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[fightingknife]

Much to my parents delight, i have decided to go back to school.  My 5 year plan involves a career in Residence Life and Housing.  Now I've been looking through jobs, and none really specified what type of masters degree, but just that they want a Masters Degree.  I've shopped for graduate programs and the ones that seem to fit best with this career path would be ones based in Education or Student Affairs.  Both subjects are very interesting to me.  Here's the "problem", which really isn't a problem, more like a blessing.  I have an opportunity to go to a very nice, very prestigious and very local college for free.  That's right, a Masters Degree for free, however they do not offer a program in Student Affairs.  What they do offer is a degree in Counseling.  Here's my question.  If I go to this nice FREE school and graduate in a few years with a Counseling degree, a subject that I feel could benifit me in other jobs that I would possibly have over the next 50 some years, or should I got to a school with a degree more focused on what I want for my life now?  I don't don't think that's the question, cause I know the answer to that.  Here's the question: does it matter?

[margomcp]

No, it doesn't matter.  You can't control the future, you can only live now.  If it looks like you'd enjoy studying counseling now and have a free ride and could benefit from all that, go for it.  The world will be an entirely different place when you finish.  I was born in 1950 and graduated college (the first time :-) in 1972 and the world is a bit different now?  It doesn't just happen to our grandparents and parents, it is happening to us too.

[trentsands]

It seems to me that a counseling degree would serve you well in Residence Life but also allow you to venture into academic advising and college/university counseling services, for which you would need clinical certification.

[msingi]

      It  not what opportunities your degree will give you but what opportunities  can pursue with your degree that matters. So if you can get it for free,pursue it.

[bethafin]

It is two years of your life. My perspective on time investment for education (and the related career possibilities) was dramatically different at 22, 25, 30 and 35 years of age.

If you know what you want to do *now* go for it regardless of the cost. Work in the summers, get loans, life is too short to be doing anything that you are not absolutely in love with...

Opportunities to do other things will present themselves to you constantly. Choose wisely. Time is money.

Good luck!

[daurousseau]

Counseling is fine. It dovetails nicely with work in residence life. If you want make some money some day, though, it would help to pick up coursework in administrative skills.

[booking]

Seconding Dasserou, they probably just want someone with a Master's of any kind -- to show development, experience with academic issues, and a pursuit of higher learning. 
Counseling seems like a fine degree that would serve you well in other endeavors, should you choose that residence life isn't for you.
Consider taking other classes that dovetail with the mission and prepare you for a "generalist" future.
And for god's sake, take the free degree!