Choosing where to go to college is a hard decision. Do you go out of state? Stay in state? Move as far away as humanly possible? Not move at all?
Unless there is a school with a hyper-specific program you are really into or an alma mater your family has been dedicated to for decades, your options for college are pretty open.
While my fellow high school grads were excited to move away for college, I was content with staying right where I was. I chose to go to my local junior college (which has since become a four-year institution) for my associate’s degree and then transfer to a nearby university.
I also chose to live at home the next four years.
Staying Put for College
With this decision, I got one of two reactions: “That’s a smart move!” or “But you’ll miss out on the college experience!”
The “smart move” responses were generally followed by comments about how much cheaper it was to skip university for the first two years and how lucky I was to not have to pay rent. The latter crowd assumed I’d miss out on friends, parties and the typical trappings of college life.
While I might have missed out on the classic “college experience,” I left college 100% debt free.
This was mainly due to my parents’ smart move of enrolling me in the Florida Prepaid College program when I was born, which allows parents to make monthly payments for their child’s tuition until they turn 18. By the time I graduated high school, my tuition was 90% paid for. I used the Florida Bright Futures scholarship to cover additional fees and textbooks.
Another huge benefit I got from going to smaller colleges is that I got to know all my classmates and professors by name. I went to USFSP, which is much smaller than its sister school, University of South Florida. Personally, I love being the nerd sitting in the front row engaging with the professor. These smaller class sizes encouraged class participation and ultimately helped me pay way better attention than had I been seated in a 300-person lecture hall.
Saving — and Making Money — While Living at Home
Even though I lived at home and did not have to pay the bills, I always had a job while I was in college — sometimes even two. They were all part-time gigs, such as working as a private tutor, managing a local business and freelance writing for a developing app company.
I paid for my car, food and gas, and was able to get through college without going broke or racking up credit card debt. Had I lived on campus and left my car back home, it would’ve been hard to hold down a job, especially ones where I was driving around town meeting students or local business owners.
I also had a lot more freedom over my school schedule. Many of my high school friends who moved away for college did not have time for jobs while they were in school due to their rigorous schedules. They had classes every. Single. Day. It was never like that for me!
I made my own schedule and never went to school for more than three days per week, which left me with plenty of time to work. It was a full-time course load (12 hours) but I did have to take summer classes every year to stay on track to graduate within four years. If I skipped summer classes it would have added on an extra semester — not a big deal.
Celebrating a Different Kind of College Experience
Do I regret forgoing the college experience in exchange for zero debt? Absolutely not.
I saved so much money, and I am honestly not sure how I would be able to juggle student loan payments on top of all my bills. I might not have made countless friends or been part of a sorority, but I was still active in both of my college communities. Plus, all the hard work I did helped me land a job I love, surrounded by coworkers I’m happy to call my friends.
Your college experience does not have to be “traditional” to be special.