What is college to most people? To most people college is the next step in the process of starting their own lives. Most people will be deciding on the college of their choice during their senior year. By the end of their senior year they will have been completely done with the process of being accepted to their college and getting ready for their summer orientations. Now some recent graduates will go straight into the workplace, but whatever it may be they have a goal to succeed. Now with those looking to go to college, they usually look at three major aspects of the college. The first aspect is how much it is to attend the college. The second aspect they look at is how many miles it is from their own homes. The last aspect is if the college offers the major they want to go into. To completely understand ones choice of college one must take into account all three aspects mainly reviewed in their own decision making process.

The first aspect is how much the college costs which can be broken down into many different parts. The first cost you want to look at is tuition. Tuition is what you pay for all of your classes with respective fees. In-state tuition is usually around six to eight thousand dollars every year, which is a primary reason most people go to an in-state college. Out of state tuition is usually double from the in-state tuition which would put it at twelve to sixteen thousand yearly. That is only one part of college expenses because you must also look at room and board. In-state room and board cost run about nine to eleven thousand yearly which includes your meal plan and your housing. After those two major expenses you also must pay for your books which yearly cost around one to two thousand dollars depending on your major. After you pay all of those college and university expenses, then you have to pay all of the fees associated with them which can be one thousand to two thousand. Finally, you can’t forget you must pay for your own personal items like toiletries, blankets, computers, and etc. That can also cost a thousand or so depending on what quality you get everything. So I am a West Virginia resident and for in-state attendance to West Virginia University it will cost me around eighteen to twenty thousand dollars to attend with all direct and indirect expenses. For someone out of state you are looking at twenty six to thirty thousand to attend. So choose wisely when deciding where to go because college is very expensive.

The second aspect most people look at while deciding on what college to attend is how many miles it is from home. This is very different in everyone. Some people will want to be far from home and others will want to be closer to home for various reasons. Some people want to feel like they actually live on their own completely independent from their parents and others want to feel more dependent on them still. Whatever it may be, it is another big reason for deciding on what college to attend.

The last aspect and primarily one of the most important reason for deciding your college home is because it has the major you want to go into. For example, I am attending West Virginia University because it is one of the only West Virginia’s College with that very specific major. Some people may pick a major which is commonly found at any college which is great because it leaves their option wide open to decide on the college of their choice. Other times you pick a program of study which isn’t commonly offered and you must search to find the specific one, which may eliminate some choices of college. This is a major reason in my decision and I’m sure it is in many American citizens. You don’t want to pay all of that money and not go into something that you love, do you? Of course not and that is why the majors offered is another major aspect of college decision. What college did you pick, and what reasons?