How does it feel transitioning to High School student to College Student and trying to pay for it?

Hi Chyanne,

The transition to college is different for everyone. For my transition, I no longer had my parents to rely on to do things like wake up on time for class, go to meetings, cook food, etc. I also realized that after getting straight A's in high school and never needing to study, in college I needed to not only study often, but attend office hours and pull all-nighters in order to keep my grades high. There was no one there forcing me to do anything but when you think about it, this is the first step to adult hood. So when I didn't feel like attending class or a meeting, I kept thinking to myself that I'm here because I want to better myself, I'm paying for this expensive school so I should put all of my effort into it.

As for paying for school, there are many ways to help. There are scholarships that can either cover all or portions of the tuition. Apply to as many as you can to help. There is also financial aid, which is recommended regardless of whether you decide to take it or not, it is usually offered in the form of grants or student loans that can be paid back after you graduate. Other opportunities include work study programs and research programs. For work study, there are usually opportunities to work on campus to earn money to pay towards your tuition. Research programs are usually found within your department and invitations are given by professors who receive grant money for the execution of certain projects. I used a combination of student loans, part time jobs and research money to pay for my tuition. I worked in the engineering departments and received a monthly stipend for doing so. I also had a roommate that worked at McDonalds and IHOP in the evenings and weekends to supplement her financial aid.
So in summation, everyone's transition to college is different. Enjoy every moment of it and don't be afraid to grow and adapt as needed.

Transitioning to college isn't a big deal. You still need to go to class, do home work, write papers, and do exams. Regarding paying for it, you need to work harder on scholarships because your other option is student loans.