Moving Away?

As I have been looking at the various colleges that are out there and trying to see which ones have the best programs for what I want to major in, I started thinking about what would happen if I chose a college that's a ways away from home or even out of state. That sounds extremely daunting as a 17 year old girl that has grown with the support of a family who has always been around to help with anything needed. I guess it really depends on how independent you are by the time you even leave high school.
Even so, I've heard MANY stories of people who have moved away from home for college because it seemed like the best decision at the time but as soon as they did they were miserable, they weren't ready, and they wanted to go right back home.
So what I'm asking is how do you know if you'd be ready to move away on your own for college?

Is the financial burden worth it to attend a 4 year university?

My plan is to attend a 4 year university. Preferably a cal state university. I plan on staying local because I don't wan't to be a financial burden to my parents, they've already sacrifice so much for me. Since they never finished college I know that they would want me to finish college and be successful in my preferred career. They'll would do what ever it takes to help me. Parts of me wants to go and explore, and attend an out of state and stay on campus.  Get the full college experience.  Finding myself and surround myself around new people.  But I know that the cost of tuition and room and board will be so much money.  I know that there are ways to pay for college such as scholarships and financial aid but it will still cost a lot.  I would attend a community college to save money but that's not what I really want to do.  I'm pretty set that I want a career in the health field  because I enjoy helping others, but I just don't know what kind of career in that field. There are so many to choose from! For the longest of time I wanted to be a Dentist, but now I don't think I'd be really committed in that competitive field. So now I'm indecisive in what I want to do or major in. Should I be selfish and go to the college that I want to attend or just go to the most affordable? I don't want to be in serious debt afterwards and spend years paying it off! But if it's worth it I will.

Working through College?

How much should I try to work while in college? College is expensive, and I don't qualify for enough financial aid to cover much of the cost. I don't want to graduate with massive debt, so I'm planning to find a job either on or off campus. I'm going to major in engineering, so hopefully I can get a job or internship somewhere where I might want to start a career. However, college courses are rigorous, so I'm wondering how much time I should spend working in a week and how much time I should allot for coursework, extracurriculars, or other activities. I'm also considering if I want to join any hobby type bands so that I can still play my trombone. I'm not planning to major in music, but I want to keep playing at some level. Overall, what is the workload like in college and how many other activities can I fit into my schedule? -Jacob Zollinger

What universities are best to apply to when it comes to price and qualities?

My family has never been the wealthiest, as my mom is the only person in my household who works and we haven't figured out how I might pay off college tuition. I plan to apply to FAFSA and to different scholarships to try to get as much money as I can to help me pay what I can, but because not every scholarship is guaranteed, I'm trying to find universities that are not as pricey as others. I also will probably get a job to cover living expenses and textbooks for courses, but I'm not sure if it will be enough to cover everything. I'm also not sure about what qualities I should look for in each of the universities I am looking to apply to. I know I want some with fair graduation rates and a diverse community, but what else is there to look for? Maybe the size of the campus and the different studies offered are of interest, but I'm not sure what else to look for, and some of the universities I am already interested in may not even accept me or be able to pay for such as UCLA, UC Irvine, or the USC. Because I don't have a specific major selected, I also don't know which academic qualities to specifically look for, but I'm leaning towards a science or medical care related major and whichever place offers studies in those subjects. Over all, I want an affordable university where I can enjoy myself, have a diverse campus, and hopefully find a major that I'm inspired by to pursue.
- Kris Rubalcava

Out of State vs Studying Abroad

     I have always imagined myself leaving for college so that I can grow independently as a person.  Preferably, I would want to leave out of state or a couple hours away in order for myself to build a close bond with my campus and make life long friends and memories. However, this past year circumstances have changed.  My family has gained a new member, my baby sister, and I find myself leaning toward attending a local college.  Attending a local college would have its perks including that I wouldn't have to deal with the stress of leaving my family and that it is a cheaper option.  Another viable option for me would be to study abroad while attending a local college so that in a way, I still fulfill my desire to gain life experiences independently.  Should I leave out of state and develop a relationship with my campus or stay local and take the opportunity to study abroad?  Also, if I do study abroad, would it slow down my process of graduating on time with the necessary credits?

What do I major in?

Growing up we frequently get asked the question what do you want to be when you grow up? Which now translates in what will you major in? When I'm asked what I want to major in when applying for university's they already want to know what my major will be it is usually what I find the most interest. The majors that usually come to my attention is the medical field, criminology, forensics, and law because in order to be able to be happy further in life it has to be a major that I enjoy. If I don't enjoy the major that I chose then the work that is done will not be done in the correct fashion like many other people. Due to the majors that I chose there will a better satisfaction in what i choose and the interaction between the people that I have to help will be much more helpful and compassionate towards the people that require my assistance. In comparison the difference that happens when people don't enjoy their majors the interaction that takes place with the people that require assistance will not be as helpful because, the job will not be done correctly and fast in order to get over with it. Choosing a major that I enjoy is very important because I don't want to question myself over the years on what I chose to do with my life and not deliver the work as it should be done.

Is Communications in Media a good major choice?

I am interested in working with social media sites and creating content or helping create content that people would enjoy. I'm concerned because I don't know how great of a career I could get. It seems like everything I want to do doesn't end up well. I would probably have a minor in sociology to better understand people and the best marketing strategies are. However, I love English and don't want to give that up. I'm also concerned that this major is impacted, and it would be difficult to get good jobs. My mother happens to be in advertising for Kroger, so she told me this would be a good choice, but I'm not sure it’s what I personally want to do. I know companies like Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, or even being in advertising departments for companies seems like something I would like, but I feel like I would want to create more impactful and meaningful articles/projects. Journalism also interested me, but these days it seems like you can’t find an article that isn’t insanely biased or fake. I would most likely enjoy anything in the arts. There are other majors that i were thinking about though. Nursing seems great, but I hate math and chemistry. I wanted to be a therapist, but it's a dice roll on your salary. I feel like there's always going to be a hint of doubt in whatever I choose, so I'm trying to not be stressed about it. I am just very conflicted on what I should do.