As high school graduation nears, you may find yourself slightly less than eager to embrace your impending adult life. The thought of taking on new responsibilities while away at college without your parents by your side can be rather galling. Rather than wander far from home, you can ease yourself into adulthood and college life by considering your options for staying local. These suggestions let you pursue your higher education ambitions while still staying relatively close to home.
Junior or Community Colleges
Junior or community colleges can be found throughout the country. They are often located in small to mid-size towns, although some are located in larger cities as well. These two-year colleges allow you to lay the foundation for specialized studies that come with pursuing skilled diplomas like a master’s degree in electrical engineering or higher medical licensing later at a four-year university. They also can keep you close to home and can save you some money on tuition and book expenses. They are also great for easing you into school if you’re not sure where you want to take your studies later on.
Virtual Colleges
More universities are launching their own virtual colleges that allow people to study and pursue a college degree from the comfort of their own homes. If you would rather stay close to home for now, you can enroll in a virtual college program and study any range of degree programs including teaching, nursing, and computer programming, among many others.
Many virtual colleges offer classes that are taught by accredited professors and instructors. The degree you earn also carries with it the same prestige as one you would earn at a regular four-year college. It’s a great option if you don’t have a lot of room in your schedule and want to do your education on your own time.
Commuter Colleges
Commuter colleges are often favored by working adults who want to return to school to pursue a college degree, or obtain specialized certifications or licensing. These students may live near the university or in the suburbs, effectively commuting to and from night or weekend classes.
If you are not ready to move away to a bigger college town, you may consider your local commuter college. While the student population may in large part consist of working adults, just as many young students like you find these smaller universities appealing. Many commuter colleges enroll fewer than 5000 students each year and have small classroom sizes for better one-on-one interactions with your professors.
You do not have to wander far from home before you are ready, just because you graduated high school and want to go to college. You can stay local by considering these options for staying close to home.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
As high school graduation nears, you may find yourself slightly less than eager to embrace your impending adult life. The thought of taking on new responsibilities while away at college without your parents by your side can be rather galling. Rather than wander far from home, you can ease yourself into adulthood and college life by considering your options for staying local. These suggestions let you pursue your higher education ambitions while still staying relatively close to home.
