get in the door and even advance in many organizations without academic degrees or industrial certifications. However, many times you need those things to even get in the door through HR to get in front of technical people that can recognize your skills and knowledge. So the certifications especially when you dont have much experience are helpful. Next, the question of college. College if you do it right does two things for you: It puts some information in your head It teaches you how to learn. this is extremely important as stated beforeAdditionally there is a glass ceiling in IT if you dont have a degree any degree. As you advance through your career you will find the number of employers that require a degree for higher responsibilitypaying careers will increase and the number of places you can go without a degree drops off significantly.I went to a trade school for a technical education during high school but didnt get my Associates degree until a decade later. The Associates degree from my highly rated Community College was just under a total of 11k in tuition. It was very worth it.My question to you is: What are your IT skills currently? Could you get a Help Desk job today with what you know? Have you done IT work professionally yet? Even if its something youre good at you may find you dont like it in the working world. Its better to find that out now that spending years in school earning a degree for a profession you hate. Get a technology job now. Go to school at the same time. When you graduate youll have the magical trifecta of IT success: Degree Certifications Experience 