A wise choice. Since your profile reveals you to be a college student, I'm assuming you'd be in your late teens or early 20s. At that age, I don't see a problem with starting a 401(k) or Roth IRA and investing your contributions quite aggressively (that's how I'm doing it, and I'm 39).
Of course, the best route would be to consult a financial manager, but I suspect he'd agree with me for the most part. :-)
Interesting as this week I helped a co-worker figure out what the opportunity cost of the socialist mandated Social Security tax has been on him. Bottom line, if allowed to invest the employee and employer taxes, this ex-military, 58 year old, current Gov't Service man would have ~450k now to continue to invest and eventually live on. Best of all, if he chose to, he could pass some of the principle down to his sons. Instead he is looking at a marginal payback due to minimal rate of return, failed promises, and a probably shortened lifespan (stress, too many jumps). This program is immoral. At best it should be optional.