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.

-- You make a smart financial investment. By going to school full-time now and earning your advanced degree, you will not have to quit work later to pursue your studies on a full- or part-time basis. By enrolling now and paying today's tuition rate while attending full-time, you won't need to forego income down the road combined with taking a higher-priced tuition hit at that time.

When you can extend your time in higher education in a way that is productive, adds valuable knowledge and results in a degree that will earn you a vital competitive distinction, choosing a direct path to graduate school is a viable option. This choice assumes you pursue this route for the right reasons, not merely to find shelter in a downturn. -- Greg Grauberger, Undergraduate Academic Services Director, University of Denver's Daniels College of Business.

Not stopping after graduation to visit the trenches of the workplace before charging ahead for advanced education is a radical idea. Or is it? I've always wondered why it's common to seamlessly transition from a bachelor's degree to law or medical school, for example, but not for other careers, such as business.

The only two reasons why delaying advanced study in any field makes sense to me are: (1) the possibility of landing a position with an educationally enlightened employer that pays the big bucks for graduate study, or (2) the need for "real world" experience and contemplation when a graduate hasn't a clue as to his or her career preference.

Otherwise, with a student-debt caveat, I agree with Greg Grauberger that moving right into advanced study after a bachelor's degree can be a good choice.

Consult with a college financial aid counselor to figure out what the cost of your graduate study will be and how you will pay for it. Check for a counselor locally, or visit Dr. Herm Davis' Web site, drhermdavis.com.