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YourHub.com \\ Port St Lucie \\ Stories \\ Teen Talk \\ College

Live & Learn: local college options not that bad

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Contributed by: Chris Torres on 11/2/2006

To all those high school seniors conflicted with choosing the right college, believe it or not, Port Saint Lucie (or Fort Pierce) is not that bad. Most high school students graduate with the dream of moving as far away from Saint Lucie County as possible. Believe me, I was one of them. Coming right out of high school, I attended Florida State University in Tallahassee. At the time, I figured I was on the path to bigger and better things, that I was trapped in this local bubble. Two years later, I was back where I started - Port Saint Lucie. Believe it or not, it was my personal choice to move back home. While living in Tallahassee was an experience in its own, I had forgotten why I was there in the first place: to get an education.

Luckily for me, that realization came sooner than later. According to a recent article written by Kim Clark in U.S. News & World Report (November 8, 2006 issue), "a public university student now takes 6.2 years on average to finishing their undergraduate degree. Public and private universities raised the sticker price of the 2006-07 academic year by about 6 percent, on average. After subtracting inflation and financial aid, the net price the average student is paying has increased more than 2 percent this year, and the overall cost of a typical public college is about $16,400 a year."

Not surprising, two-year community colleges are still an educational bargain. "On average, tuition at such schools rose 4.1 percent this year, to about $2,300. That means students who live at home could finish their first two years of college for about $8,000, including textbooks and transportation," Clark reports.

In my personal opinion, if you can stick it out at home for one or two more years, you are probably better off in the long run. Indian River Community College is an exceptional school with a reputation of being one of the finest junior or community colleges in the state, if not the nation. Virtually every major is available locally, with a pre-med partnership with Florida State University on the horizon. From my experience, what matters most is the grades you earn, not where you earn them. A student with a 4.0 Grade Point Average from IRCC looks more attractive than a student from the University of Central Florida with a 2.0 GPA.

Basically, wherever your go, the first two years of your undergraduate studies will be the same. Most of your freshmen and sophomore classes are pre-requisites anyway. There are more credible reasons to spend your first two college years locally than to burn a hole in your mind and pocket someplace distant.

If, after two years, you still want to attend the big public or private university, then go ahead. Transfer to your dream school. But after those first two years, you will begin to see the big picture. There is more to college education than receiving grades, joining fraternities/sororities, watching your athletic teams win/lose, hooking up with the hottie across the hall, or experiencing what Milwaukee's Best tastes like coming back up (not recommended). The true college education is about maturing; becoming a fully-functional, independent adult.

For those who can see the big picture, maybe finishing your undergraduate degree here is not so bad. Located in Saint Lucie West lies a major branch campus of Florida Atlantic University. Despite their size, FAU is not lacking in the opportunities department. Believe it or not, you can actually finish up your undergraduate (and even graduate) degree right here! FAU's Treasure Coast Campus currently offers undergraduate degrees in such programs as computer science, criminal justice, business/general management, education/elementary, education/exceptional student, nursing, and social work. They even offer graduate programs in business, educational leadership, exceptional student education, education/curriculum & instruction, counselor education, education technology, nursing, and criminology & criminal justice.

Obviously, if you are planning on attending college, you must place some value on education. It used to be that students would attend college to broaden their horizons and become enlightened, well-rounded individuals. Not being naive, I know that is not always the case, especially in today's world. Most of you are going to college to further your career opportunities. Today, college graduates earn 63 percent (men) and 70 percent (women) more than adults with only a high school diploma.

Having attended IRCC, FSU, and FAU, I have seen all sides of the spectrum. If I could do it all over again, I would have completed my first two years at IRCC and transferred to FAU, instead of going straight to FSU. No matter where you go, as long as you have that college degree, the odds of success are in your favor. That little framed piece of paper equals more green paper in your pocket. Why spend more money at a distant institution when you can receive the same education, if not better, right here? It is all the same, anyway. Not only do you save money by staying here, but you increase your odds for academic success. With less outside distractions, studying locally allows you to truly focus. And the classes are small (better teacher to student ratio), meaning you have a real hands-on encounter in your education.

Going to college right here is not that bad. Actually, it is pretty good. I have studied under internationally renown scholars, but some of the best professors I have ever come across are right in this area.

As I have come to find out, college, and life, is a never-ending learning process. I have lived and learned. Hopefully, one high school junior or senior out there might benefit from my experiences.

Whatever it is that you are looking for, you can find it right here. Take a drive down Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce or California Boulevard in Port Saint Lucie. You do not have to be in Gainesville, Tallahassee, Miami, or Orlando to find a quality education. It is in your back yard.

Most high school students do not know that. Yet.

Hopefully, they will live and learn a little more quickly than I did.

Good luck!

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