Funny thing, college.
We, "the future," are expected to apply to a rigorous four year college. Study mathematics, science, English, maybe French, probably Spanish, history, and have at least two or three extra-curricular activities. All this time we are suppose to apply for scholarships or financial aid, hoping we are blessed with anything that'll help us along. Loans help us out with the rest we can't afford. Loans that have an interest attatched, causing the amount in debt to pile up. Loans that make some parents, like mine, frown because they don't want their daughter, who plans on majoring in Drama, to be in debt the rest of her life.
And if we don't have this money? This money that can be over $45,000 a year. Well, "a community college will be fine." A community college that'll get you an okay job, in an okay city, living an okay life.
I used to think money wasn't so important, doing theatre and all. As I tell my parents I'm applying to NYU, they actually persuade me not to. Not because "you won't make it," or "NYU would never accept you, a girl from Oregon." But because "it costs so much to attend NYU, especially for four years," or "it costs so much to live in New York, " or how about "do you realize it'll be very competitive in New York? You realize you might not be as lucky as you have been, here in Portland?" Then the questions about getting a job comes up, as if I would never be able to actually get a job.
My parents have always supported me with my goals (more like dreams to them), but once I handed them the financial section on the college app, they thought (and are still thinking) of any possible way to persuade me to not apply to NYU.
Broke as I may be and in debt shall the future of my life look, I'm still applying to NYU. Definitely not to deliberately go against my parents, but because my goals and yes, dreams, are there, in that city, at that school.
Really,
I guess it's a funny thing, money.