College Decision

           During my college search, location played a large factor as well as price. I was primarily looking for a college that was within commuting distance and was financially affordable. TLU came up late in my college search and it statistics were highly appealing with its small class sizes and new, highly accredited nursing program. Yet I never thought I'd attend being that it is a private school. But upon receiving my acceptance and scholarship, I knew I could not refuse. My parents, mostly my dad, strongly believe I should attend college in hopes of attaining a promising career. I felt the medical field provided the best opportunities and as a result, I surfing became my selected major. I feel that my decision is sound, but there are still doubts from time to time on if this is the best decision. Owen and Sawhill touch on this concern in their article, Should Everyone Go To College, saying "A bachelor's degree is not a smart investment for every student in every circumstance." What helps quell my concerns though, is an idea presented by Charles Murray discussing intrinsic rewards in his paper, Are Too Many People Going To College? He states that there is an important decision and that is "the satisfaction of being good at what one does for a living (and knowing it), compared to the melancholy of being mediocre at what one does for a living (and knowing it).

 What I take from this is it's better to receive a degree in something that you know that you will enjoy as opposed to something that you don't. And nursing provides me that satisfaction. So, with all the factors put into place, TLU came up on top and I am thrilled to see how the next four years go.