Dear dumb guy: I’m trying to decide whether I should go to college directly after high school, or take a year off and travel. The university I’m thinking of applying to has a special program for physics students (my intended major), and I’ve already talked to the professor; as you might guess, he thinks I should sign up right away. But I feel like if I don’t travel now, I never will. What should I do? - Uncertain teen

Dear teen: College is a magical time. It represented the best seven years of my life – and I can always look at my associates degree with pride.

Try to be realistic about this: Physics is a dead-end track. There are no career options for physicists these days, because scientists just look stuff up on the internet. It’s all on computers now. What, did you think you’d get to wear a white coat and pour stuff into test tubes? Sadly, those halcyon days of American science are long gone. Like I said, computers.

So, in one word: Go traveling!