College or Trade School?

I have three and a half years to decide, so no hurry, but just looking around at opportunities that #high-school graduates are taking here in the US, It sure doesn't look as if #college is worth all the money and time, unless you just want to be a "professional student" and take multiple degrees and never actually #work at all. And it costs a bazillion dollars a year, all in loans, so when you graduate you're trapped in debt. Maybe the only #jobs you need college for don't pay very well anyway, except doctors and lawyers I guess. Or politicians, who somehow make millions even though their salaries aren't enough to do that.

I'm inclined to go to #trade-school and just go to work without all that debt, with a skill that people need and will pay for, like computer stuff or someone to fix their flying car (we were supposed to have those by the year 2020, right?). Plumbers, electricians, technicians, X-ray techs and dental hygienists will always be needed. Barbers, train engineers, pilots, nurses, plant operators, all kinds of high-paying skilled jobs that don't require a bazillion dollars to learn and don't leave you steeped in debt sure sounds more appealing, even though college sounds like it could be fun. Who is to say I couldn't go to college part-time after working in a trade during the day? But paying my own way, like my parents did.

How do I decide?

I mean besides the "follow your passions" advice that everyone offers like a standard response to a greeting. I have passions about lots of things I guess, and some things I do for fun could also become my line of work! So I totally get the "follow your passion" advice, I just don't know how to choose. So I'll ask this question of my new #adult friends in the Fediverse:

Did it work for you? Are your dreams coming true for career and life?

Thanks for hopefully a lot of answers,
𝓡𝓸𝓫𝓫𝓲𝓮