DEAR JOYCE: Your answer to the person who owed $100,000 in student loans and her husband $85,000 was good. However, you should have addressed the way they got into this problem in the first place. Those two students could have worked part-time while attending college or attended a less expensive college.

When I graduated from a local college I owed very little, because I worked all the time I was in college at a part-time job. My wife also worked. A friend took 10 years to get his accounting degree by attending night classes, but he did not owe any money for his education. Students today should think about repayment before they borrow a bone-crushing amount of money. -- J.K.B.

With these comments in mind, read the next letter from a seasoned professional:

DEAR JOYCE: In view of the current climate that young job seekers face, many are proceeding straight to graduate school, although the prevailing thought has always been that one must work for a few years after receiving his or her bachelor's degree before coming back to pursue an advanced degree. Reasons to consider heading directly toward graduate study:

-- You're in the learning mode. You're current on the culture of university life, time management, taking exams and cultivating relationships with professors.

-- You can better focus on your education while you have fewer distracting attachments. Without spouse, children or mortgage, you can fix your attention on developing and refining an advanced and crucial skill set to thrive in an ever-changing world.

-- You quickly tap into a powerful network. You can start now to diversify and expand your network exponentially with classmates and professors who together have a broad reach into the career field or function you seek.

-- You jump ahead by gaining access to invaluable internship experience. Good graduate programs recognize that quality internships have become a rite of passage from student to professional. Continued...