Insight
It’s
that time of year again. College acceptance. I love watching as parents of
seniors post pictures of the acceptance letters and crow about how proud they
are of their child as they are accepted into the school of their choice.
I
remember the proud feeling and the utter terror of my child heading into the
world by herself. Off to a college, and I remember what happens at college, to
experience life and move on without us.
Making
that choice was very difficult. How do you decide where to spend your hard
earned dollars? Does the student go far away from home? Live at home and
commute? The decision is usually a family one. The more I listen to families
and the college plans they are making, the more I realize that there is no one plan
for everyone.
Some
may live at home and attend a local college or a local community college to get
their core classes out of the way, then transfer. Some students may attend a
college for a year or half a year and decide it’s not the right place for them
or they hate their major. (My sister switched her major after her freshman year
and never looked back. Thankfully, she didn’t have to switch schools). If the
university is big enough, it may have the new major, if not…transfer. It’s not
the end of the world. I’ve heard of some students who have transferred three
times before realizing what their passion really was and concentrating on that.
Where
finances are concerned, some students try to save money by attending an
in-state college. Others get amazing scholarships and financial assistance from
colleges, making their decision that much harder. Some take the scholarships
and in-state tuition for their bachelor’s degree and then attend an Ivy League
school for their graduate work.
One
school I know of offers a Masters’ program in five years if you do all the work
at its school. Others offer teaching jobs for those getting higher education at
their institution.
How
in the world does one decide? There are so many choices. So many options. So
many paths to travel. But none are set in stone. So take a chance, roll the
dice and take that first step toward success.
Happy
decision time.
Michelle
