The College Thread

[ByAnyMeans]

Wow this information is amazing. Since everyone is helping me out and I've been doing research I'm starting to understand loans.
Now I need your advice on something. I got the financial aid and they offered subsidized and un-subsidizesd loans to me which I accepted both.
Someone mentioned that if worst comes to shove I should take out the meal plan out of my contract. I am planning on however going to keep the meal plan because this will honestly be my only way of eating. Also I'm planning on signing a contract for a apartment on campus for myself only. The school I applied for is basically the cheapest university in the state. The prices aren't that bad plus I get everything from free wifi to a 35 dollar allowance water fee. The only thing I have to personally worry about is the electricity bill. I have to pay that out of pocket. My parents said they would help me on that. So I got the apartment. I got the the two loans and the aid. The thing that I'm really worried about now is....... Will I have enough for this and my classes altogether? And what happens if I don't? Is there a way I can quickly apply for more loans so that I have a full schedule this year? I'm supposed to be moving in next weekend and my registration is next tuesday. I feel like I need more money for the classes and the shyt is stressing me out majorly the more I think about it.

I emailed financial aid about it and I'm sure housing/ and my counselor would let me know. Just waiting on responses. Guess it wouldn't hurt to hear your input.


Also, my associates is in science and arts. I'm going to school for computer information technology.

What do you understand about loans now through your research? Also, what you should do is use some sort of computer information technology system (excel or google sheets if you have too) - to create a loan amortization schedule for your situation. The you'll really understand it.

If you live on campus they usually have minimums to the meals you can eat. So someone that lives in a freshmen or sophmore dorm at my capus had to have a minimum of 14 meals a week for their meal plan. Someone that lived off campus with a full kitchen but still university sponsored housing didn't need a meal plan. Check to see if you have minimums either way you need to eat.

The prices aren't that bad and you should only be there for two years with all your CC Credits. But you need to try to get on scholarship for your second year through the honors program or something. Do the math on what it will set you back in loans. It ain't pretty when they come knocking on your door for that cheddar and your still looking for a job while we are headed into an economic down turn. Im not saying don't go to school. Far from that, I'm saying have your ducks in a row and then some.

What happens if you don't have enough money. Here's the situation, you will have enough for classes because tuition always get applied first. Then room and board. Also you don't need the full amount of COA -Cost of Attendance to attend school. You just need to ensure tuition is paid. Now if you want 3 hots and a cot too then ensure tuition and room and board is paid.But there will still be extra in COA after that because of the extra expenses they factor in that you'll spend on transportation and books. But you really only need loans to cover tuition and fees and room and board and books. Bro, google "<insert my college/university's name> cost of attendance 2017-2018" look at the Full Time undergraduate line items and add up tuition and fees and room and board and books. This is how much you need to survive in school for the year. Unless it says by semester and if so you need to double that number.

If you don't have enough and you haven't maxed your government loans then you can just go to financial aid or the loan office and tell them to increase the amount. If your school is a cheap state school and you haven't borrowed up to your limit in community college which I doubt you have then you'll be fine for the next two years since it should take you two years to graduate. By the way did you ensure all your credits transferred over as many as possible to classes needed for the degree like general eds. Also, take a look at the university catalog and see how many credits you need to graduate so you can know if you need to take 12,15, or 18 a semester. Plan it out with your adviser because some classes are only offered in the fall or spring. I went on a slight tangent. Let me wheel it back in - if that's still not enough money you can take out private loans with a bank.

Bro, you don't need anybody else at school to tell you if you have enough money. just go on your account for your school where they have your financial information and cross reference that with COA for the school.

So when you log into that account it should say how much loans you have and how much grants and scholarships you have for the year and each semester.

Here is an example of COA for Fisk for your school it should look similar make sure to read the whole page there may be other fees that apply to you:
Tuition & Fees | Fisk University

As long as the number on how much you've been awarded exceeds the mandatory stuff you need to pay for in cost of attendance you're good. Anything extra is you're walking around money for books and food and stuff for projects and stuff.

