It doesn't take long before we figure out that if we want to live free of abject poverty, we will have to earn some money.

Many of us came to college to find something that will provide us with that money, without fear of ending up in jail. More specifically, we're here because we want a decent job.

Of course, you don't really need to go to college to get a job; many types of vocations require no formal education. There is always the alternative of a lifetime behind the counters at McDonald's.

But for those of us who chose college, the alternatives were scary enough to convince us that enduring at least four more years of school was worth the effort.

Here at college, we are assured our endeavors will help us find not just a job, but a job that pays well. Having a high-income job is the most painless way to obtain large amounts of money without resorting to illegal activities.

And if the job pays well enough, you can call it a career. Social pressures tell us we want to build a resume so impressive we can land a job that that can be termed a career -- the type of job that is acceptable to announce at a cocktail party.

Only certain types of jobs are so revered that we call them careers.

When asked what you do for a living, people generally frown if you respond, "Why, I'm so glad you asked. Right now I plan to seek long-term employment as an unskilled laborer."

Once you have chosen a career, you can be assured of having something to occupy your time for years to come. Few people think of it, but one of the most scary aspects of unemployment is having nothing in particular to do all day. There are only so many episodes of Hogan's Heroes a person can watch before they are declared legally insane.

One of the best parts about picking a career is you can pick one that interests you. If you give the matter enough thought, you can end up doing exactly what you enjoy and get paid for it.

What I don't understand is why, after going to all the trouble of receiving a degree, so many people end up with a job they can't stand. The most surprising part about it is that throughout four years of college they knew that the daily tasks involved in a particular job drove them crazy, but they picked it anyway.

A friend of mine has always been incredibly ambitious. When people asked her about her plans after high school she always responded sweetly, "Well, after I buy out Donald Trump, I'll probably take off for a few years to travel."

By the time she graduates from college, that may be a lot easier than any of us ever expected. But anyway, she decided a business degree would be the best way to achieve the wealthy status of which she always dreamed.

Unfortunately for Pam, she finds business classes incredibly dull. Ever since she started taking the required courses involved in that major, she's sported perfectly manicured nails because filing them was more interesting than anything the professor discussed.

She's doing well in her classes, because she finds the work very easy, but she isn't enjoying herself at all. Pam already knows she will hate her job and doubts that she can ever like working in her field.

But she won't change her major. She's determined that the only way to wealth is through the world of business, which she finds entirely boring. If the work is so easy for her, at least she'll be guaranteed success.

But what's the point? How can anyone be successful at a job that they don't enjoy? It is almost impossible to distinguish yourself in any career, when you have to compete against people who do enjoy what they're doing.

A friend of mine who is taking up elementary education as a career shares this point of view. Throughout high school he had to cope with ridicule from future business majors who told him,"Get a real job."

But Mike's happier now than most of us. He loves working with kids and he enjoys the classes he's taking. Every letter I get from him is filled with stories about how happy he is in school.

He already knows he doesn't have much chance of being a great financial success, but he doesn't really care. Of all of my close friends from high school, he's probably going to be the best at what he does.

If you end up with less then that, you probably would have done better if you had spent all of your time training at McDonald's.