Damn you college

[StarF]

Alright so basically I'm not going to college right now. I went to a community college for a year last year and it sucked. I really didn't learn anything, there was no one of interest to interact with, and it was just generally boring as hell. So this year I really didn't want to go back, since it didn't seem like it was going to benefit me in any way. So I started searching for other colleges, and lucky me, I found the perfect one. McNally Smith Institute of Music. It's the perfect college for me, and I want to go there more than any other college, for sure.

Problem is, it's really expensive. It's nearly $40,000 a year I believe. I can't afford that at all, and I have no clue how I'm going to, especially if I'm gonna go there for two to four years.

So now summer is coming, which means I have to have everything planned out really soon. I have no money to go to college, if I don't go to college I'll probably get kicked out of my parents house (Though if I went to that college I'd most likely have to move out anyway to get closer to it, so whatever), and at this point it feels like the only real reason I want to go to college in general is because for my entire life all people have said is that this is "the next step."

So damn, I have no clue what to do.

[swan]

My advice is to think long and hard about what you want to do with your life (unless you've already done this), then decide based on whether or not college is necessary for that. College is not necessary for every job, but it is necessary for some. If there's something you're really passionate about don't let anything like money stand in your way, because it'll probably be something you regret later on in life.

However I know that money makes the world go round, so if you feel there's absolutely no way you can afford to go to your college (assuming that it is in fact necessary), make sure you find something you're equally passionate about. I can't tell you what to do, but if this is something you're really passionate about and doing whatever it is you do (I'm assuming it's music related) makes you happy then I suggest you go to that college using whatever means necessary, because happiness isn't something you can put a price on.

[katefosh]

Its the same with me. My school makes the idea of University seem like life or death. If we don't go then we'll fail at life.

I don't know how the college system works in America. But in the UK you can apply for funding from the government to pay for your tuition fees and you can also get a maintenance loan to cover your general 'day to day things' such as eating, buying books etc.

Can you get anything like this to help you with the cost? :S

[noobsensei]

Mar 9, 2010 15:24:38 GMT -5 StarF said:

Alright so basically I'm not going to college right now. I went to a community college for a year last year and it sucked. I really didn't learn anything, there was no one of interest to interact with, and it was just generally boring as hell. So this year I really didn't want to go back, since it didn't seem like it was going to benefit me in any way. So I started searching for other colleges, and lucky me, I found the perfect one. McNally Smith Institute of Music. It's the perfect college for me, and I want to go there more than any other college, for sure.

Problem is, it's really expensive. It's nearly $40,000 a year I believe. I can't afford that at all, and I have no clue how I'm going to, especially if I'm gonna go there for two to four years.

So now summer is coming, which means I have to have everything planned out really soon. I have no money to go to college, if I don't go to college I'll probably get kicked out of my parents house (Though if I went to that college I'd most likely have to move out anyway to get closer to it, so whatever), and at this point it feels like the only real reason I want to go to college in general is because for my entire life all people have said is that this is "the next step."

So damn, I have no clue what to do.

Have you applied for financial aid? Most colleges provide you with some grants, work-study, scholarships, and loans...and the interest rates on the loans are usually very reasonable.

If you absolutely can't afford it, I would suggest you suck it up and finish community college, or find a vocational school in something that interests you, or transfer to a 4-year state university. Everyone can afford those, no matter how financially strapped.

If your heart is set on this particular school, you might want to work for a few years and hold off on college. That will serve two purposes: It will allow you to save up some money that you can put toward your college expenses, and (if you move out of your parents' house and/or wait until you're 25) you won't have to report their income when you apply for financial aid, which means that you should qualify for a lot more free money.

[Keitaurin]

Mar 9, 2010 16:44:40 GMT -5 @katefosh said:

Its the same with me. My school makes the idea of University seem like life or death. If we don't go then we'll fail at life.

My High School did the exact same thing. Even as a freshman they told me and my classmates that I should start preparing for College. Not only that, but they made it seem like the only colleges we were capable were going to were Ivy League schools or state colleges.

I recently made the choice to transfer from my expensive private college in my home state to a public college in Minnesota that costs half as much.

Depending on your family financial situation, you could be eligible for a lot of government grants and what have you. You can also look online and find scholarships that can match your needs. You don't have to go for just the ones that have huge amounts: If you can get a bunch of smaller scholarships those can always help too. I would recommend visiting www.collegeboard.com to look for available grants and scholarships to suit your needs. My High School told us to use Fastwebs, but that website doesn't really give you anything decent.

It's hard, but you'll get there if you work at it. It's true that there are plenty of people out there that have been successful without a College degree as well, and who knows? Maybe you're one of those people as well. You'll never know until you figure out what you want to do and give it a try.