| Attending college is a given for many | | | | importance of sacrificing for education |
| young students, especially those who | | | | now at the expense of things that may |
| will benefit from their parents hard | | | | seem more important to someone in their |
| work in the form of tuition, books and | | | | late teens or early twenties can't be |
| quite often, housing. For some high | | | | overstated. |
| school graduates, however, the financial | | | | At that time in a person's life, things |
| support system ends at their 18th | | | | that are seemingly important rarely are, |
| birthday. For these young adults, the | | | | in actuality. Affording a better car, |
| decision to attend college has little to | | | | moving out of their parents home for |
| do with desire and everything to do with | | | | increased independence or socializing |
| their ability to pay for it. | | | | are monumental concerns for many high |
| Yes, there are student loans available | | | | school graduates, yet seeing how |
| to just about anyone, but borrowing for | | | | expensive it can be to enjoy those |
| tuition, fees and books over a long term | | | | pursuits seldom forces them to draw the |
| period can lead to serious financial | | | | connection between increasing the value |
| consequences down the road and may not | | | | of one's labor and affording those |
| always be the best decision. | | | | pursuits with far greater ease. |
| Additionally, many potential students | | | | Nevertheless, a little hard work now |
| are only able to borrow enough to cover | | | | will pay great dividends in the |
| tuition and books, leaving them to worry | | | | following years while remaining stagnant |
| about living expenses during the four | | | | will only produce more of the seeming |
| year period they'll be earning their | | | | hardships this demographic faces. |
| degree. It's extremely difficult to | | | | Some people have to learn things the |
| maintain any semblance of a life when | | | | hard way, and many will waste a lot of |
| you only have the scheduling capacity | | | | time doing so. Others view the academic |
| and credentials for a part time job that | | | | system as a institutionalized method for |
| pays close to minimum wage. | | | | establishing conformity that needs to be |
| In other words, the deck seems to be | | | | circumvented by any means possible. |
| stacked against students who don't have | | | | Most will eventually come around, and |
| financial support from their family or | | | | the sooner they do, the sooner they can |
| whose families are simply unable to help | | | | begin to enjoy all that a college |
| when it comes to college. Still, the | | | | education can provide. |