Going To College Research Paper

The question of whether or not to go to college is a major decision in every young person's life. People have different thoughts and reactions regarding the college experience. I interviewed my english teacher Mr. Vester. Vester said the best thing about college was, "having really great teachers who knew their stuff and reading obscure books". Time management is a fragile thing in college but you have "zero room for error" (Vester). He stated that he "would totally do it again. That's why I {he} went to grad school. I {he} liked the challenge" (Vester). Overall, Mr. Vesters college experience was hard but a good educational experience. One must consider many factors when making the decision to attend college after their high school graduation and having the right information can help in that process. College is for me because I want to further my education. After high school, I plan on attending Purdue University because that is where I have wanted to go since I was in middle school. The university's campus is magnificent and amazing! I plan to major in Geology because the study of the Earth
and rocks has always interested me. I have collected rocks ever since I was young, and I love the Earth, so I would like to learn more about it. I also am not sure if I want to study rocks for the rest of my life, but it is "very easy to change your major if you find you don’t like the courses."(Hyman and Jacob). My dad and I are both planning on paying for college. He does not want me to be in debt for the rest of my life. I plan on working during college for my benefit, and I want to help pay some back to my dad. My biggest fear about going to college is being on my own because I have been sheltered my entire life. Another fear of mine is socialization because college is where "things will fall way outside your {my} comfort zone" (Giang). I have never been good with talking to people or interacting with people I'm not comfortable with. If I want to graduate in four to five years once I start school, I must pass my classes and try to have the college experience while I'm at it. One student was concerned about "dropping out" (Davenport). I am mostly looking forward to furthering my education and learning more about my major. I am also looking forward to the parties because I haven't gotten to experience any kind of parties in high school. College is my next step because I want to make a difference in the world with my higher education. Books can be a major expense every year while going to college. Many students might pay anywhere from 3,000-6,000 dollars for books during their education. Budgeting for books is something every student needs to be aware of, since they can cost so much. Even though living on your own sounds like the dream, has anyone really looked into how much it costed. Although IUK is a cheaper option, not living at home for two years costs around 32 thousand dollars. If you do not stay at home while attending IUK, the costs will be expensive. If the plan is to leave town and attend a bigger university, it will also cost a lot. The tuition cost at Purdue University plus staying in the dorm there will roughly cost around 80 thousand dollars, if wanting to attend the university and stay off campus it will cost around 60 thousand dollars. It's important to know how much it will cost to attend a bigger university. It is important to know the prices and expenses for college before you go. There are positives and benefits when going to college. As a college student you will be more independent, and you would "more likely make better and healthier lifestyle choices" (Faber). This would create great habits for your future lifestyle. After college many students "make a better living than the rest of the population" (Faber). There has been many surveys taken by graduates. Another benefit of college would be expanding your horizon and mind. You would "be around people that are smarter than you" (YouTube). You get to experience the greater minds of your professors and develop an expertise in your major. One student stated he was excited to have the "freedom and the ability to live on my {his} own" (McKay). Before most high school students graduate they contemplate whether college is for them or not. Studies show "about nine-in-ten college grads in every generation say college has been, or will be, worth the investment" (Caumont). Although college is expensive most students have been satisfied with their experience of it. These are some positives and benefits of going to college. Although college has a lot of positives, there will always be some negatives and cons about it.
Living on your own sounds great, but sadly you have to room with someone your first year if you are staying in the dorms on campus. Mostly "every college student will have to deal with roommate issues" (Gates). You may have a roommate that is dirty, likes to party too much, or someone you just won't get along with. Being frustrated with your roommate might make you miss home. A lot of college "student will at one point get homesick" (Gates). A student said one of their biggest fears is attending college "16 hours away from home" (Lyon). Along with the social and emotional issues with college, "college courses require much more effort" (Gates). College work will be a lot harder than high school. You will be stressed and worn out. There are negative possibilities attending
college. College will take a huge chunk of money out of your wallet. Debt is one of the biggest factors when before attending college. Every student will at one point take out a student loan and then face debt. In 2011, "the average undergrad borrowed nearly $27,000 to make it through four years of college" (Couch). It really depends on the major you are trying to pursue, a student "borrowed about $25,000 in federal loans and $75,000 in private loans to pay for his jazz guitar degree" (Couch). It is important to look into the average loans that are taken out for the major you want to pursue. Although many people struggle with debt, there is also a struggle with staying in college "Students who drop out of college are four times more likely to default on their student loans than students who graduate, representing 63% of the defaults." (Tompor). Most of these kids drop out because of the money problem. If you can estimate your annual salary, "borrow less than your {the} projected annual salary" (Tompor). This could help with the outcome of taking out student and federal loans. Debt is one of the worst things to think about before going to college. It's a good idea to research the major and prepare. One must consider many factors when making the decision to attend college after their high school graduation and having the right information can help in that process. My decision on college still stays the same. I still will attend college because I want to further my education to the next level. There are still some concerns going forward in my decision. I am concerned about meeting new people because I am not a very social person. I am also concerned about failing my classes and wasting my money on a lot of stuff. The fact I get to move away from home makes me more excited than anything. Now that I have this information I feel like I am better prepared for college. If I were to talk to next years seniors I would tell them to start looking now because there's always deadlines. I should've started looking last year and applied for more scholarships.