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Daniel
Student
Apollo, Pennsylvania
2
Questions
Updated
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I am paying for my own college education, but don't want to be in major debt when I graduate. I want to have the "college experience" but commuting seems to be more conducive to staying out of debt. Is there a way to have the best of both worlds?
I am ready to be more adult by moving out, but am not ready for the huge expense that it will incur. #nodebt
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1 answer
Joanna Monaco-Schlater
Consultant at The Reading Clinic
13
Answers
Santa Clara, California
Updated
Joanna’s Answer
That is a great question! I also had to pay for college myself, so let me share my experience and things friends also did.
First off I was super fortunate to be able to live at home rent free, it really helped out! I also decided to go to a 2 year school and then transfer to a 4 year, which also cut down on expenses. If you haven't decided yet, this may be a great option since some states offer free tuition at 2 year colleges. I still had a great time here, and made friends I still keep in contact with today.
When your deciding on how to commute, consider these options. For awhile I drove my vehicle to school, because I qualified for a reduced parking permit ($20/semester at the 2 year) so this worked out really well. However, I also got a free bus pass! (Most colleges, 2 and 4 year, offer free or reduced mass transit passes) Since I lived really close to the bus stop I started taking this to school (and work) and was able to get studying done on the ride, and didn't have to worry about finding a parking space.
When I transferred I used my bus pass most of the time. My college had two parking areas, but the one on campus was always full, and the parking permit was about $400/semester (you weren'5 even guaranteed a parking spot!). When my boy friend's and my schedule matched we purchased the off campus parking permit, which was about 160/semester, and then we got shuttled to the main campus.
I also had friends that moved to the city, but not directly near campus (because the rent was cheaper) and then bus/ride their bike to campus.
Another thing I would try to do is group my classes onto as few days as possible. I would have my list of classes I still needed to take and figure out which ones could fit into M/W or T/Th blocks. This way I only had to commute a few days a week, and could still work a part time job.
Hope this helps you!
First off I was super fortunate to be able to live at home rent free, it really helped out! I also decided to go to a 2 year school and then transfer to a 4 year, which also cut down on expenses. If you haven't decided yet, this may be a great option since some states offer free tuition at 2 year colleges. I still had a great time here, and made friends I still keep in contact with today.
When your deciding on how to commute, consider these options. For awhile I drove my vehicle to school, because I qualified for a reduced parking permit ($20/semester at the 2 year) so this worked out really well. However, I also got a free bus pass! (Most colleges, 2 and 4 year, offer free or reduced mass transit passes) Since I lived really close to the bus stop I started taking this to school (and work) and was able to get studying done on the ride, and didn't have to worry about finding a parking space.
When I transferred I used my bus pass most of the time. My college had two parking areas, but the one on campus was always full, and the parking permit was about $400/semester (you weren'5 even guaranteed a parking spot!). When my boy friend's and my schedule matched we purchased the off campus parking permit, which was about 160/semester, and then we got shuttled to the main campus.
I also had friends that moved to the city, but not directly near campus (because the rent was cheaper) and then bus/ride their bike to campus.
Another thing I would try to do is group my classes onto as few days as possible. I would have my list of classes I still needed to take and figure out which ones could fit into M/W or T/Th blocks. This way I only had to commute a few days a week, and could still work a part time job.
Hope this helps you!