Everyone complains about inflation. But if your pay is actually keeping up with inflation then inflation isn't a problem. Don't hold cash. Don't keep your wealth in a checking account. Buy stocks, bonds, real estate, gold, classic cars, guns, art, bitcoin, whatever you want. Just don't leave it in cash.
Keep 3 months of living expenses in cash max.
And college is actually a scam. Not in regards to what it provides but rather its price. So many friends of mine went into 6 figure debt for degrees from not very well known but expensive bougie colleges. I grew up poor so I took a bunch of clep tests and got a BA CS degree from an accredited online school for 10k total. The current system in the USA with the literally unescapable student loans that follow people who made a financially unwise decision when they were 18 is truly one of the most predatory systems in the world today. At least most Casinos require you to be 21 before entering.