If You Go to College Please Be Smart About It

I went to college for 3 years and part-time for another year. I had a free year of college due to my PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Option) years. I didn’ t know of any other way to reach my goals at the point of enrollment. Plus I know that my degree can never be taken away from me. College was an investment for me, and I accepted the consequences, good and bad.

I went three years of private school, and a year of community college. They are very different. One is the lowest cost college, the other the highest. I made my decision this way so I could do the most with my money, while having the best return on investment (read: experience, and outcome). Neither experience was perfect either mind you.

My decision making started when I first learned of PSEO and decided to apply to the private schools, as any option was free to me, and I might as well go to the better valued, and closer, private school, Bethel. It was a great, relatively easy decision, especially after I decided I wanted an on campus, and have the part-time college experience, and they had the degree I was thinking about.

Later that year I had to decide if I would stay at Bethel for the next three years or not and whether I would live on campus. Neither seemed financially sound for me, and I realized I could stay out of dept for a year with almost the same long term results by going to community college for a year, while making sure I graduated. This was hard tough and I earned 20 credits in a single semester to graduate. Honestly I was miserable that year as far as my education experience went, I got what I paid for, a degree, nothing more (read: no social life on campus, or chapel services), and nothing less (read: I received the classes I paid for and the degree I subsequently earned).

Later that year, I had to decide where to go for earning the rest of my bachelor’s degree. I was was between Metropolitan State University, the cheapest 4 year state school, or Bethel the school that I already had friends at, and provided things like study abroad opportunities, not to mention a Christian environment. It came down to these two options because I didn’t want to move away, and the University of Minnesota cost more than Metro State, where I didn’t know hardly anyone, where I knew it was a much larger school, and provided a secular environment. I decided on Bethel, provided, I would make it to a certain threshold of scholarships, that I didn’t have to pay back, and enough general aid, that I could pay for what I could through student jobs during the next two years. We got the aid letter, I had made the cutoff I set, I signed on the line, and was very excited to go back to Bethel that fall.

But I, now hear this loud and clear, made all the education decisions leading up to this point. I knew I was taking on a little debt, and I knew that I would thoroughly enjoy the next two years and learn a lot. 

The whole time I was in school I commuted, that is, I never lived on campus, and never had a meal plan, this made my living expenses far cheaper. Although I lived close to my chosen university, everyone has a local university, and even if you don’t apartment rentals are far cheaper than dorm ones.

I also have student debt. It’s not terribly high, but I have it, and I’ll take care of it because I took it on. I’m very done with hearing people complain about their student loans. I mean you know you had to sign the loan on the dotted line, right? It wasn’t forced.

I also understand that some majors need degrees, like doctors, lawyers, and engineers while others may actually not.

Now I’m in the Praxis program, as I heard about it after I graduated with my bachelor’s. I realized I hadn’t set myself apart yet to do what I wanted to. Plus I had time to earn some money to invest in Praxis without taking on anymore debt.

Student’s today, and the culture seem to be mad at student loan debt, but instead of being mad at themselves, they’re mad at the system, a system they said yes to. I see where they are coming from, but it really is actually fair. I believe it is unfair for those in student debt to complain about it, or ask that other groups, or the government, “forgive” their loans. Not gonna happen.

So if you go to college, please make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, and understand the consequences.