In a world where the United States of America is on the leaderboard and vanguard of all world powers and issues, one must ask, how can we possibly rank 38th in education? In a country where primary education is free, resources are plentiful, and government programs that help with the costs of secondary education exist, there is absolutely no reason for the youth of the US to be so far behind. Education is a serious matter, a serious matter that deserves serious attention.

The fact is, people can take everything from you; your house, family, car, and even your life. They can't, however, take your education.

In a generation where job security and even safe retirement plans are a thing of the past, education is the most important issue. All other issues we will face will be controlled by the educated minds of this country. On average, a person with a Master's degree earns $31,900 more per year than a high school graduate. There are more benefits to education than just the much wanted salary increase. With education comes the ability to articulate oneself. Education is what allows us to make a difference in this world, to discover, and to approach problems analytically.

Also, the quality of jobs and careers a college graduate can jump into are far better. College graduates are more likely to get jobs with health insurance. The unemployment rate for college graduates was just 2.2 percent last year, half the unemployment level of those with only high school diplomas.

Hopefully, as this economic crisis continues, students will understand the importance of a strong education and go on to lead this country with conviction and knowledge. Remember, huge stones can be moved with muscle power, but it is brain power that tells you how to move it and what can be done with it.

Thinking of a career in web design? You're not alone. In fact, you'd be entering into a highly competitive field where established designers and design firms drive 80% or more of the total output. Why set yourself up for the headache of such a competitive field of employment? To put it simply, because turnover is high in the industry for good reason. Though it would seem they should be able to, employers aren't finding what they want so easily. Many designers are lacking in the one of the fundamental areas that distinguish a keeper from the thronging masses. And what, prey tell, are the criteria of which I speak?

For starters, most designers have the front end skills to furnish something aesthetically pleasing, but few have the vision to actually design that something. A little imagination goes a long way in the design world, and it's the main attribute most web designers are missing. A quality web designer has the skill to ask the right questions and intuitively come up with something that will strike the right chord with their employer. It may not be the final design, but it will contain elements that find their way into the finished product.

Second, far too many designers pride themselves on having little in the way of back end skills, as though it's a badge of honor. If aesthetics weren't limited by coding, navigation, search engine optimization and so many other factors that are important to websites, that wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, design and the aforementioned criteria are inexplicably intertwined. I'm not suggesting designers need to pick up a coding specialty and work within that context exclusively, just that having a modicum of knowledge regarding the requirements of implementing certain design elements or the effect of those elements on other important aspects of site development wouldn't hurt.

And finally, there's plenty of opportunity out there for designers who can set a reasonable rate and stick to it. Knowledgeable, skilled designers have little trouble finding work and their prices reflect it. They don't turn down work – employers turn them down because they're priced too high as a result of supply and demand. Only bad designers sit on the shelf for long periods at a time, and half of those attempt to price themselves out of work even if it will pad their portfolio. In short, a great designer undercutting the top firms will still realize a high margin of profit. If you can put out a consistently good product and not try to pay off a mortgage in a few months with just a handful of clients, your talents won't be sitting on the shelf either.