By: Blakely Greenwell

Every kid grows up with a certain image of their dream school that they will one day attend after high school.  With times changing, these images are morphing to fit society and the individual.

The big, beautiful campus hours away from home seems ideal for most teens wanting the independence that high school didn’t seem to grant, but realistically making long-term dreams come true might call for a different approach.

Some teens look at satellite schools such as an IUS as copouts or mere backup plans. In reality, IUS is simply an affordable alternative for students who don’t want to move away, or have responsibilities here in town.  Is there anything wrong with paying less money to get the same degree? A common misconception is that IUS’s degree is labeled differently than IU’s, when really they are identical.

With that being said, a student shouldn’t attend a local school for those reasons alone. If someone has an ideal school, they should work there hardest to make it happen.  With scholarships being literally thrown at students by the supportive staff at NAHS, loans and grants a student who wants to leave town for school can make it happen somehow.

There is a school out there to fit any individual. From clown school to an accelerated nursing school, with hard work and determination one can end up in the surrounding they feel comfortable with a degree they are proud of.  Finding and deciding this school is the hardest part of the battle.

What is considered a “dream college” depends on the eye of the beholder. Upcoming college freshmen need to sit down and really consider what they personally looking for in a school, not what everyone around them is looking for.

Choose a school you will be happy to wake up to every morning, walk in with no regrets and be proud to say you attend.