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I'd add another point, not for all prospective students but a good percentage: Prepare to be drowning in student debt until you're 40. If that's unappealing, look at other possible career options.
I'd add another point, not for all prospective students but a good percentage: Prepare to be drowning in student debt until you're 40. If that's unappealing, look at other possible career options.
A grim truth.......yes, some will be paying off debt for a long time.
In short, the concept of further education is investing in YOU.
No matter what happens to you in life, you still have that knowledge to draw upon.
I don't want to get too specific but my most successful friend (in every way) had two degrees that she parlayed into three careers. She worked for everything she had and was what men call "A Perfect Ten" in every way, beautiful inside and out.
I'd add another point, not for all prospective students but a good percentage: Prepare to be drowning in student debt until you're 40. If that's unappealing, look at other possible career options.
There are ways to reduce your debt burden. The biggest would be living at home and going to whatever college is nearby, whether that's your local state branch or a community college. Even at current outrageous prices, if you lived at home with parents and worked a job that paid decently like server where you make tips, you could probably self-fund college that way.
But that doesn't take into account opportunity costs. There IS value to being away from home and networking with people from out of your area. The literal education is not everything. As Will Hunting put it, you can learn the stuff from Harvard classes at your public library. They put their syllabi online. The books are not where Harvard's value lies.
There are ways to reduce your debt burden. The biggest would be living at home and going to whatever college is nearby, whether that's your local state branch or a community college. Even at current outrageous prices, if you lived at home with parents and worked a job that paid decently like server where you make tips, you could probably self-fund college that way.
But that doesn't take into account opportunity costs. There IS value to being away from home and networking with people from out of your area. The literal education is not everything. As Will Hunting put it, you can learn the stuff from Harvard classes at your public library. They put their syllabi online. The books are not where Harvard's value lies.
In rural locations living at home is often not realistic. The nearest university could be hours away. The second paragraph is spot on.
Depending on whose data you reference, anywhere from 30-50% of college students never graduate. Staying the course to get your degree (although I know that sometimes life gets in the way) is important. Working a minimum wage job and dealing with crushing student debt is the worst of both worlds.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NDak15
In rural locations living at home is often not realistic. The nearest university could be hours away. .
All rural kids I know who are college bound, are very capable, resourceful, and driven and do quite well managing their college housing and tuition expenses. (You can rent rooms for $300 / month with other students or in private homes, with kitchen privileges). Many have been preparing for this expense for 10 yrs, raising and selling livestock or other business ventures. Such as this 15 yo gal... $440,000 proceeds from a market steer (only one of many yrs she's done this).
The 15-year-old exhibitor lives in Canyon, Texas, and is a member of Randall County 4-H. She is currently a freshman at Wildorado ISD and will be working this year as a marketing director for Wildorado Cattle Company. In an introduction on the company’s Facebook post, Wampler said she has a “passion for the cattle industry as a whole” and plans to use that passion to better the company.
Wampler also says she plans to use the money earned to attend Texas A&M and pursue a degree in animal science, and later veterinary school. The Fort Worth Stock Show is unique in that all of the proceeds raised through the auction go to support the selling youth.
Most kids make $3000-$5000 / yr on each 4H sale (from age 8-18), but if they do multiple animals they can rake in $20k pretty easily, + they will have their own market livestock at home that is part of their farm compensation, since age 8-10.
A college friend in NM drives to college from the family farm in AZ (6hrs), he lives in a mobile home near campus (as I did), Benefit is that he does not need a J-o-b, as he is continuing his pig breeding operation he started in Jr High. He hires employees so only has to drive home 1-2x / month.
Or... just as my mom did ages ago... rode her horse to town every week for HS and had a job as the nightshift switchboard operator (came with a bed!). For college, she roomed in a boarding house, and worked in a bank doing night auditing.
Tips for College Be creative, enjoy the journey (and vacation); life will likely never be easier or more fun than college age. Watch out for people giving BAD advice and extravagant costs. YOU decide on your budget and lifestyle, and do what it takes to afford and enjoy it. (and be successful at completing college)
Had a great time interviewing and discussing with students at Berea, KY...
Berea is the only one of America's top colleges that awards every enrolled student a no-tuition promise. No student pays for tuition.
They were all working to support their living expenses, most in college related business ventures.
1) Be intrinsically motivated. Go because you want to. Not just because friends/family/society expect you to.
2) Know what you want to do, or at least narrow it down. For some, this may mean taking a gap year to figure it out.
Agreed, but you could stop right there; those who plan to enroll in college will not be in CD looking for permission from online strangers, many who have clearly made the choice not to attend college themselves. In other words, you’re contradicting yourself i.e. telling folks to be intrinsically motivated or know what they want to do while simultaneously giving instruction as to what they should/shouldn’t do.
They don’t know you from Adam; why would they be motivated to follow your list, particularly if they haven’t listened to or discussed such with counselors, family, friends (or researched it online/elsewhere) on their own.
Had a great time interviewing and discussing with students at Berea, KY...
Berea is the only one of America's top colleges that awards every enrolled student a no-tuition promise. No student pays for tuition.
Yea... not quite. Not only is Berea not a national top school, it's certainly not the only college that awards every student a no-tuition promise. Cooper Union ranks much higher and provides free tuition to all students.
Last edited by Oldgorilla; 03-21-2023 at 01:27 AM..
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