Different Ways You Can Survive College
As a 41 year old currently in the process of wrapping up their Bachelors Degree program
in the next 8 months, I feel that I have a lot of good advice to offer the beginning College Student. The first thing you need to think about is what you want to major in. However if you can't come to a definitive solution right away I wouldn't worry about it too much. You can just start taking General Education classes until you decide what you will be majoring in.
Keep in mind that College isn't Trade School per se. While you're in College you are supposed to get educated in a wide variety of subjects as well as taking about 12 courses that are concentrated around your field of study. There are many great things you can study while you're attending school. You can become anything you want to be from an Architect to an Accountant. But whatever dreams you want to pursue just keep in mind that it will take some time and determination to get you there.
Although College typically takes 4 years to complete, unlikeVocational Technical Schools assuming you attend full-time, there are a few fully accredited schools out there that will allow you to complete one class per month. This educational alternative is better for students who like to focus on taking just one class at a time. You'll actually be studying just as hard. However the difference is you won't flip flop between classes like the traditional method of going to school.
Before you enroll in any courses officially, you should set aside some time to speak to an academic advisor. They will make sure that you meet all your general education as well as graduation requirements. And since you will need a certain amount of electives to graduate anyway, make sure you take these based around subjects you can apply and earn money with in the real world. When I attended College 16 years ago they didn't require a foreign language to graduate but now they do. Learning Spanish these days will help you in just about any job you undertake after you graduate. Almost all industries deal with Spanish speaking people in one way or another so knowing the language will only help.
One thing you will need to think about is how you will end up paying for your education. If you're not on some type of full scholarship or your parents haven't socked away $50,000 or more for your education, there's no need to worry. There are more opportunities for anyone in this country to graduate from college than there was before, even in spite of the current economy. You can start out at Community College to fulfill all your GE requirements. But it's best to speak with a school counselor while you are there so that you end up mixing all your GE courses with courses that will help prepare you for your major when you transfer to a 4 year university.
All of this might sound tough but don't worry, it's not hard at all. In fact academic advisors are highly trained to guide you through the entire process, but it's important that you take them seriously and actually listen to them. Now lets go back to how you will be paying for college. If you get your Associates Degree from Community College you will automatically cut down your tuitiohn fees by 50%. This cost is very substantial to middle class families. So the question now is how do you pay for your last 2 years of school?
One of the things you can do is speak with the Financial Aid Advisor at the University you are attending and they will be happy to discuss all your options with you. Just because you don't have enough money to pay for your classes up front doesn't mean you won't be able to attend. Consider a part-time job while you finish school to put some spare change in your pocket. Then look at various college grants like the Pell Grant or the Cal Grant if you live in California. Also have you considered joining the armed services? The new military GI Bill should easily pay for your 3rd and 4th years of college. And when all else fails, just get a Federal Student Loan like the Stafford Loan.
Make sure what you are majoring in as you attend college can be applied in the real world. In other words make sure you get a degree that will get you a decent job when you graduate. You have to be especially aware of this when you get a student loan student loans need to be paid back. I'm getting a degree in psychology and live near San Diego, so finding a job as a Mental Health Worker shouldn't be overly difficult. But a degree in basket weaving might not do you much justice in getting a decent paying job when you graduate. Keep all this info in mind when applying for Federal Student Loans.
Student Loans are cool because there is a 6 month grace period after you graduate before you are required to start paying the loan back. Also these loans are low interest loans, and are used to stimulate the economy since college graduates are out there bringing value to the market place on a daily basis. Finally the fact that these loans are spread out over 10 years provides a major convenience to the student.
I really didn't have anyone sit down with me when I was younger and tell me how important a college education was. I'm finishing my last 10 classes on subsidized and unsubsidized student loans because I finally woke up and realized that my life could end up becoming extremely miserable unless I finished my college degree. So my advice to you is just get it done, and don't let some lame(s) talk you out of your dreams. Yes you will have to make certain sacrifices, but they might not be as burdensome as you may think. And yes you might have to pay back some student debt, but once you graduate you'll have a good job and be able to do this.
Different Ways You Can Survive College
By: Brian Garvin & Jeff West
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