It's not too late to rethink a college, career path

It’s true that money can’t buy happiness, but it’s certainly a factor when it comes to staving off misery.

This can be a critical time of year for recent high school graduates making final decisions that could affect them for the rest of their lives.

It’s true you’ll do your best work when it’s something you believe in and enjoy, but unless that work provides enough income to support the lifestyle you want, you’ll have trouble enjoying it.

The opposite is true, of course; if you’re making plenty of money at a job you don’t like or believe in, you’ll have trouble enjoying the lifestyle your job provides.

According to a new survey by Payscale.com, about two thirds of us have misgivings about our college degrees, especially if we’re saddled with a lot of student loan debt.

For about 27%, the money they were forced to pay to go to college was enough to make them regret pursuing higher education.

About 12% of us regret our college degree in part because of the low earning potential of several popular fields of study.

That includes 75% of all humnaties graduates, 73% in social sciences, 68% in math and 66% of business gratuates.

Sadly, a number of senior citizens said they would rely on Social Security benefits to finish paying off student loan debts, some $86 billion in all.

Fortunately, there is plenty of information readily available about potential income for various fields of study, and anyone pondering their future would do well to invest a few hours researching potential careers instead of playing games or posting selfies on social media.

A little preparation and honest self-appraisal can help achieve the balance one needs for a happy, fulfilling life.