# Module 7 — The Roads In

> **App quest:** 🗺️ Map the Path (revisit)
> **Time:** 45 min · **Worksheet:** Decision Matrix

## The big idea

There is almost always more than one road into a career — and the famous one (a four-year degree at a brand-name school) is often not the cheapest or the smartest. This module makes you map *all* the roads before choosing.

## Why it matters

The "don't waste four years" promise of this course depends on knowing the alternatives:

- **Four-year degree** — required for some fields (doctor, engineer, nurse-BSN), optional for others.
- **Two-year / associate degree** — half the time and cost; a real on-ramp (e.g., ADN nursing) that can bridge to a bachelor's later.
- **Paid apprenticeship** — you get *paid to train* with little or no debt. The headline route for skilled trades like electrician.
- **Trade school / certificate** — short, focused, inexpensive (welding, coding bootcamps, many IT certs).
- **Self-taught + portfolio** — viable in fields that hire on demonstrated skill (design, software, content).

## The trap to avoid

Defaulting to the most expensive road *out of habit* when a cheaper one reaches the same destination. In the app, the electrician's mentor says it plainly: "I have zero student debt and own a house. My friends with degrees are still paying theirs off."

That doesn't mean skip college — it means *choose* the road, eyes open.

## Do this in the app

Re-open **🗺️ Map the Path** for your career and for at least one trade or two-year option. Compare the years, the cost, and the debt of each road side by side.

## Activity — start the Decision Matrix

For your top career, list every road in. Score each one (1–5) on: cost, time, debt, and how well it fits *you* (from Module 2). The highest total is your likely Plan A.

## Deliverable

A Decision Matrix with at least two roads scored for your top career.