Life Changing Choice : Life Changing Choices

For some students, the question of what to do after high school may be a burden to even contemplate as it approaches quicker and quicker. The pressure to continue another four (or more) years of education after high school can be overwhelming considering twelve years of schooling has already been completed; why go right back to school again? When’s break time? Some people are simply just not ready for college and they know it, or at least until after they have had a long break or have had some time to recollect themselves. Technically speaking college isn’t for everyone, nor is it necessarily needed for a career. Luckily today, there are many other options that potential career seeking beings can get a head start on such as community colleges and trade/vocational schools. These alternatives to a four year college are considered to be a good start on a job (and maybe even a career). The best benefits of these alternatives involve the cost of attending, the student environment, and the degrees offered.

To many high school students, college seems like a far away land, a mysterious place where everyone wants to be yet not many know how to get there. As children, our parents tell us how much time we have to think about college, and that it is too far down the line to think about. The truth is it is never too early to think about your future. I, like many people, put little thought into my future career and now am lost in an unfortunate mix of indecision and anxiety. Not knowing where you want to be in the future is a hard burden to bear. Many of us tend to find out that we only know what we do not want, not what we actually do want. Do we want to be poor? Absolutely not. Do we want a boring job? Of course we don’t. We all want our

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average undergraduate student in 2007-08 they got up to $12,740 for financial aid and for grants they got $7,110 (NCES). Colleges do give out a great number of financial aid and grants yet the cost of college is still crazy expensive. Some people can't afford college even with the financial aid and grants given to them. While students can take out loans they still have to pay them off with interest added in which can add up quickly. Universities make paying for college a little easier on students by giving out grants and aid, but most of the times the money they give students won't even put a dent into how much students still have to pay.

All throughout school, students are ask what we want to be when we grow up. Many of us know or have a pretty good idea, but others have no clue what they want to pursue as a career in life, whether it be furthering their education at a university or attending a technical school. There are other students that plan to start work right out of high school. Either way we all have a plan, and the purpose of this paper is to inform you of mine. I personally struggle in making big decisions like deciding what to do with my life, but then I realized I have been asking myself the wrong questions. Instead of asking what I want to be when I grow up, I asked myself what do I want out of life? what are some of my goals that I wish to achieve? This led

Students attending private universities pay an average tuition of $35,374. Those who attend a community college for the first two year of their education save $8,000 or more. Since most of the same financial aid including Pell grants and Stafford loans is available for any institution choice, students in the lowest income brackets can expect a larger financial aid refund from a community college than a university. Those who need a university education to meet their career goals may be able to attend a community college part time while they work and save up. Then, when they transfer to a university for their final two years, they may have saved enough that with financial aid, they can pursue their four-year degree.

As a senior in high school the time has come when people begin to ask big and sometimes overwhelming questions like, “Where are you going to college?” and “What will be your major?” These questions, of course, lead to college visits and decisions. The two colleges that seem to meet my criteria are The University of Findlay and Ohio Dominican University. Both colleges have positive aspects, such as having the major that I am interested in as well as being close to family.  However, The University of Findlay seems to be a better fit than Ohio Dominican because it is closer to home and I am familiar with the campus and I grew up on this campus.

When people hear the word “college”, many panic inside at the thought. But, when I hear the word “college” I think about Illinois State University. In early July, I attended an Open House at ISU for my very first official college visit. As I stepped onto campus, I couldn’t but help to feel like it was my future home. Many aspects of the tour made me draw nearer to choosing this college after finishing my High School career. Illinois State University seems to fit my personality very well, has an amazing program for what I want to study, and is an outstanding campus for my academic strengths and weaknesses.

In today’s extremely competitive, job-scarce economy, having a college degree is now a steadfast requirement when applying to even entry-level professional jobs. Choosing a college has always been a challenging task for high school seniors, but it is now fraught with stress and anxiety for nearly every adult who seeks to further their education. Questions abound: what school offers the exact program I desire? What school is in the best location, or has the best campus? What school feels ‘right’?

Whether a student is looking to stay in-state or move out, the cost is still very high. According to College Board, expenses, on average, to attend a 4-year university add up to around $9,000 a year for in-state residents. Triple this amount and non-residents must pay that. Private school expenses tend to add up to around $35,000 a year (College Costs). During the 1995-1996 academic years, 66% of four year students in public institutions received some form of financial aid (Losco). Although the financial aid sounds like a good plan at the time, it causes the ones who take aid to being their adulthood in a large amount of debt. Even though there are a number of scholarships and financial aid programs available, each student must qualify and meet certain requirements that are not always met.

Private universities do not receive state funding, so they rely on the tuition of students and the private donations to fund the school, so they tend to be higher in costs than a public college. At a Private college, in 2016, the average cost to attend for the school year would set you back about $33,480; that would be $16,740 for each semester and that would also depend on the major you choose. Whereas, at a public university, they receive state tuition so that helps the students who have a lower income. At a public university, the in state tuition would only cost you an average of $9,650, and the out of state is still less at a whopping $24,930 a year. Paying for college can be a stressful time, but you can receive grants and scholarships to help make the time a little less

Statistics show that after high school, many graduates tend to end their education. Many people do not choose to continue their education and attend college. My goal is to not be a part of this statistic. After I graduate from Wayne Early Middle College High School with my high school diploma and my two-year Associate in Science degree, I hope to transfer to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. According to newly released facts by the Business Journal, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington was ranked as one of the top 50 business schools in the nation. This influences my desire to attend even more as I plan to major in business administration.

For the graduating high school senior each year there can be tough choices made about when and where to start college. Some have to decide if continuing their education even makes financial sense. There are many obstacles that a graduating senior must consider when making these decisions. Probably, the most difficult decision is where the funding for the continuing education will be coming from. For some, it does not make financial sense to even continue on with their education. Others face even more uncertain decisions about when to apply to a college and which college to attend. Once the decision to attend has been made, there are varying degrees of completion among the students who decide to attend. Student success depends on their support structure which can consist of family and friends to other outside resources. One can see that this time period, in a high school senior’s life, can be a perplexing and anxiety producing time.

Many high school students succeed with a little leniency through their four years. The transfer from high school to college becomes overwhelming and a struggle for some. For students do not comprehend the importance of changing more than their location during the transition. A student must be psychologically, physically, and emotionally mature to pursue college and not venture into a point of no return. Dropping out of college makes the outlook of the conversion difficult to acquire. Individuals should take their time on deciding which college and/or university is the best match for them. There are various reasons that cause persons not to prosper. Issues that individuals may come upon might leave a lifelong scar. Matters such as these

Considering the pros and cons of the overall cost of attendance, courses offered and all around atmosphere are important for high school juniors and seniors when trying to decide on which type of post secondary schooling to attend after they graduate. The choice is never easy, but looking into each and every one of the factors that a two year or four year college have can help narrow down a student’s idea of the place that is best suited for

Around the end of my sophomore year, I see myself narrowing down a career choice. After taking many different courses during previous years here at Bryant, I see that I finally figure out my purpose and I am confident with my specific decision. As this realization hits, I see myself getting into and working hard in graduate school in order to further my studies before entering the work force.