Going Back to College: Briana’s Story

I graduated high school in 2008 and went to a state college nearby the following fall. My goal was to go into public relations, but I couldn’t find the major, so I went in as a pre-marketing major. Business was the next best thing, so I dove right in. College wasn’t difficult education wise, but I was going through a lot personally. I was no longer surrounded by friends, I put additional pressures on myself to finish school in 4 years, and I was having a hard time adjusting to this new chapter of my life.

Semesters passed, and things didn’t get any easier. I wasn’t receiving good marks in class because the change in format was a hard transition. I was then plagued with constant illness, relationship troubles, and family emergencies. My quest to get my degree in 4 years or less was diminishing, and the stress continued to grow. Finally, the last straw was when my cousin passed away unexpectedly. I broke down and decided I could no longer focus on school. I then became a college dropout and began looking for full time work.

The Internship

I found a paid internship that I was able to work full time hours, and it soon turned into a full time permanent position. I moved out and got engaged, and things were looking up. Although my family constantly asked me if I would get my degree, I wasn’t quite sure. I was finally living in the present instead of projecting and preparing for the future like I had done all my life. Things were looking up, and my rough time in college was finally behind me.

When 2011 came, I was optimistic of the things to come. However, less than 2 weeks into the new year, my world turned upside down. I was laid off from my job unexpectedly, days after a car accident, a month before I was supposed to move, and months before I planned to get married. I sunk into a depression I was all too familiar with, questioning my goals, my skills, and ultimately my worth. I tried feverishly to find new work, applying for hundreds of jobs with no success. I began to freelance in the interim, but couldn’t help but tie my worth to my status.

Back to School

The fact of the matter was I was an experienced intern with no degree. Many of the jobs I would have otherwise qualified for required a BA in anything and I was at least 5 semesters away from that title. Months with no success pushed me to a clear decision: it’s time to go back to school. I was reluctant at first because of the cost. As a financial blogger, I’m bred to hate debt. I was in enough already, and didn’t want to add to it with student loans. When I previously went to school, I had a state grant and several scholarships. The scholarship money is gone and I no longer qualify for the grant. Without any savings, student loans is the only way to go.

I’m intentionally going into student loan debt to get my degree. If I want to find a traditional 9 to 5, my odds will greatly increase with a Bachelor’s degree, no matter what the subject. It will give me a focus, a purpose, and a sense of accomplishment. Even if I continue to pursue entrepreneurship, my degree will give me more knowledge and credibility. I think it’s worth the price tag. I’m choosing distance education so I can study at my own pace and complete my work on my own time. I’m really excited to get back into school.

There are times when I feel like I made a huge mistake dropping out of college, since I probably would’ve been graduating this upcoming May. Instead, I’ve delayed my progress and possibly pushed myself back in terms of being gainfully employed for a longer period of time. I’m a firm believer, though, in the sayings “everything happens for a reason” and “God causes delays”. Many news reports say that these graduating classes are culminating into the worse job market in a long time. This delay could give the market time to rebound. I had time to get some “real life” knowledge. I had time to mentally mature.

What’s your college story? Did you choose to take out student loans? What are you studying? Meet us in the comments!

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