|
All of my friends are going to or in college and I can't afford it?
All of my friends are going to or in college.
It hit me really hard today when I found out the one other girl who I thought was in the same situation as me started taking college classes.
I'm smart enough for college (I graduated with multiple honors classes) but I don't have the money,time or transportation!
I feel totally screwed over and the more I think about it the more it angers me and I just feel like screaming.
I want to be somebody but my parents keep killing all of my chances! My father hasn't even visited me in 4 months and my mom only cares about money money money and to her helping me with college is a waste of time and money.
My brother offered a while ago to help me pay for it she told him not to and she tells him to stop talking about college around me whenever he visits and tries to tell her that I need to go.
Instead she's been demanding I get a job and to forget all about college so I've been looking for a job and I've filled out hundreds of applications but I haven't gotten hired anywhere.
People always say so take out a loan. What do I do when I can't pay back that loan? Loans just put you in thousands of dollars worth of debt.
I can't even get to a college right now. I don't have money to buy myself a car or to pay for car insurance. I live in a small country town that only has two community colleges and I can't even afford those!
My mom sits around with her iPad,macbook pro and her iPhone and it pisses me off...I love her but really she is ruining my life. I can't even date because I have no way to see anybody and I feel embarrassed saying at 18 I don't have a job or a car,I'm not in college or even going soon and I still live with my mom.
I don't know what to do I am so stuck. I sit at home everyday and do chores and look for a job and I'm getting really depressed. People tell me my resume is fantastic and then don't hire me because somebody with a college degree applied too.
I want to learn I want to get out! I don't have anywhere to go though or the money!
I know there's financial assistance too but how do I go about that if I can't get anybody to support me in going to college in the first place?
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Work & School category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
I have been in your situation- at 18 I had no job, car, and I wasn't going to school. It seemed like there was no way out. Now I'm 21, have a job and car and almost have my degree.
First of all, of course the most important thing is getting a job. Are you just submitting applications and hoping they'll call you? I can tell you from a lot of experience that that DOES not work, you have to follow up- either by calling or stopping in and talking to the manager. It's very important than you make a good first impression and that's a lot easier to do in person.
If the jobs you are applying to want a college degree, maybe you're aiming too high. A basic retail job (clothes store, restaurant, grocery store, etc) isn't the most fun thing ever but it will get you money.
And remember, you CAN work and go to school at the same time.
Save at least half of your paycheck every week. Make sure it's somewhere safe that no one else can get to.
Is there a community/junior college near your town? They can be a lot more affordable than you think. Look into it, and look into alternative methods of transportation- does your town have buses? bikes?
You will probably need to save up for six months to a year before you start, but it is doable, especially if your brother is willing help pay (if you need to go behind your mother's back to have him do that, so be it.) There are financial aid programs you may be eligible for as well- many people do that. A school counselor will be able to help you with that. Even if you just start with one class, it's better than nothing.
Best of luck and if you have any questions feel free to inbox me.
]
I need you to read this to the end as I'm going to tell you a little story about my son. Hopefully when I finish it will all make sense to you and you will see the answers to your questions.
When my son finished High School I was not in a financial position to send him to College. His teachers also said, which is not your situation, he was not college material, that I should teach him to ask if they want fries with that order.
My son enlisted in the Army Reserves and went off to Basic and Advance Training. The Army taught him something 12 years of Public School could not. They taught him how to learn and how to teach himself. He Honor Graduated from both Basic Training and Advanced Training where he learned to be a refrigeration Mechanic something that required more math skills then he had when he enlisted.
When he came home from his six months training he was then College material. I still was not in a financial position to help him. He went to the financial assistance office and with there assistance in finding grants, tuition waivers and discounts for his military service his first year of schooling only cost us the cost of his book. While he did have a car there was also public transportation available for him at reduced cost.
The second year the financial assistance office was able to greatly reduce the cost considerably and he took a student loan for the rest. Since he was taking a course in Emergency Medicine he needed a third year to get his degree as the first year was making up the basics he didn't get in high school. Again they school stepped in and again another student loan was taken out. In total he took out $10,000 in student loans for courses that cost over $40,000 plus books and lab fees.
He was in the first class the school gave in Nationally Certified Paramedics. He was the Honor Graduate, he is now an assistant teacher for the course. After Graduating he worked as a transport Paramedic for three area hospitals learning Pediatric Medicine, Trauma Medicine and Geriatric Medicine.
For the last 3 years he has what his dream job a Paramedic/Firefighter. In those three years he has nine lives saved. A life saved is resuscitating someone that is clinically dead when a Medic arrives on scene or is in an arresting state and transporting them to the hospital alive. As far as we know all nine are still surviving. As a firefighter myself a medic with nine saves in a career is a lot and he already has nine.
Why have I told you all this? To show you if you want something bad enough you can get it. That the Community College is there to help you get an Education at the least possible expense. After you get your AA degree in the basic core courses you can go on to get you BA or BS degree at a University at a much lower cost. If you have to take out some student loans to get where you want to be then so be it, at least you won't be in as much debt as someone who borrowed a full four year ride.
You also have the option of joining a Military Service. You can join full time or the reserves. If you go full time you can take college course while you serve, anywhere in the world, through the military extension program. This program was and may still be at no cost to those on full duty.
All credits you earn are fully transferable to any College you attend upon your Honorable discharge. Plus you have the military Montgomery college bill that will pay for both college and living expenses. This money is yours and does not have to be paid back. My son used what was available to him for living expenses while in college.
So you have some choices and there is help financially if you want it. Joining a military service is not for everyone but it is a means to and end. You give the military 2 years of your time and you get a lot in return. Definitely something to think about. You also learn a marketable trade as well as having a work ethic that employers are looking for.
I hope I have given you something to think about. At the very least talk to your brother and see what he has to say about this.
]
As a student racking up close to half of a million dollars in college tuition, I feel quite qualified to answer this question.
You need to focus on yourself. Don't worry about what your friends are doing. Either they are being financially supported by their families, or they have received a massive amount of financial aid. From the tone of your question, neither are in immediate availability to you.
Your mother is clearly not interested in you going to college, and your father doesn't seem like an active member in your life, so implies your statements. If you go into the work force now, you will develop a sense of financial stability, pride, and work ethic. If some time down the road, you are financially stable enough to put yourself through college, you should do so. It does not sound like now is a feasible time for you to go to college.
Please excuse my assumptions, but it sounds to me as if you have just graduated high school. If I could rewind the clock, I would have, without a doubt, taken time to work before going to college. The financial burden, stress, and demands of a full time college setting are overwhelming.
If you believe that you want to go to college, prove it to yourself. Take some time to explore different jobs and careers to see where the road takes you. The majority of freshmen in college who declare their major right away, will change their academic path by graduation. Who knows, you may end up in a job that will pay for your college. A close friend of mine has stayed in the same job for 20 years because her company has paid for her schooling, IN FULL.
As for applying for jobs when competing against college grads: this is a sticky situation. My best advice to you, is to go in to the interview presenting yourself as worldly, street smart, and efficient enough to get the job done without needing to have read a bunch of text books and take exams. I know that is a lot easier said than done, but the saying holds true: "It's not what you know, it's WHO you know." Try to pull some strings within your community. Even taking a part time job at a local Dunkin Donuts or the equivalent will get your foot in the door. Speak with upper management about your intentions to rise through the ranks.
I wish you the best of luck; please let me know if I can be of further assistance!
-A
]
More Questions: |