We can go on and on. But breh get in the habit of looking stuff up for yourself and understanding how it works. This is a big investment. you don't want to be depending on other people and worse incompetent people for answers. Teach yourself how to fish and search until you find it. Yes you may need to ask a few questions here and there but use your own research to get to a conclusion.

What do you plan on doing when you graduate? What type of job are you looking for?

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

What do you understand about loans now through your research? Also, what you should do is use some sort of computer information technology system (excel or google sheets if you have too) - to create a loan amortization schedule for your situation. The you'll really understand it.

If you live on campus they usually have minimums to the meals you can eat. So someone that lives in a freshmen or sophmore dorm at my capus had to have a minimum of 14 meals a week for their meal plan. Someone that lived off campus with a full kitchen but still university sponsored housing didn't need a meal plan. Check to see if you have minimums either way you need to eat.

The prices aren't that bad and you should only be there for two years with all your CC Credits. But you need to try to get on scholarship for your second year through the honors program or something. Do the math on what it will set you back in loans. It ain't pretty when they come knocking on your door for that cheddar and your still looking for a job while we are headed into an economic down turn. Im not saying don't go to school. Far from that, I'm saying have your ducks in a row and then some.

What happens if you don't have enough money. Here's the situation, you will have enough for classes because tuition always get applied first. Then room and board. Also you don't need the full amount of COA -Cost of Attendance to attend school. You just need to ensure tuition is paid. Now if you want 3 hots and a cot too then ensure tuition and room and board is paid.But there will still be extra in COA after that because of the extra expenses they factor in that you'll spend on transportation and books. But you really only need loans to cover tuition and fees and room and board and books. Bro, google "<insert my college/university's name> cost of attendance 2017-2018" look at the Full Time undergraduate line items and add up tuition and fees and room and board and books. This is how much you need to survive in school for the year. Unless it says by semester and if so you need to double that number.

If you don't have enough and you haven't maxed your government loans then you can just go to financial aid or the loan office and tell them to increase the amount. If your school is a cheap state school and you haven't borrowed up to your limit in community college which I doubt you have then you'll be fine for the next two years since it should take you two years to graduate. By the way did you ensure all your credits transferred over as many as possible to classes needed for the degree like general eds. Also, take a look at the university catalog and see how many credits you need to graduate so you can know if you need to take 12,15, or 18 a semester. Plan it out with your adviser because some classes are only offered in the fall or spring. I went on a slight tangent. Let me wheel it back in - if that's still not enough money you can take out private loans with a bank.

Bro, you don't need anybody else at school to tell you if you have enough money. just go on your account for your school where they have your financial information and cross reference that with COA for the school.

So when you log into that account it should say how much loans you have and how much grants and scholarships you have for the year and each semester.

Here is an example of COA for Fisk for your school it should look similar make sure to read the whole page there may be other fees that apply to you:
Tuition & Fees | Fisk University

As long as the number on how much you've been awarded exceeds the mandatory stuff you need to pay for in cost of attendance you're good. Anything extra is you're walking around money for books and food and stuff for projects and stuff.

We can go on and on. But breh get in the habit of looking stuff up for yourself and understanding how it works. This is a big investment. you don't want to be depending on other people and worse incompetent people for answers. Teach yourself how to fish and search until you find it. Yes you may need to ask a few questions here and there but use your own research to get to a conclusion.

What do you plan on doing when you graduate? What type of job are you looking for?

I just understand I can pay them back after I graduate. That's all I need to know at this moment and that's what I really wanted to know.
But I looked up this shyt and it says the estimated cost is basically 21 thousand. I only have 13 thousand with the financial aid and loans they offered me smh. You said I can just call them up or go into the financial aid office to get some more loans right? I've never used loans in CC so I shouldn't reach no limit already for borrowing loans if I never borrowed loans before right? I'm planning on calling them first thing in the morning to see the situation.

And the time I talked to the transfer counselor she said I was set on credits and everything transferred except I need to take a language class because I got a D in high school.


And I don't know what I want to do yet. I'm just trying to get out of this shyt hole of a town and get some opportunities and school is the only option for me.

