‘Imagine committing to a community college,’ I heard a student sarcastically say when I was a junior. I never understood why going to a community college was considered ‘bad,’ but it did make me question whether or not this was the right path for me. 

  Ever since I was a little girl, I was always asked about what I wanted to do for college. Before any family get-together, I would prepare answers for any possible college questions my family would ask, even though I was only in 5th grade. 

  Thinking about college at such a young age was a nightmare to me. I always assumed that I needed to go to an out of state college, which made me constantly wonder if college was even the right choice.

  I was never one to get excited about the university lifestyle with dorms, parties, and being far from home. The thought of rooming with a stranger made me feel anxious, especially knowing that I wouldn’t have the privacy that I’m used to. 

   As I grew older, I began to understand that I didn’t need to move out of Illinois to get further education, but that still didn’t stop me from worrying about my future. 

  Throughout my high school career, I have only taken one AP class and zero honors classes. I never studied for the SAT, nor worried about my GPA. Looking through college requirements as an underclassman made me worried and made me wish that I cared more about my future when I was younger. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to stand out to different universities. 

  At the end of my junior year, I picked up a copy of the senior issue of TSP and began to look through all the colleges that those seniors had committed to. I saw a long list of names under College of Lake County and decided to do my research on community colleges.

 College of Lake County, also known as CLC, is a two-year community college that is located in Grayslake, Illinois.

 As of 2023-2024, you can earn a two-year associate’s degree from College Of Lake County at the cost of about $10,000. Many students, including myself, may choose the community college route due to the affordability. 

  Hannah Gillette (12) is going to study collision, repair, and welding at College of Lake County in Fall of 2024. Growing up, she felt like she didn’t have a choice other than community college due to the rising cost of tuition at four-year universities

  “It was CLC, or nothing, or going into student debt for the rest of my life,” Gillette said. 

  For me, even though my family is considered middle-class, it has been difficult to think about paying for college. I am grateful to have a loving and supporting family, but money was always on and off for us, especially after my parents’ divorce, which caused them to divide up finances and decide who is paying for what. 

  Student debt is a scary thing to think about, especially knowing how long it could take to pay off. I never understood how houses of any income would be able to pay for 4+ years of college at a university. 

  I started to do my research on FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it made me realize that paying for college is manageable. However, even with financial aid applied, college is still super expensive to many. 

  My older step-brother recently graduated from a community college, College of DuPage,  getting his associates degree in HVAC. As I began to look into the college, I noticed that they have the major I want: interior design. 

  I was originally interested in going to College of Lake County, but they don’t have an interior design program. I knew that College of DuPage would be the right choice for me, seeing that they have my major and I would be able to transfer all of my credits to the next school.  

  To be an interior designer, I will need to have a bachelor’s degree, but since community college is only two years, I will need to transfer my credits over to a university.

  Thinking two years ahead used to be overwhelming to me because I knew that I would have to choose a university at some point. 

  College fairs were super helpful for me because it gave me more of an idea of what I was looking for in a university. One college that intrigued me the most was Columbia College of Chicago because they have an amazing transfer program. While looking around the fair and seeing how many local universities were there made me feel relieved knowing that I wouldn’t have to be as far away from home as I thought.

 However, not everything I have learned about college has been from outside sources. High school has provided me with a lot of valuable information that I will take with me after graduation. 

  Rebecca Bellito, a counselor at VHHS, works in the College Resource Center and has students come to her for any college advice. 

  She tells students to consider three components: academic, social, and financial. 

  “There’s multiple ways to get to where you want to be professionally and [earn] a degree, but it’s about students choosing, having all of the information, and deciding what’s best for them,” Bellito said. 

  She doesn’t have an opinion on what college path students choose, but she does hope that people who are concerned about going into college debt see that community college is a choice and it should not be judged negatively. 

“Every year when I tally up which colleges [the graduating class is] attending, we have the largest number of students attending CLC compared to individual 4-year schools,” Bellito said. 

  According to Bellito, there are a few differences in regards to community college compared to a four-year school, but what’s similar is that students can still graduate with the proper education.  

  Overall, I have learned that I shouldn’t worry about the people who judge others for their college choice. I just need to focus on my path along with my future and decide what is the best for me.