I can’t decide between two different schools and time is up

@happymomof1 I really can’t. I heard it’s super expensive and most kids get apartments around the place or live at home. It is a commuter school after all. I would love to find a roommate with an apartment nearby the school and live with them but my dad said he doesn’t feel comfortable with that and doesn’t think I would be safe…so he would not be helping me pay. My last option is to live in the dorms. I just heard it’s wildly expensive though.

You don’t have to rely on what you have heard. Do your research. Here is the link to UIC’s COA—room and board is listed as $10,882, the room portion varies based on the residence hall and number of roommates. https://financialaid.uic.edu/cost/cost-attendance-coa/

You would likely easily spend that much on rent and food in an apartment in Chicago near the campus and/or in a safe location. Call UIC to see if there is a place students post for roommates, whether on or off campus. Perhaps if you find someone thru school your dad would think it’s ok. A three-hour daily commute is untenable and will prohibit you from attending group study sessions, and the like.

It looks like tuition, fees, room and board will be close to $26K. That is not including books, or transportation. Unclear if the fees include $1100 health insurance (waivable if you are on your parents’ policy). Will you be able to afford this?

Something else that hasn’t been discussed on this thread…as you have been at CC for 3 years, how close are you to your associate’s degree?

Are you in an RN associates degree (ADN) program? If so, you can take the NCLEX test once you earn your associate’s. When you pass the test, you can work as an RN. RN’s with an ADN make less than those with bachelor’s degrees but you can make a living, as the demand is there even for nurses with ADN’s.

Then, you can do a full or part-time ADN to BSN program. UIC, for example, has a fully online bridge program (except the clinical piece of course). https://bsn.ec.uic.edu/rn-bsn-program/

Here is the official UIC off-campus website.
https://offcampushousing.uic.edu/

Looks like you can get apartments for $1500+ and I see roommate requests for less than that.

@Mwfan1921 my dad is convinced that any area except for the campus is not safe.
As for the associates degree. I decided I wanted to do nursing later on which is why I spent 3 years at my CC. I was originally doing accounting and hated it.
As for the apartment situation, I do see a lot of people looking for roommates around the campus, but my dad’s worry is one of my issues right now.
I will have an on campus job and spend most of my time on campus anyways. I just don’t know how to convince him to let me give this a shot.

What more information do you need to decide? You’ve gotten a lot of good advice.

The area around UIC is so much gentrified and better than it was years ago. It’s probable that your dad is thinking about the campus area from many years ago. I would spend a day with him driving around the area, maybe even today or tomorrow.

I get how disappointing it can be to find out your path will take longer than you want. I’ve been there.

I didn’t finish college until I was 30 (I’m a parent.) I now have a wonderful career, a satisfying family life, and enough savings to retire at a reasonable age.

College is a wonderful experience in many ways. Four more years may actually give you a chance to develop some wonderful, lasting friendships, as well as a solid education.

I did my last 3 years at UIC (starting as a junior), and I can say a couple of things about it:

  • Large class sizes are pretty much all in lower division classes, and they aren’t as large as in many universities.
  • If you want a relationship and guidance with a professor, as well as more interaction in class, sit in front and make use of office hours. Almost without exception, professors are pleased to see any student take that sort of interest, and you can absolutely find interaction, extra help, and mentorship with your professors even of large classes.
  • If you commute by train, you do not lose study time. I’ve found commuter trains to be a great place for study, and I’ve seen many other students use the commute as study time as well.