 

[ByAnyMeans]

I just understand I can pay them back after I graduate. That's all I need to know at this moment and that's what I really wanted to know.
But I looked up this shyt and it says the estimated cost is basically 21 thousand. I only have 13 thousand with the financial aid and loans they offered me smh. You said I can just call them up or go into the financial aid office to get some more loans right? I've never used loans in CC so I shouldn't reach no limit already for borrowing loans if I never borrowed loans before right? I'm planning on calling them first thing in the morning to see the situation.

And the time I talked to the transfer counselor she said I was set on credits and everything transferred except I need to take a language class because I got a D in high school.


And I don't know what I want to do yet. I'm just trying to get out of this shyt hole of a town and get some opportunities and school is the only option for me.

Yes call them and talk to your financial aid counselor. Also, idk what high school has to do with college credit. It doesn't. Unless it was AP or IB but it doesn't sound like it.

Also, you're about to spend 10-20k in loans a year to not know what your going to study and it's not like you have the benefit of starting as a freshmen and taking gen Ed courses for two years - you should have completed the first 2 years of coursework already in CC/JC. You don't have time to not know what you want to do .

Your better off moving to the state getting a job and stacking paper and reading some books and networking and figuring out what it is you want to do and then enrolling and attacking the coursework and opportunity when your ready. But you need a end game. This ain't checkers breh. This is chess. You're playing a dangerous game. I'm not discouraging you from going. But college ain't about getting away from home on the federal governments dime - which will turn into your dime. It's about academic success and bettering oneself holistically and professionally.

You got to know what it is you want to do. And attack. Your just walking blind and I've watched people rack up debt with that mindset and go right back to their shyt hole town 60 thousand dollars more in debt with no job.

Try to find what you want to do for the rest of your life and pick a major and start to grind. Man PM me because you sound like you need some help and aren't taking this decision seriously. College degree doesn't guarantee anything. It's competition out here.

Breh once again I'm not discouraging you from going I'm just saying know what it is you want and go get it. If you want to get out of shyt whole town we can recommend a bunch of cities and jobs for that. If you want to become an engineer, journalist, doctor, lawyer or analyst we can recommend a lot of majors and internship for when you start school and also study skills and methods that will get you academic success.

 

[thaKEAF]

Anyone have experience with competency based schools? I'm looking at University of Wisconsin and WGU to try and graduate within the next 12 months. With my tuition reimbursement amount through my work, it would take another 5 years to graduate without going out of pocket. I'm getting a degree as a check box basically and a segway to a Masters or MBA (undecided).

I've been looking at them for my masters incentive I graduate . Read mixed reviews but there's some professionals in my field who said it worked out good for them. A sub forum for wgu on Reddit came up when I googled and it seems to be a great option as long as you are self motivated. A lot of the courses you don't have to spend much time on if you're already familiar or have put in the required study time. I'm already late in the game as far as getting my bachelors (I'll be 30 in December) so I don't plan on taking a long time for my masters.

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

Yes call them and talk to your financial aid counselor. Also, idk what high school has to do with college credit. It doesn't. Unless it was AP or IB but it doesn't sound like it.

Also, you're about to spend 10-20k in loans a year to not know what your going to study and it's not like you have the benefit of starting as a freshmen and taking gen Ed courses for two years - you should have completed the first 2 years of coursework already in CC/JC. You don't have time to not know what you want to do .

Your better off moving to the state getting a job and stacking paper and reading some books and networking and figuring out what it is you want to do and then enrolling and attacking the coursework and opportunity when your ready. But you need a end game. This ain't checkers breh. This is chess. You're playing a dangerous game. I'm not discouraging you from going. But college ain't about getting away from home on the federal governments dime - which will turn into your dime. It's about academic success and bettering oneself holistically and professionally.

You got to know what it is you want to do. And attack. Your just walking blind and I've watched people rack up debt with that mindset and go right back to their shyt hole town 60 thousand dollars more in debt with no job.

Try to find what you want to do for the rest of your life and pick a major and start to grind. Man PM me because you sound like you need some help and aren't taking this decision seriously. College degree doesn't guarantee anything. It's competition out here.

