College: How you paid for it / How are you paying for it

[xXKelbaXx]

Ok well College...We all have to go there these days, otherwise we get no where. I'm planning to go into pharmacy and my best case scenario if I get excepted into a college of pharmacy my first attempt is:

2 years undergrad (30k Total)
4 years Pharmacy (80k Total)

That's not counting personal expenses, and I'm going to a pretty cheap school (University of Arizona). I have some scholarships as well as fafsa coming in for my 2 undergrad years, but I don't know of ANY pharmacy scholarships. Anyone know how to make a quick buck, or am I going to have to take a dreaded student loan?

Also to make this topic more interesting, anyone have any funny/crazy/scary college stories?

[astcell]

The Army offered me all the medical schools I wanted all the way to Brain Surgeon. All I had to do was take a course and when I passed I'd move up until I hit a mental wall. I nver got off the ground, I hate needles. Gave my slot to a buddy who loved the medical field.

No doubt the ROTC folks will contact you in school and offer to pay for a lot of it (US Army paid 13K of my 15K loans in trade for 6 years).

And considering the state of the State, you would no doubt use the skills.

I am not trying to recruit you at all, just pointing out one of the obvious answers and wanted to let you know it worked for me.

[xXKelbaXx]

I'm not going to lie here. I am not physically fit, and I'm to lazy to do a damn thing about it. Any type of military trianing would whoop my ass

[d3ad1ysp0rk]

The Army offered me all the medical schools I wanted all the way to Brain Surgeon. All I had to do was take a course and when I passed I'd move up until I hit a mental wall. I nver got off the ground, I hate needles. Gave my slot to a buddy who loved the medical field.

No doubt the ROTC folks will contact you in school and offer to pay for a lot of it (US Army paid 13K of my 15K loans in trade for 6 years).

And considering the state of the State, you would no doubt use the skills.

I am not trying to recruit you at all, just pointing out one of the obvious answers and wanted to let you know it worked for me.

I've been getting a lot of military mail lately, just curious what type of benefits there are besides 13k after 6 years...

[jur1st]

Paying for higher education these days is difficult for many of us, especially graduate school. I know you've probably heard this many times before, but a good option for undergraduate years is small scholarships that might require you to write some kind of essay to qualify. I was in a fraternity in college, and my house had many great scholarships for those who could show some (not much) need for assistance.

Having just accepted another 20K in loans for my final year, I can tell you that grad school financial aid is even more difficult to come by.

I had an experience similar to astcell's in that I thought I was going to be a doctor when I finished high school. After a couple of sub 3.7 semesters it was clear that med school was going to be hard to get into, on top of the fact that I was sick of science. Luckily I had taken enough econ early in college to transfer to the business school to kill some time before I figured out what I really wanted to do. My biggest piece of advice I can give is to not pigeon-hole yourself into one field early on to avoid spending excessive time taking out loans.

I have no doubt that you truly desire to go into pharmacy at this point, but seven years ago (holy crap, has it been that long) the law wasn't even an option for me but that is where I have ended up and I couldn't be happier.

[astcell]

I've been getting a lot of military mail lately, just curious what type of benefits there are besides 13k after 6 years...

When I review job applications I find that those who fill out the Military Service section can normally fill out the entire application properly. You would be amazed at the number of people who cannot even fill out a 2 page form.

Other benefits? Well I do not want to sound like a recruiter here, but I have experienced all I could first hand, active and reserve. The best part for me was traveling to 25 states and 15 countries on your tax dollars.

Also there are some lines of work that folk around here wish to get into which require a security clearance. The military is the quickest way to get one (you still need to qualify on the background check) but once you get it there are employers, public and private, who will spill their mother's blood to get you hired.

[kallahar]

ast - $13k/6 years works out to an extra $180 a month... That's not much (in my opinion) for risking your life, he should probably join the military based on ideals first, and money second (or third).

I went to my hometown university for a year, which my parents paid about 75% for. Then I went off to http://www.oit.edu and got a four year degree in computer hardware for about $20k in loans total (including housing and food).

Of course, I went two years without a car, ate dorm food for two years, and worked part time for minimum wage my senior year, but no one said college was supposed to be easy!

[skroo]

Anyone know how to make a quick buck, or am I going to have to take a dreaded student loan?

Well, since you've already stated that you're going to be at an inland school, I guess working the docks when the Turkish Navy's in town is out of the question.

Part-time jobs are your friend. I worked three of them on separate days six days a week while in school. It made studying and having a life hell, but I was able to fit it around my schedule and I left college relatively debt-free.

Also to make this topic more interesting, anyone have any funny/crazy/scary college stories?

Abridged version: had a neighbour in halls who was selling heroin and ecstasy out of his room. One night, the rather large Pakistani gentlemen he had been getting his stuff from decided to pay him a visit and got the wrong room: they started banging loudly on my door and threatening to kill me. Ended up climbing out a window, down a drainpipe, and dropping the final fifteen feet to the ground. Good thing I had a car that year; I was able to disappear for the weekend. When I got back I found out that he had been committed after the Pakistanis had got ahold of him, beaten the crap out of him while he was sky-fucking-high on their junk, and dumped him in the middle of town where he proceeded to wander around naked and babbling until the cops came and got him.

I fucking hated college. More accurately, I hated the college I went to.

[not5150]

ast - $13k/6 years works out to an extra $180 a month... That's not much (in my opinion) for risking your life, he should probably join the military based on ideals first, and money second (or third).

Well... $13k back in the 1960s was quite a bit of money :)

Seriously though, with the GI BILL, loan reimbursement, and kickers (the extra bonuses that you may or may not get).. you can grab 20-40k.

Plus there are jobs where you don't have to be shot at... actually a vast percentage of jobs are that way.

I'm not a recruiter, no am I in the military. But I did stay at the Holiday Inn last night.

[astcell]

Yea, joining the military for the money is a joke. But to be able to say you have done it is quite a feat.

[valkyrie]

Ok well College...We all have to go there these days, otherwise we get no where. I'm planning to go into pharmacy and my best case scenario if I get excepted into a college of pharmacy my first attempt is:

2 years undergrad (30k Total)
4 years Pharmacy (80k Total)

That's not counting personal expenses, and I'm going to a pretty cheap school (University of Arizona). I have some scholarships as well as fafsa coming in for my 2 undergrad years, but I don't know of ANY pharmacy scholarships. Anyone know how to make a quick buck, or am I going to have to take a dreaded student loan?

Not to be snarky, but Mr. Google found this:

http://www.nacdsfoundation.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=666

As a starting point for you. I won't do any more. Let Mr. Google be your friend as well. There are several sites out there that list all kinds of obscure, yet financially enhancing scholarships. Several of these obscure scholarships have helped me make my way through the educational morass, and I intend on using them to the hilt for my (soon to be) next step in my formal education.

I also believe someone mentioned part-time jobs. I had two rocking ones. As a third shift security guard (Lots of time to study) and as an technical information analyst. (And some folks wonder why I don't sleep much!!! It's ingrained!)

If you can possibly avoid student loans, I would suggest it. However, if you must, go with as little as you need to get by. I have friends who are still paying on student loans after being out of school for quite a while. You don't need that millstone around your neck.

Also to make this topic more interesting, anyone have any funny/crazy/scary college stories?

Yes, but I am confident you REALLY, REALLY don't want to know about Nietzsche and the leather jacket. :-)

Much luck to you. Stay shiny!

valkyrie