So I jetted away to attend a graduation last weekend. Congrats to our l’il cousin who got herself a degree and is now on her way to a happy life. We have to encourage our young people to get degrees. I’ve often said that a college education, whilst not a panacea, can help us to both individually and collectively solve our problems. Basically a college degree gives you more options. More on this after the top 20.Improving to #1 is The Motto by Drake featuring L’il Wayne. Up at #2 is the hot dance track by Chris Brown and Rihanna — Turn Up The Music. Advancing to #3 is Take Care by Rihanna and Drake.International Love by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown, falls to #4. Slipping to #5 is Someone Like You by Adele. Sliding to #6 is Turn Me On by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj.Improving to #7 it’s Give Me All Your Luvin’ by Madonna featuring Nikki Minaj and MIA. Down to #8 is Rack City by Tyga, one of the hottest rap tracks around.Up to #9 is Glad You Came, by The Wanted. Improving to #10 is Starships by Nikki Minaj, a former essential new tune. Falling to #11 it’s Hangover by Taio Cruz featuring Florida. Tumbling to #12 is Dance (A$$) by Big Sean featuring Nicki Minaj.Making a huge jump to #13 this week is Boyfriend by Justin Bieber. The pairing with Usher is helping both careers. I guess Usher likes having a little mentee and Bieber definitely needs a mentor. See, even child prodigies need mentors; so why wouldn’t an average kid?Falling to #14 is a former essential new tune, Stronger by Kelly Clarkson. Falling to #15 is Good Feeling by Florida. Slipping to #16 is Ni**as in Paris by Jay Z featuring Kanye West.Slipping to #17 is We Found Love by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris. This track still rams dance floors. Up to #18 is Dance Again by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull.Now this week’s essential new tune. In at #19 it’s Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jespen. This song is so cute. It is quintessential pop music. Little girls love it. Little boys like it. Teenagers like it. Adults will sing along because its catchy and easy to follow and will remind us of being young. It has a solid deliberate beat; you can actually understand what she is singing and it kicks. Full marks. Hot song. Check it out. Your children are probably singing it right now.Tumbling to #20 is The One That Got Away by Katy Perry.Now back to this week’s topic the need to get more of us educated to at least a bachelor’s degree level. It is widely known that the better educated a people become, the better able they are to solve their own problems; crime tends to be lower in that society, there is less antisocial behaviour.I have to go back to an earlier statement and admit that a college education is not a panacea and will thus not solve all of our problems. However, it can help and if more people obtain college degrees I think we will be better off.There will still be frustration and there will still be people without jobs but I submit to you that your chances of getting a job are better if you have a degree than if you don’t.I value work experience just as much, and in some cases more, than a college degree. The problem is that every employer doesn’t think like me and most jobs today don’t allow the flexibility to override degree requirements.These days there are so many options for degrees. You can do them online, night school and even in this recession there are still scholarships.In many instances, even with work experience, you can’t even get into the conversation to tell the employer all the reasons why they should hire you without a degree. And as you go higher up the job food chain into senior management, you need even more credentials. I’m really sorry but it is what it is. Having a college degree quite simply just gives you more options.A college degree, and college or university experience, teaches people how to think and solve problems; skills needed in life. You don’t need to go to college to learn this, but a college education increases the likelihood that one will learn these skills.In college you also can gain the skills needed and the bug for entrepreneurship. I remember when I was in university I took courses in new venture creation and small business management. One of my criticisms of conventional education systems, including ours in Bermuda, is that it produces excellent employees but doesn’t adequately introduce or encourage business ownership and investment. The way to build real wealth is to work for yourself. It isn’t for everybody but we must expose everybody to it; so that those who have what it takes are presented with this option early on in their development, so that they don’t miss opportunities.We are all best advised to use our best efforts to get a college education. I remember during the 1980s I worked in the construction industry to pay my way through college. It can be done and I encourage other people to not give up on the hope of obtaining a college degree. It may take some sacrifices but I guarantee you that in the long run, you will be better off with a degree than without one.Stop making excuses and finding reasons why you cannot get a degree. Focus on reasons and ways by which you CAN go to college and obtain a college degree. Peace ... JLT.