Breh once again I'm not discouraging you from going I'm just saying know what it is you want and go get it. If you want to get out of shyt whole town we can recommend a bunch of cities and jobs for that. If you want to become an engineer, journalist, doctor, lawyer or analyst we can recommend a lot of majors and internship for when you start school and also study skills and methods that will get you academic success.

nah i still wanna go. Just because I don't know my end game now don't mean I won't find it once I'm there on campus. When I went on the schools tour they said basically 95 percent of their people who graduate always come out with great jobs because its not that big of a uni so its more personal there. Going on uni could actually help me. school is a door to more opportunities if i work hard. its my gate way. i know the degree doesn't guarantee shyt. but like i said before i have a disability its not like i have my own car or i even drive at the moment lol so i cant go to other cities when i dont even have a dollar to my name. plus my town is literally the WOAT. one of the dangerous places to be in america and there is no real jobs here or places to go or things to do. like the best thing for a 21 year old to do around here is go to a bar or hang out at buffalo wild wings lmao.

trust me breh this a opening for me

but so i can call them up and get that fixed right? i know i will succeed i just need to make it there.

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

nah i still wanna go. Just because I don't know my end game now don't mean I won't find it once I'm there on campus. When I went on the schools tour they said basically 95 percent of their people who graduate always come out with great jobs because its not that big of a uni so its more personal there. Going on uni could actually help me. school is a door to more opportunities if i work hard. its my gate way. i know the degree doesn't guarantee shyt. but like i said before i have a disability its not like i have my own car or i even drive at the moment lol so i cant go to other cities when i dont even have a dollar to my name. plus my town is literally the WOAT. one of the dangerous places to be in america and there is no real jobs here or places to go or things to do. like the best thing for a 21 year old to do around here is go to a bar or hang out at buffalo wild wings lmao.

trust me breh this a opening for me

but so i can call them up and get that fixed right? i know i will succeed i just need to make it there.

Understand that the pitches they make during tours are to make you feel good about the school - they don't highlight a lot of the realities. To graduate with a good job you need luck, connections, and a lot of work. I'm 2 months removed from graduation and still haven't found a job with my CS degree.

Another thing you need to understand is that when you're a freshman you get a semester or two of leeway to "find yourself". Actually, if you're white you can do that. But, assuming you're black, you don't get that luxury. You need to hit the ground running with purpose. You should be thinking about careers like yesterday man.

College will help you get out of your town, but it's not an automatic for success. 9 times out of 10 you have to create opportunity for yourself so please don't go into this thinking it'll be like the movies. The beauty of this thread is that we've already made the mistakes so that you don't have to, so take what @ByAnyMeans is saying to heart. Nobody here wants to see you, or anyone, fail.

 

[ByAnyMeans]

nah i still wanna go. Just because I don't know my end game now don't mean I won't find it once I'm there on campus. When I went on the schools tour they said basically 95 percent of their people who graduate always come out with great jobs because its not that big of a uni so its more personal there. Going on uni could actually help me. school is a door to more opportunities if i work hard. its my gate way. i know the degree doesn't guarantee shyt. but like i said before i have a disability its not like i have my own car or i even drive at the moment lol so i cant go to other cities when i dont even have a dollar to my name. plus my town is literally the WOAT. one of the dangerous places to be in america and there is no real jobs here or places to go or things to do. like the best thing for a 21 year old to do around here is go to a bar or hang out at buffalo wild wings lmao.

trust me breh this a opening for me

but so i can call them up and get that fixed right? i know i will succeed i just need to make it there.

Breh. I get that you want to go. Anybody can want to do anything. Few will go and maximize the opportunity and leave better than they entered. Most people are just adding 2 lines to their resume and 60-100k in liabilities to their balanance sheet that have your mentality. You have a I will figure it out mentality. This ain't a I will figure it out decision. You're about to invest 10-20k a year to "figure it out".

What about being on a college campus will enlighten you to your end game. You've had 2 years of college coursework already. You're trying to convince yourself that another 10-20k will magically drop in your lap the purpose of why your going into debt? You should know your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes by now and have a sense of direction or a clue. You just going to show up and wait for it to fall un your lap. The game don't work like that. You have to go out there and take it. They not giving away careers breh. But they're givign debt away.

