Why I Decided to Attend College in Chicago
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I get asked in one day “why are you moving to Chicago?” This always transpires after I answer the question, “so, what are you doing with your life?” Well, I’m here to answer both of these questions, and to throw some light on any confusion as to why I, a young nineteen year old girl, would choose to move three hours away from the life I know, into one of the biggest cities in the country, with about as much preparation as a teen for the SAT test.
So, what do I plan for my life? Well, I’ve only reached about as far as four years into the future. I want to go to college. So we’ll start there. A little over a year ago, I was a senior in high school, looking at colleges to apply to. By accident, I came across Columbia College Chicago. At the time, moving away seemed like a really good idea. My life was sort of a mess, my relationships with those around me were crumbling, and I honestly had no desire to stay in Indiana.
Life has since changed, and I have to admit, the move will be much harder now since taking my gap year. However, at the time, Chicago looked like a land of opportunity.
I applied to the college, got accepted, and decided that I would attend during the fall of 2018. That is not what happened. I ended up taking a gap year instead, thus deferring myself from the campus for another year.
Check out my post Why I decided to take a Gap Year below!
So, I wasn’t going to College immediately. Instead, I’ve been working (at a consistent retail job as well as on my own personal business). Though I would like to note that despite building a life here in Indy, I am still moving to Chicago!
Why?
First, and possibly most motivating for me, is that Columbia offered a very nice scholarship to attend. This rules out most competition nearby simply because it’s more affordable. And since I’ll be paying for my schooling myself, this is appealing to me.
On the other hand, the school is practically my dream school. It’s a smaller, private college which appeals to my personal preference in classroom setting. It’s smaller, and there are no two-hundred+ student lecture halls. One reason I ruled out attending IUPUI was because of the enormity of the school. I don’t think I would do well in a class setting that large. It’s just not for me.
I ruled out UIndy because of cost. Uindy was my number one choice for awhile simply because of proximity and class size. However, I wasn’t offered any scholarship or financial aid to attend and that turned me away as a potential student.
However, the greatest thing about Columbia is that it specializes in the arts! I’m attending for English with a minor in Marketing. Columbia offers classes, courses, and majors that go more in depth for me than other colleges. Their English department has so much more to offer and as a student, I appreciate that. They also have a really good post-grad employment rate which is inviting to me as there is a ton of competition out there for my major.
Furthermore, the day I toured the school, I fell in love. I was intrigued by the environment and the cozy feel. I loved the city. And I loved the life that existed around the college.
I’ll admit, I have some reservations in moving to Chicago. I have built a life here, and there is a bunch of things that I will miss. However, I know that this will be most prosperous for me and I am equally excited to embark on this new adventure.
So yeah, these are the reasons I’m moving to Chicago. These are the answers to why I am attending Columbia. It’s only a four year plan and I have no clue where life will take me past that point. But I am excited.
Thank you for reading! If you like this, please feel free to check out similar posts: Why I decided to take a gap year, How I found my Peace of Mind, and What I’ve Learned from Living with Roommates.
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Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored.
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