As many of you know, I went to Ole Miss for 3 1/2 years in pursuit of a computer science degree, which then changed to a journalism degree. After making the switch and seeing how far behind I was, how much money I already owed in student loans and the fact that I had no plans to actually use the degree, I threw in the towel. I caught a lot of flack for “dropping out”, but that’s fine, it was a choice I made and I am still happy with my decision.
Having said that, I’d like to offer up some suggestions before you head off to college and become normal (aka take on a lot of student loan debt). Consider some of the following advice and options:
Is school right for me?
For me, school wasn’t the right choice. Don’t get me wrong, I think education is very important, but it is not necessary to be successful in life. We still live in a world where “who” you know is often more important than “what” you know. Ask around to friends in the field you are interested in. Odds are, they may know of an opening or position that you wouldn’t otherwise find.
Stockpile money and apply for scholarships / grants.
If you decide that college is something you want to do, there are several steps you can take in preparation. If you have some time before you plan to start, you can begin stockpiling cash now. Work extra hours, pick up a second job, do whatever you can to get some extra bucks coming in.
In the meantime, apply for as many scholarships / grants as you can. Even if you don’t think you will receive it, try try try. The same goes for essay contests and such. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend a few months applying to as many of these essays as you physically can. You won’t get all of them, or even most, but the few that you might get can help a lot.
Research and know exactly what you want to do.
Go into your college career with a firm stance on exactly what it is you want to study. The more you change majors, the more money you will spend and the more time you will waste. You will end up taking classes, only to find out that they don’t count towards your new major. Do as much research as you can - meet with counselors, talk with instructors and even students to get an idea of what the program is really like and if it is exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life.
Consider community / junior college.
Pedigree isn’t what it use to be. Companies don’t care nearly as much these days if you went to a fancy, expensive college or a community college, just as long as you have a degree. That means, there really aren’t too many reasons that you should spend bookoos of money at a private or out-of-state school when you can get the same degree for a lot cheaper (granted, the school offers the same degree).
Work during school.
While you are attending classes, keep in mind that you can still work a part time job to help support you living expenses and / or your tuition. There are many people that work and attend classes, so there is no real excuse why you can’t do the same. Sure, you will be busting your tail with classes and work, but in the long run, it will be worth it to not have any student loan debt!
Just remember…
Take it from me, student loan debt is not something you want. Even with government assistance, I still managed to rack up over $22,000 in debt in under four years.
It’s so easy to go to college, take out a ton of student loans with the mindset that you can easily pay them off once you graduate. Welcome to the real world, where things don’t alway work out as you planned. You may not be able to find a job in your field right after graduation If that is the case, you will need to either defer the loans for find another stream of income to pay on them… not to mention the fact you will have a ton of debt and the interest will pile up quick!
Are you planning to go to college, or have you already been there, done that? Did you take out any student loans? Regret it? Do you even use your degree now? I’m curious to see what some of you have to say on this subject…