Bump what they told you on the tour. What if those 95% of people knew why they were there and took it as an investment and not a "field trip from home and I hope I figure it out 2-4 year vacation"

Figure out the end game then plan the objectives and steps to achieve it.

 

[Mr210]

I start grad school on the 28th when does everyone else start school

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

Just saw my apartment a couple days ago. shyt is gigantic. I'm trying to be responsible. But the possibilities of bringing chicks back to the room to smash keep coming to my mind. Don't want nobody in this thread saying "see you not focused" cause I am. Just the thought of aye I can finally bring the women back to the crib without the worry of having my family members being around or anyone of that matter got me like

But the rules got me mad confused. shyt say no co-hibernation. Like does that mean not even a day? I'd understand if someone was living with me for a entire week or month. But it never made specific about like friends or family coming through on the weekend to stay the night.

Then the parking for visitors isn't clear either. Like is there really just one visitors parking lot? Like will my people have to make that 10 min walk?
Thank god I don't got a car tho. A permit cost 100 a semester


Guess I'll find out that since once I'm there. I'm thinking ahead of myself but I'm just thinking of the fun side of college no harm..

One thing that throws me off tho is beer is allowed but not liquor. Like why does that even matter? Both get me fukked up. I can be drunk af off some beer.

then im just thinking about how big my apartment is and i've never lived on my own and on top of this all i been watching scary movies non stop thought of it got me like damn lol i can see why someone need people to live with the more i think about it.

 

[Mr210]

Just saw my apartment a couple days ago. shyt is gigantic. I'm trying to be responsible. But the possibilities of bringing chicks back to the room to smash keep coming to my mind. Don't want nobody in this thread saying "see you not focused" cause I am. Just the thought of aye I can finally bring the women back to the crib without the worry of having my family members being around or anyone of that matter got me like

But the rules got me mad confused. shyt say no co-hibernation. Like does that mean not even a day? I'd understand if someone was living with me for a entire week or month. But it never made specific about like friends or family coming through on the weekend to stay the night.

Then the parking for visitors isn't clear either. Like is there really just one visitors parking lot? Like will my people have to make that 10 min walk?
Thank god I don't got a car tho. A permit cost 100 a semester


Guess I'll find out that since once I'm there. I'm thinking ahead of myself but I'm just thinking of the fun side of college no harm..

One thing that throws me off tho is beer is allowed but not liquor. Like why does that even matter? Both get me fukked up. I can be drunk af off some beer.

then im just thinking about how big my apartment is and i've never lived on my own and on top of this all i been watching scary movies non stop thought of it got me like damn lol i can see why someone need people to live with the more i think about it.

Smh I can already tell how this will end up

 

[Pyrexcup]

Smh I can already tell how this will end up

breh has not even started and is worrying about partying

too many people think college is supposed to be a party nonstop party but one thing you have to learn quick in college is it's everyone for themselves if you spend all night partying and end up failing your party friends do not care about you if they pass and you dont life goes on. nothing wrong with having fun in college but its important to remember the serious side of it as well esp if what you are studying is serious.

 

[Mr210]

breh has not even started and is worrying about partying

too many people think college is supposed to be a party nonstop party but one thing you have to learn quick in college is it's everyone for themselves if you spend all night partying and end up failing your party friends do not care about you if they pass and you dont life goes on. nothing wrong with having fun in college but its important to remember the serious side of it as well esp if what you are studying is serious.

Yep or you have the guys who can party but still show up to class the next day and then you have the guys who party and then out of commission for 1-2 days

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

who said about partying all the time. you guys took what I said out of context. I just said i was thinking of the fun side of college.

you guys saying I won't make it got me motivated tho.

 

[Pyrexcup]

what are you going to study?

no one is saying you wont make it but from your post you seem extremely unprepared and for many people college can be overwhelming especially if you have never experienced anything like that coming from a small city. party as should be doing but dont be one of those people missing class because they spent the night before drinking

anyway enjoy college

 

[Taharqa]

what are you going to study?

no one is saying you wont make it but from your post you seem extremely unprepared and for many people college can be overwhelming especially if you have never experienced anything like that coming from a small city. party as should be doing but dont be one of those people missing class because they spent the night before drinking

anyway enjoy college

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