Trading places with the opposite sex …what’s the first thing you would do? – Forever 39 Podcast

Welcome to Forever 39, New Jersey 101.5's new podcast about living life as Gen Xers in New Jersey, hosted by Annette Petriccione, Megan Barsel and lots of our friends from the NJ 101.5 universe.

A college education ... is it worth the cost?

Does it pay to to get a college education? Is the cost worth it? Annette and Megan both graduated, but special guest Louis Hochman ended up leaving before he finished. Does Lou feel it has helped or hurt his career? Does this investment have a beneficial return?

Your answer on whether you think it's worth it or not, might just depend on your own experience and whether you're still struggling to pay those hefty loans. According to The College Board, it takes the average college student 12 years to recoup the cost of getting a bachelor's degree.

In New Jersey, the average yearly in-state tuition for the 2015-2016 academic year was $15,355, according to research by CollegeCalc. The site, which takes a look at the cost of  tuition at two-year and four-year colleges and universities in New Jersey, offers some startling numbers about the costs of college.

But here's information from 24/7 Wall St that puts the earning power of a college degree into perspective:

• Average salary in New Jersey for someone with a bachelor's degree - $60,575
• Average salary in New Jersey for someone with a graduate or professional degree - $81,156
• Average salary in New Jersey for someone with a high school degree - $41,251

So is it worth it or not?

The Opposite Sex — What's the first thing you would do?

Would you want to try things out as the opposite sex? If you had a minute, an hour, or even a day as a man or a woman, what's the first thing you would want to cross off your list?

Annette knows the first thing she would do as a man! Can we get some love for peeing while standing up! And Megan just wants to sleep in and not have such a packed list of to-dos!  Louis Hochman hangs with the girls and gives us a male's perspective. You might be surprised what he wants to do for the day as a woman!

Valentine's Day — Hallmark holiday or not?

Megan thinks it's one of the most wonderful days of the year! And even though many refer to it as a Hallmark holiday, Megan wants to know what's wrong with taking some time to tell those you love that ... well ... you do?

Regardless as to your thoughts on Valentine's Day, it's big business for retailers. According to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation, people will spend an average of $136.57 on flowers, greeting cards, candy and other gifts.

Whether you intend on showering your spouse with a little extra something or plan on hitting the town with your girls for a Galentine’s Day celebration, do you love “I Love You” day?

Join us for next week's podcast to discuss if there's a "right" age to get married, places to take a novice in New Jersey and why Americans aren't taking their vacations.

Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39