temperature question

I am about to embark on my first brew and I am a little concerned about the temperature that I plan on fermenting at. I live in an apartment and we keep the temperature on the thermostat at a pretty constant 72. I this too high for an ale to properly ferment. Everywhere that I have been reading has said that ale yeast should ferment between 60 and 70 degrees. Can anyone offer me any help on this problem?

Swamp cooler or extra bathtub with some frozen 2 liters! Good luck and don't give up!

Make a swamp cooler. Go to the big box home improvement store near you and buy a large plastic storage box. Mine is a 66qt Sterilite. Pour in 6 - 10 inches of water. Add the fermentation vessel at pitching temperature and a couple of 2 liter soda bottles of frozen water. Watch the temperature and add fresh frozen bottles as necessary to keep the temperatures in the low to mid sixties. It should only take one bottle a day, maybe one bottle twice a day in the summer.

72 F is 'OK' but not preferred. I would say you would be OK at that temperature if you got a swamp cooler. When filled with water, it acts as a big heat sink and prevents the fermenter temperature from climbing, and keeps it close to the temperature of the water.

Without a swamp cooler you will have lots of esters and probably lots of fusel alcohols (headaches).