I'm Afraid I Will Not Go To College?

Question

i am salutatorian of my class
no one in my family has been to college
i haven't received notice that i have won any scholarships yet
my family doesn't have money to send me to college
and i'm just really scared that i'm simply book smart and don't want to go to college
plus i'm afraid of leaving my mom

does everyone feel this way on the inside

Answer 1

Lots of people feel this ways. it is completely normal.

and the hardest part is usually your first semester at university. You will not know what to do, you may let your hair down too much, etc..

If you are in the states you need to fill out a FAFSA on the web, using your parents tax forms to be eligible for financial aid (grants, loans, work study).

If you graduated salutatorian you should have good enough grades to go to most schools.

If you haven't taken the SAT or the ACT, you need to do so quickly.

As for not being able to pay for it you have lots of options.
1. attend a junior college/community college. If you are in the US, jc/cc's let you earn up to 64 credits towards your major, at a very reduced price compared to major universities. take your lower level core classes there and live at home. (that would be ENG 101, 102, Mat 155, RDG 101, those classes.)
2. many full universities offer financial aid packages that include loans that you will have to pay back, but you can take the loans and earn up to your phd. (the lifetime amount of loans in the US currently is like $120,000. Unless you are going to harvard/ivy league school, you can easily get your bachelors degree and probably masters degree too with those loans).

you don't need scholarships, and you don't need to leave home yet. I'd recommend going to the local community college, take classes either full time, or part time and work, live at home with your parents and see what college work is like.

Answer 2

I know how you feel. I'm nearly 30 now but I can remember going into my junior year of highschool and trying to figure out how the rest of my life was going to go. It's scarry! And it doesn't help that you feel like you have to live up to expectations and accomplishments set by your family. The truth is that you need to concentrate on the present. It is always a good idea to have a plan and goals, they keep you moving in a positive direction but life has taught me and will teach you that nothing goes according to plan. Sometimes it is better than anything you could ever imagine! What I'm trying to say is that you should buckle down and do the best that you can. The worst feeling is looking back when you didn't do your best and wishing that you could do it again. The truth is that everything works out in the end, and it's often for the best. So as long as you try your best, use the skills that you have, and try to work on those things that don't come as easily, you don't have anything to be scared of. Finally, don't give up on math. It never came easily to me until I got to college and started taking classes that use math concepts in real world situations. Sometimes it takes looking at things from another perspective before you can grasp it. Concentrate on doing your best in high school and college. Keep your goal of medical school but stay open to the possibility that you may discover a career path that you want to persue even more. College is about learning, but it is also about growing (personal growth) and figuring out just who you are. I didn't figure out what I wanted to do until my Senior year of college. I've gone on to get a masters degree and now I'm working on another one. I never had the best of grades until I found my passion. Everyone's path is different and everyone figures things out at different times in their life. Try to relax a little, try your hardest, and your dreams will come along in due time. Good luck :)

Answer 3

Depending on where you go to collge. First off, don't be scared! You can always go to a community college (they are cheaper) first if need be. I live in Georgia, and the valictorian and salutatorian usually gets a scholarship to go to college from the college they get accepted to. So, start filling out applications. Fill out your FAFSA, because you could qualify for Pell Grant, and an equalization grant. Oh, and take the SAT or the ACT. If you score at least a 25 or 1200, the college you get accepted to will give you a scholarship for that. Good luck college hunting!!

Answer 4

It is all right to be scared of going to college. It is a new stage in life, and sometimes new stages can be pretty scarey. There are many supports in place at a college to help first generation students attend college. I recommend spending some time with your guidance counselor who can help you with great resources. I will list some free resources to locate money to attend college.

First, the college's financial aid office and website has a list of private scholarships offered from outside organizations and companies. Sometimes a college major's website will list scholarships, too.

Second, the public library has a book listing scholarships with some not even listed on the web.

Third, current high school students can locate local scholarship information at the high school guidance office.

Fourth, Google.com and Yahoo.com for state grants and scholarships based on certain GPAs. A good number of states offer them.

Finally, I recommend joining several free membership scholarship search websites, but the best I have located is Scholarship Experts since they have a very thorough and lengthy survey to complete compared to Fastweb. There are scholarships for a variety of things including ethnicity, clubs, hobbies, and even wearing duct tape to the high school prom. Most are updated on a regular basis. Most offer a customized search based on information entered onto a form on the website.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Good for you, and congratulations on your accomplishments. I am pleased to read that you have evaluated your situation and you are not afraid to come out and say you're scared. That's the first step in making a good decision for yourself.

