We all have the ideal picture of how college is supposed to go: late night studying, partying on the weekends and above all, endless amounts of freedom and spare time to do with as we please. And for a lot of people, that free time is filled with binge-watching Netflix and putting any thoughts of paying back student loans on the back burner for another, more responsible day.

I, like many prospective college students, had this image in my mind when applying to schools. I wanted to go away to college and experience dorm life, no matter how much it was going to cost me in the end. My dream school was Franklin Pierce, for no other reason than the beautiful campus and the idea of going to a well-respected private school. I was all set and rearing to go, ready to sign my future away in loans and put my parents on as co-signers, as if risking my own future financial stability wasn’t enough.

As it turned out, my parents didn’t have good enough credit to qualify for the Parent Plus Loan, or any other sort of loan for that matter, and I was stuck with the new idea of having to work my ass off to get where I wanted to be in life. I couldn’t go to Franklin Pierce, but had to settle for a school closer to home, one that I could commute to so I could find a job that would help pay for tuition. When my mother told me that there was no way I could go to the school I wanted, I took it pretty hard. I cried, slammed my way out the front door and sat in the car with my head against the steering wheel, truly believing that I would never be happy and amount to what I wanted to be.

Well, as most young people are when contemplating their future, I was wrong.

At first, I looked at my peers in contempt, wishing I could be like them and live on campus and party without having to worry about balancing homework and working 25 to 30 hours a week. It was extremely difficult my first semester because I was stuck in the mentality that working while in school gave me a less enjoyable life. It wasn’t until I saved my first $1,000 that I realized working my way through school wasn’t going to be all that bad.

The graduates of 2016 left school with more than just a diploma; their student debt averages out to about $37,000. With numbers like that, it’s a wonder anyone goes to school and doesn’t work. When I saved that first thousand, it dawned on me that it took a whole lot of work to reach that number, what with bills, potential car trouble and food all tugging at my wallet. Still, I wanted that care-free college experience, but I wasn’t willing to break the bank to get it.

I weighed the pros and the cons—if I didn’t work, I would have to take out more loans than I could and eventually end up having to pay them back with interest, but I would have an extreme amount of free time that I could use to go to campus events and make those life-long friends everyone always talks about; if I did work, I would have a lot less time to make friends and do homework, but I would be worry free about where I would be when I graduated, not to mention I would have a little spending money for when I did want to take the time to do something fun.

I’ve always been a social person and never really had to worry about making friends, but that’s a whole lot harder when you’re only at school to go to class and then you leave as soon as you can so you can do homework before work. But that’s probably the only real downside to working while in college. The sense of accomplishment you feel by knowing you’re paying your way and working your hardest is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Depositing that paycheck and watching the number in my savings account rise always gave me a great sense of pride—that and knowing it was all on me, that this was my future and if I wanted it, I had to go out and get it myself.

However, choosing to work your way through college isn’t an easy thing and the most important thing to remember is balance. Sure, it’s harder to make friends because you’re always busy, but you can’t give that as an excuse not to have a social life. The happiness working through college brings a person can never be complete without some actual relaxation and socialization time; if you don’t get it, you’ll probably suffer from a mental breakdown or two (take it from someone who knows) and will wind up thinking none of it was worth it.

Anyone can party and “make the most” out of their college career, but it takes hard work and determination to balance that and have the security of knowing you won’t be buried in a mountain of debt upon graduation.

This is your education, so work your ass off and go claim it as your own.