My dream since I started high school was to attend college. I want to study my major, fall in love with the campus, my surroundings, and just feel good about where I’m at. It is unlikely for someone to want to earn their education in a campus they dislike. This is why it is extremely important to choose wisely on the college you want to attend and make sure you enjoy where you are going while also learning.

Unfortunately for me, this dream is not yet a reality. It hasn’t been easy to find my perfect college. Financial stability plays a big role in this situation, and although colleges provide scholarships and financial aid, colleges have only gotten more expensive. Even with these benefits that most colleges hand out, my parents just like many others might not have that kind of money in their pockets.

If you want the best college education for yourself, you should be able to achieve it. As a country, we must change expensive college prices in order for students to enjoy what they study and where they are studying.

As a senior in high school, college applications crept up on me. The pressure of getting everything in on time and making sure you fill out all this paperwork can be stressful, but the money has to be my biggest worry. If I see a campus that I am absolutely in love with, there is almost always some catch. Maybe it’s too expensive or the school might offer little to no money. If I’m planning on not commuting to school, getting a dorm room adds on more money. So then do the parking passes or the $400 textbooks.

College shouldn’t be expensive because it limits the opportunities for young adults to educate themselves to become productive and successful citizens in the community. I do believe that I can get a great education with the money my family has, but then it comes down to wanting to be somewhere I actually like. For a long time, I thought that I wanted to stay close to home, and other times I thought I wanted to go to a community for two years to achieve my credits and then finish off at a university. But then I thought, “Why do that when you can apply for scholarships?” 

Application fees are another factor here. Why do I need to pay, in some cases, almost $80 to apply to a college that might not even accept me? And then say I do get in, I still have a fee to pay. I am someone who likes to branch out and apply to a whole lot of different schools, which costs money. Nowadays I feel like people just go to the colleges that give them the most money, and while that is nice, I know I don’t want my experience to be limited to that. 

As of now, I know that I want to attend a university that is out of state. I want to be somewhere different where I can experience fending for myself while also completing school. When I mentioned this to my parents, the first thought on our minds was, “What happens if we can’t afford all of that?” My dream is to be able to go away and stay at a campus that I look forward to being at on a day to day basis. 

While I agree with the fact that college shouldn’t be entirely free, it is important for young adults to know that achieving an education is a privilege. My wish is that the process should be easier for everyone. College is a big deal. It’s the last few years of being a student before moving into our adult lives. I want to enjoy my last few years of school, and right now, I am very stressed as to when I should have my applications in, where I am going to get accepted and if I get to where I hope to be, and am I able to afford it?

Making college more accessible can make a big difference in the world and would open up new opportunities for many people.