<p>I'm currently a freshman at UCSD. I've been here three weeks and the place is really great. At first, I was ridiculously homesick and spent lots of time trying to get over my ex, whom I split with due to distance for college. It's the third week here and I'm getting use to my classes and enjoy spending time with my roommates, but I'm constantly haunted by one thing: financial stability.</p>
<p>Right now, because my parents don't have the funds to contribute to my college education, I am taking out 20k roughly per year in loans. In addition to government loans, and the interest rate of private loans continuously going up, I will be roughly 120k in debt by the end of four years. I will be majoring in computer science and feel like UCSD definately has the potential to make me incredibly happy. However, I am seriously considering going home and attending a local college there. I can see myself being happy there too, and I would be closer to family. That would also cut travel costs. Since I have to take extra classes during the summer, I will be spending more money. I'd like to live off campus next year, but that means getting a job, so I'm in a sort of tough state.</p>
<p>My problem here is, if I move back home, will I regret the decision for the rest of my life? I'm afraid that whatever choice I make will be a bad one and I don't want to go home, spend a year there and decide to come back to UCSD. Whatever choice I make will be the one I stick with. </p>
<p>Does anyone else have experience in this kind of situation? Did you leave a place you really started to like and did you regret it? I have friends at home and I am closer to family and although it was my dream to go to college out of state, I understand that financially, this is difficult.</p>
<p>I don't think UCSD is worth 120k in debt, especially if you say your parents don't have the funds. What state are you from?, I'm sure there's atleast a few good publics where you're from.</p>
<p>I'm from Washington state and University of Washington has a comparable Comp. Sci program. I don't know if seriously using 120k is worth the college experience away from home. I thought it would be, but right now, I feel like while I really would enjoy it for the next four years, I'm going to be struggling for the next couple years after that.</p>
<p>I have an illogical fear of not being able to be happy if I go back home. Has anyone gone through this process and did you end up happy anyways?</p>
<p>many years ago, I spent my freshman year at an expensive out-of-state private school. Then transferred to a reasonably priced state school (didn't commute).</p>
<p>I wasn't particularly happy at either location, but I was VERY glad I transferred. I knew what I wanted to do post-college, and it simply didn't make a difference where I went undergraduate.</p>
<p>I was very glad not to be saddled with debt.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Transferring will not leave you unhappy for the rest of your life. I transferred and I have been happy my whole life.</p></li>
<li><p>You have valid reasons for staying and valid reasons for transferring. Hearing other opinions may help you sort out your decision, but of course, it's ultimately up to you.</p></li>
<li><p>There is no right or wrong answer.</p></li>
<li><p>$120,000 of debt is an incredible burden. Incredible. If you are even imagining that UW could work as well for you as UCSD, my opinion is that you should transfer to UW. UCSD does not have anything to offer, imho, that is worth an extra $120,000 of debt. I am aware that UCSD is the third-ranked UC, which means it is a very good school. However, that is little known once you cross the state lines and will not pay off for you. JMHO and it's only one opinion.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Its doable, I just feel like any choice I make is a mistake. I'll get over it over time- time heals everything. I have eight more weeks in the quarter. Hopefully, I won't get too attached before I leave.</p>
<p>Akai, it's a hard thing to contemplate, transferring. No doubt about it - we wonder whether we'll like it as much as we think; we wonder about the choice left behind; we aren't sure how easy or long the adjustment will be. It's normal.</p>
<p>It's not that any choice you make is a mistake; it's that any choice you make leaves another good choice un-taken. There are two good choices for you and you can only choose one. </p>
<p>You show a lot of wisdom here in your posts. You are having fun at UCSD and feel good about it, but it hangs a big, big worry over your head - a financial one. Lifting that burden will likely be a great relief to you - now and in the future. And you can have a great time at UW, as well. I would say "Don't look back," but that is unrealistic. It's impossible not to wonder about the road not taken. But I predict that once you make your final choice, and after a period of adjustment - just like you say - that you will thrive in whichever place you choose.</p>
<p>PS One of the most wonderful things about the way we live today is that, even if you do get attached to some folks where you are, you have cell phones, AIM, facebook... and you can keep in touch and keep the connections alive.</p>
<p>I gotta say, $120,000 is a LOT of debt to incur, especially as an undergrad. I would not allow my kids to incur that kind of debt for an undergrad education because it is just crushing & really limits their future options.</p>
<p>If you wanted to pay off a $120,000 loan in ten years, you would have to pay nearly $1400/month every month for 10 years, on top of all your other living expenses, housing, car, insurance, etc. Below is a calculator so you can adjust the numbers & see what kind of debt you're talking about & what it means in terms of monthly payments.</p>
<p>One thing to consider is that if you do go back to an in-state U, you can always take a term or year as an exchange student or even study abroad or an internship. There are SO MANY options & UW has a very well respected CS department.</p>
<p>It's great that you've made friends & are happy & comfortable at UCSD, but it is very smart and sensible to look at the big, 4-year picture. Good luck in your choice & working out what will work best for you & your family.</p>
<p>I was close to jumping into the same boat as you (not as much in debt though) but instead worked hard on finding ways around the ABSURD cost of OOS tuition</p>
<p>The question is why did you go there in the first place? Did you not know how much school costs? Didn't you think about this when you were making your college choice?</p>
<p>I considered it but had considered taking out residency in Cali (thats way too difficult to do nowadays too) and I think I didn't care so much about money. I was like, I want to go here, so I will and I don't care how I get here. I know I'd love it here, but I also know that it was unrealistic how I approached the issue.</p>
<p>Since you're a WA resident, you also qualify for the National Student Exchange & Western Undergraduate Exchange, so you could spend a term or a year at a participating institution under the program & pay only 150% of resident tuition instead of OOS tuition. That's what we all did when we were undergrads in HI, so we could experience other places; it was fun & more affordable than 4 years of OOS.</p>
<p>Here's a webpage with some more info about the NSE</p>
<p>Because the longer I stay here, the more attached I get and knowing that I can't have this place will make it too difficult to leave. I'm considering withdrawing from the quarter and taking community college classes until Fall of next year and then attend UW then.</p>
<p>I would take summer classes to try and accumulate as much credits as I can. If worse comes to worse, I can appeal a rejection and keep applying until I get in.</p>
<p>Thats my plan at this point. My parents think its wise to do so- leaving is hard enough with just three weeks of being here, but another 2.5 months would be devastating.</p>
<p>According to the above website, it looks like you have 9 weeks from the beginning of the quarter to drop your class without getting an "F." You should confirm this with your advisor and talk with him/her about your options. </p>
<p>I understand what you're saying about it being difficult to leave & more so after being on campus for an entire quarter, but would carefully weigh it over leaving now. At this point, your family has already committed costs for this term & you could at least get credit & good grades for the courses you're enrolled in (you could double-check with the bursar/cashier's office, but I doubt you'd get any refund on amounts already paid and/or due for fall quarter; you'd also need to work out with housing whether you can get out of your housing contract, which is generally signed for an entire academic year).<br>
An option is you could leave after fall quarter, when everyone else also leaves for winter break & take community college courses in WA thereafter & begin at UW next fall. Only you & your family can decide what will be the best solution for you. Before making a decision, find out your financial obligations to UCSD--meet with your advisor now & ask whom else you need to meet with about your issues.</p>