College Life

It pains me when people talk down about community colleges. See i fully understand that University life and dorming are what people would consider "the status quo". From Greek parties, to late nights on the promenade, and everything in between. See what people don't see however is the money that goes into all these things. You ask yourself unless your getting a full-ride or financial aid is paying for most of your school, are you really putting yourself in the proper situation to achieve in life?

There are people my age who are over 15-30 thousand dollars in debt, and don't even go to their schools anymore. Now I don't blame them for those decisions, but the lack of awareness that some called the best kept secret in the country, is that community colleges offer a flexibility that universities can't claim. At a typical 4 year school you have your major and then your core classes that you have take regardless of where you go. Now for about 15-18k less you can take those same classes at a CC, work and not have to pay for room and board. Now this might not be the route people want to take, but i'll lay the pros and cons.

The good side to this is that not only can you make more money but when you graduate from college your debt is either non-existent, or very little. You can use the money you make after school to eventually find your own place and afford other things that you most likely couldn't attain on your own away at school because the opportunities wouldn't be available to you. Another good side to the community college route is that we all get homesick, and no matter how much you dislike your parents, there are still other things you can cherish, your in a familiar area and the people who go there are generally helpful.

The bad side is that it may take you longer to achieve a degree and being in the same area that you grew up with around negative influences can often lead you offtrack on your goals. These factors coupled with the fact that you most often are still staying at home can often lead to you becoming dependent on your family and stalling your growth as adult by still becoming dependent on your family for financial support.

This story is more personal for me because I sat in those admissions offices and see the pain on my mother face when she has worked for 25 years and realize that through all that she couldn't afford to send me away to Rutgers for 4 years at 30k a year with no financial aid. The tears in the living room as she tried to find a way to give me a chance that her own mother couldn't afford because of the times she lived in. I'm sure my story isn't the only one, just remember that the next time you knock a person who attends a CC, they aren't there because they are stupid, or because they aren't motivated. Maybe because they cant afford the loans that are similar to modern day slavery which bind you to interest and loan repayments that leave you financial incapable to make any moves until your in your 30s. Think long term, the short term will pass sooner.