Every family at one time or another has had the first kid go to college. It's a big step for you and, believe it or not, a source of pride for your parents. I was the first in my family, too, so I've been there.

If you are afraid of going away and leaving your family, consider a local college, either four year or a community college and living at home for a year or two. It is certainly less expensive than living away and community colleges give good value for the cost. You can do general education requirements and electives that can be transferred to a four year school later on, especially if you go in looking to do that.

You can also go to a community college part-time and work part-time to save up some money. Plus, if you find out that you really aren't ready to go to college yet, and not everyone is right out of high school, you'll have had some experience, gotten some classes under your belt, and not paid a lot of money.

And, if you haven't done it already, file the FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov) and actively look for financial aid and scholarships (www.fastweb.com, among others). Scholarships aren't going to just walk up and hand themselves to you, you have to do your part to get them.

Not everyone is ready for college right out of high school, and there is no shame or stigma in waiting and working for a couple of years first. It might just be the best way for you. It is also very natural to be hesitant about being first and going into a wholly new situation. You are right to explore your concerns and look for the answers that are right for you. Talk to your high school counselor, call a local college and ask if you can have an appointment to talk to someone there. Believe me, we college advisors and administrators would love to talk with you and help you make a decision. You may be able to set up a *shadow* day where you go to classes with a student at the college to get an idea of what it would be like to help you make a decision. Its ok to be scared, but its not ok to be so scared you don't do the exploration.

Best wishes and I hope you do make the best choice for you that you can. And its never too late to go to college either. I told you I was the first in my family to go, and I was, but I wasn't the first to graduate. I left at the end of my junior year, got married, had kids, couldn't get a decent paying job to help support my family. I went back to college at 35, working full time, keeping up my household and my studies. It took me 11 years to finish off my BA and my Master's, but I did it for myself and I'm glad I did. And I wasn't the oldest one in my classes either, although I was older than a few of my instructors . Don't be too afraid to fly, I think you have a wonderful future ahead of you.

Answer 6

yup, sometimes its hard to take that leap.... on your own.

you can do it, and you have to do it. you can just waste your smarts by letting your fears keep you back.

go for it.

There are government loans & grants, and then there are private loans & scholarships.

try to aim for grants/scholarships more... they are not to be paid back. its confusing sometimes, but just keep applying. Scholarships usually have a 1 or 2 page application, and require an essay. Take your time with the essay, so yours stands out.

every big (and small) company you see (manufacturer, orgs, corps and groups also) all have grants and scholarships they hand out like candy. Walmart, Kmart, Target, Coke, computer companies etc etc etc

here are some links with a HUGE list of what is available. some you will need to copy and paste into a new window. also, fastweb (take the time to fill it in) will search databases and get back to you with a list of scholarships you qualify for.

Also contact all mens, womens associations in your state, they almost always have grants & scholarships. What ever field you are going into, contact the orgs, associations etc for them; Also check with professional organizations related to your career interests, such as the American Bar Association or the American Medical Association. they also always have scholarships. Research and dig, call then write. Its all worth it.

OVER apply; it doesnt hurt to have too many, and the extra funds can help with housing.

YOU MAY NEED ADOBE READER:
(yes, its free)
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

TESTING & PRACTICE TESTS
(SATs, PSATs, ACT, GRE LSAT, MCAT, GMAT,TOEFL, etc)
http://www.kaptest.com/college
http://collegeboard.com/splash/
http://act.org/
http://lsac.org
http://toefl.org
http://www.ets.org
http://www.gre.org
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat
http://www.gmac.org

TURNITIN
(don’t copy papers, teachers/professors
DO check your papers with this)
http://turnitin.com/static/home.html
http://plagiarism.org/

INFO
NACAC & COMMONAPP
http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/
http://commonapp.org/
http://nsse.iub.edu/index.cfm

DVD TOURS OF COLLEGES
http://collegiatechoice.com/

CRIME STATS, DATA OF COLLEGES
http://ope.ed.gov/security/search.asp

OTHER BENEFITS
http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Benefits.shtml
http://www.grants.gov/aboutgrants/eligibility.jsp

