A College Feasibility Study by Abigail Metzger
What comes to your mind when you think of the word college? Hard work? Lots of money? A waste of time? Time spent wisely? A college experience means something different to every person, whether they have attended a college, are attending, or will attend. From significant sources I've gathered information and answers that are vitally important to questions pertaining to college. These include the following:
What exactly is the purpose of attending a college program? For some, college programs offer the degrees needed for the career towards which they are working. Others attend a college because it's was just assumed that if you want to do anything in your life, you have to go to college. Still others decide to attend college just for the experience, to be well rounded, to skip the last years of highschool because of boredom or to be ahead of other students their own age, to prove something to others or themselves, to have structure and some sort of direction in their life, and other personal reasons. Others choose to not attend college because they are not planning on a future career that is based on classes taken in college; they don't have the money or are not eligible for certain scholarships or grants they need to pay for college; something else comes up in their lives that interferes with college; or they didn't know what they would be doing in the future, therefore they didn't want to risk wasting years learning information that wouldn't mean much to them in the years ahead.
How do people pay for college? There are many different ways. People earn money for tuition by working before college, during college, or after college. Others qualify for scholarships, grants, or financial aid that cover a small amount or quite a bit of the cost depending on grades, income, and other factors. Years after their college experience, individuals are still trying to pay off their loans, which is why some choose to save up money beforehand or while they are attending college.
How do people decide when to attend college? Most students begin their college attendance the autumn after graduating from highschool. Others take a year or more off to make decisions pertaining to college. Some go to college many years later because they couldn't immediately due to lack of funds, getting married and having children, etc. People make their decisions based on their own personal reasons.
How do people decide where to attend college? Many decisions are based on the person's interests, such as what kind of degrees they want to obtain or what classes they would like to take. Then they figure out what colleges offer those degrees or classes. They may want to attend a college based on religious factors, the location, size, or whether it is a university, a private or community college. There are many different decisions to make about where you would like to attend college; some are easy while others are extremely difficult. Deciding where to go to college takes time and thought; you usually can't just decide right away where you want to learn. Some people decide soley on their own, but many are influenced by others such as siblings, parents, grandparents, friends, graduates of a specific college, teachers, guidance from God, and so on.
Obviously, the decision regarding whether or not to attend college takes time, thought, and research. Many circumstances and people influence decisions that pertain to college attendance. It is not a smart idea to rush into any decisons about college; you may regret it in later years. Take your time. Listen to others' opinions and their experiences in deciding about college. Don't make it a painful process by constantly worrying about the " right" decision. The decision is ultimately up to you based on your personal thoughts.
Thanks to Trisha Ambrose, Sarah Goodrich, Susanna Metzger, Hatley Laughrige, Jojo Hahn, Caleb Metzger, Dave Cline, Bill Gerhardt, Ashley Metzger, and Brook Halford for their valuable answers and information regarding this report.