When is it okay to go to college full-time?

120, no.

Are you seriously asking that question here? Do yourself a solid favor and get your education so you are prepared for making a parnassah. Go and learn every single day also, just like my father,uncles, brothers, and sons all did and do.

If it affects your shidduchim to show that you are a responsible and productive member of society who is machshiv Torah every day, then I would ask myself if that is the right shidduch for me.

People are finally beginning to realize what the past generation has done to infantilize the present young generation. It has not been to our children’s benefit, in spite of what many people believe. We have a bunch of young adults who cannot for the long term, make it economically, and Mom and Pops’ gelt will eventually be running out for most of them. Not everyone owns successful businesses. So if they themselves are not properly prepared to earn a living, who is going to pay for THEIR children’s expenses, when THEY get married twenty years or so down the road and pooh pooh being educated? Bubby and Zaydie?

When is it okay to have a job full time? The answers should be the same. The only reason to go to college or university is to learn a trade or profession. If all you want is knowledge, read a book.

The question one might ask is when should one start to work full time (in the past many people would get married and then worry about supporting themselves, but I suspect than since the crash five years ago increasing numbers of young men are more concerned about finding parnassah than finding a wife – in part since jobs are scarce and unmarried frum girls aren’t).

College should be great for shidduchim. Theoretically, a girl should be looking for an educated boy who is knowledgeable in both Jewish and secular fields, so that they don’t make big fools of themselves once they’re married and don’t know what to do about anything.

How are you going to pay your household bills if you don’t know math?

Who will help the children with their homework? They won’t be learning basic addition and subtraction forever.

Why not find a shidduch in college?

A guy who goes to school and works as an accountant, PT, OT, Speech Therapist, PA (all popular fields for the frum community) while also going to minyan in the morning and learning mornings and evenings should, theoretically, be seen as a good shidduch.

I see having a profession as a machshir/means for a man to be yotzei his chiyuv (found in the ketuba) of providing for a wife. Ideally, if your work has a positive impact on the world and helps others, that’s wonderful, as well.

Having the mechutanim support you can cause shalom bayis problems. When the in-laws have control or any undue influence over any aspect of a marriage, that’s asking for trouble. OTOH, meeting people at university is often not possible, since many college-aged people aren’t seeking a shidduch, and the number of observant Jews at many colleges is limited. If one goes to a school with sizable observant population, then this could be a possibility.

Veltz- Because no eligible Jewish singles go to college. Right.

@WIY – http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/what-is-your-salary-1#post-492960

Here he is. 🙂

There are online colleges and online Jewish college(s), like Naaleh College. So you might not meet anyone marriageable, but if you’re self-conscious about going to a secular institution, it’s probably worthwhile to look into.

“The only reason to go to college or university is to learn a trade or profession.”

Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik strongly disagreed. They saw secular education as an *inherent* good.

That said, it isn’t for everyone. There are lots of challenges in and outside the classroom. One should consult with a good rav to determine when one is ready. Many gedolim have been university-educated — going all the way to some rishonim — but prior to the 20th century every single one had extensive Torah education prior to starting university. Today there are frum-friendly environments such as YU and Touro that support dual curriculum and they produce frum Jews with good secular knowledge as well as some outstanding talmidei chachamim.