SCHOLARSHIP LIST
http://scholarshipamerica.org/
http://www.lifebridge.org/gran-list-alph.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/njcomputerchick/school.html
http://www.chrome.org/scholarshiplist.html

MORE SCHOLARSHIPS, HELP & INFO:
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/servlet/scholarshipsearchservlet?SS_ACTION=DB_SEARCH&pageIndex=1
https://www.collegedata.com/cs/search/scholar/scholar_search_tmpl.jhtml?Referrer=OvScholar
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menu-jobs.htm
http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/other.phtml
http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/
http://www.back2college.com/library/scholarships.htm
http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/
http://www.findtuition.com/scholarships/
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/
http://college-scholarships.com/
http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/grants/grants.asp
http://www.gmsp.org
http://www.gmsp.org/gmsp_web/(nb5ctd55gavpfi55bb3a3j45)/scholarships.aspx
http://www.sfa.ufl.edu:16080/scholarshipcafe/
http://www.edsf.org/scholarshipAwards.cfm
http://www.fafsaonline.com/
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
http://www.feea.org/
http://www.greenzone.org/
http://www.salliemae.com/
http://www.ed.gov/finaid/landing.jhtml
http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/
http://www.educationplanner.com/ss/code/Profile1.asp?level=u®ion=s&mode=EDIT&sponsor=2859&volume=SS&e&h
http://www.studentawards.com/
http://www.collegeanswer.com/index.jsp
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/Detailed/Scholarships/Meta_indexes_and_other_scholarship_directories/Women_s_and_Non-traditional_students_scholarships_meta-directory_126.php
http://www.akaeaf.org/programsandinitiatives/
http://www.schoolsoup.com/
http://www.uspaacc.com/web/programs/jackie_chan.htm
http://www.blackexcel.org/link4.htm
http://www.dellscholars.org/
http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/
http://www.jackierobinson.org/
http://www.bpwusa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4212
http://www.wilsonfund.org/scholarships/scholarships.shtml
http://www.uncf.org/
http://www.socxfbi.org/login.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/cgi-alumni/adir2.dll&path_info=/search&sitename=FBI&scroll=10&p=1&S=scholarships&x=0&y=0
http://www.finaid.org/
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
http://www.act.org/recognition/clients.html
http://www.act.org/kfcscholars/index.html
http://www.kfcscholars.org/
http://www.rhodesscholar.org/
http://www.collegedata.com/
http://www.fastweb.com/
http://www.getreadyforcollege.org/gPg.cfm?pageID=139
http://www.policylink.org/EDTK/AH101/Financing.html#4
http://www.hud.gov/grants/index.cfm

MISC FIELDS OF STUDY
http://www.arts.ucla.edu/support_ucla/primary.htm
http://www.act.org/goldwater/yybull.html
http://www.act.org/recognition/clients.html
http://whereyouheaded.com/
http://luth.org/schools.htm
http://www.nwboatschool.org/
http://soloschools.com/
http://www.nols.edu/wmi/
http://etruscanfoundation.org/

NURSING / CAN
http://www.legion.org/?section=community&subsection=com_edaid&subsection2=com_scholarships&content=gi_eightfortysch
http://www.scholarships-ar-us.org/grants/nursing.htm
http://www.dar.org/natsociety/edout_scholar.cfm
http://nursingworld.org/nursecareer/edfund.htm
http://www.medi-smart.com/finaid.htm
http://www.discovernursing.com/nursing-scholarship-search
http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/DSA/nsl.htm
http://www.nsna.org/foundation/
http://www.4cnas.com
http://www.choosenursing.com/
http://www.minoritynurse.com/
http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subptyschol.inc
http://www.straightforwardmedia.com/nursing/
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/scholarship/

BECOMING A TEACHER
http://www.siemens-foundation.org/TeacherScholarship/
http://www.aft.org/teachers/jft/becoming.htm
http://www.fseog.com/
http://www.childcareservices.org/ps/teach.html
http://www.act.org/recognition/clients.html

CHILDREN OF MILITARY
http://www.legion-aux.org/Scholarships/TalSamsung/index.aspx
http://www.legion.org/?section=community&subsection=com_edaid&subsection2=com_scholarships&content=gi_samsungsch
http://www.militaryscholar.org/about/about.shtml
http://www.mcsf.com/site/c.ivKVLaMTIuG/b.1677655/k.BEA8/Home.htm
http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm <-do search for ‘scholarships’
http://www.milspouse.org/Educ/Fund/MilFScholar/
http://www.aerhq.org/education_dependentchildren.asp

