<p>Ramapo does have a commuter lounge so if I had to I could commute all 4 years. But is 40k debt worth it if I am not even getting the full college experience? There is also the option of CC and then Ramapo/Montclair State/William Paterson/Rutgers Newark which are all state schools within commuting distance. My mom is getting frustrated with me because I can’t make up my mind but I don’t want to be a major financial burden on my parents. She doesn’t understand the American mindset that borrowing major loans is okay</p>
<p>If there is nothing but loans to pay for Ramapo now, then it is NOT the right choice. Sorry…CC will be what you make it. Make friends or keep any old ones you have, or both. You will have less distractions and therefore will be more likely to want to work. The more you work now, the more $$ you will have to spend on tuition. Think about how much you can save if you get a 20 hour/wk job…You just have to make sure you SAVE a lot of it. Good luck.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that you have earning potential. You can make money working summer and campus jobs. Also seek and apply for scholarships. They are available for college students too.</p>
<p>If you do attend the local CC, you will find that a fair number of your HS pals who start off in the fall at a “dream school” will be joining you at that CC in January. Some will be back because they flunked out, but others will be back because they didn’t like “dream school” after all, or it became too expensive, or they changed their majors, or fill-in-reason-here.</p>