INTERNSHIPS
http://www.fasttrackinternships.com/
http://www.internprograms.com/
http://www.brillstreet.com/
http://ceri.msu.edu/

DEPENDENCY or NOT
http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/apply_student_loan/understanding/financial_aid/dependency/

LOAN FORGIVENESS
http://www.pheaa.org/loanforgiveness/healthier_futures.shtml
http://www.aft.org/teachers/jft/loanforgiveness.htm
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/cancelstaff.jsp?tab=repaying
http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml
http://www.aessuccess.org/manage/cant_make_payment/Federal_Teacher_Loan_Forgiveness.shtml
http://www.staffordloan.com/repayment/forgiveness.shtml
http://www.educationplanner.com/ss/code/Profile1.asp?level=u®ion=s&mode=EDIT&sponsor=2859&volume=SS&e&h

STATUS OF LOAN OR AID
http://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/

IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR PIN yet (for your loan / aid status) apply for one:
http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp

ESSAY HELP
http://essayedge.com/
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/
http://www.gradesaver.com/resources/scholarship.html
http://www.collegeadmissionsessays.com/
http://www.nataviguides.com/broke_essay.html
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/apply/articles/process/essayjump.asp
http://www.scholarshipessay.us/
http://www.freschinfo.com/tips-brainstorming.php
http://www.freschinfo.com/tips-topic.php
http://www.korepetycje.com/Essays_Articles/scholarshipessay.html

GRANT SCHOLARSHIP SCAM LIST
(if you find a scam report it here too)
http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer/media_psas_classads.html
http://www.actstudent.org/finaid/scholarshipscams.html

LOANS
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DirectLoan/index.html
http://www.acteducationloans.com/
http://www.finaid.org/loans/educationlenders.phtml
http://www.financialaid.com/plus/index.cfm?id=plusloans
http://www.alternativestudentloan.com/
http://www.parentplusloan.com/
http://www.financialaidpodcast.com/about/
http://www.myspace.com/financialaidpodcast
http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

GRAD LOANS & SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.gradloans.com/graduate-plus-loan/
http://www.gfoa.org/services/scholarships.shtml
http://www.akaeaf.org/programsandinitiatives/

DEFAULTED STUDENT LOANS
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DCS/index.html

CONSOLIDATE LOANS
http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov/
http://www.plusloanconsolidator.com/
http://www.salliemae.com/after_graduation/manage_your_loans/consolidate_student_loans/student_loan_consolidation.htm
http://www.salliemae.com/content/privateconsolidation/index.html


TEACHER / PROFESSORS reviews, rated by students
http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/index.jsp
http://teacherreviews.com/
http://pickaprof.com/

HISPANIC SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.hsf.net/
http://www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org/
http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/grants/hispanic.asp
http://www.hsfi.org/
http://scholarships.hispanicfund.org/applications/
http://www.chci.org/chciyouth/scholarship/scholarship.htm
http://www.bpwusa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4212

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
http://www.edupass.org/finaid/
http://www.irex.org/programs/grants.asp
http://ciee.org/
https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/home.html
http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman/index.html
http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman/resources.html
http://www.iefa.org/
http://www.iefa.org/resources/
http://educationusa.state.gov/
http://college-scholarships.com/
http://www.studyabroad.com/forum/financial_aid.html
http://www.internationalstudent.com/
http://www.internationalscholarships.com/
http://www.internationalstudentloan.com/
http://www.globalslc.com/
http://www.edupass.org/finaid/loans.phtml
http://www.abroadplanet.com/student-loans/the-global-student-loan-corporation/
http://www.salliemae.com/international/
FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
http://fordfound.org/

Answer 7

Sure, a lot of people feel that way. It is very scary going to a new place and starting at a new school. You sound like a smart girl. You owe it to yourself. YOU can be the first in your family as I was in mine. Please, do it.

Answer 8

Work hard and try. That's the only way you will go. You are going to be a clinical psychologist, well help yourself get over your fear. Good luck that is all I have to say to you.

Answer 9

STOP WASTING YOUR TIME ON THE COMPUTER SAYING YOUR THE QUEEN OF BLACK PEOPLE AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK!