Yeah, Mr/Mrs. Condescending, starting at a community college would've saved me a lot of money and I do have student debt, but for me, the benefits outweighed the costs. It was my decision, no one else's and it has definitely justified itself so far.

As a journalism major, I wanted to be somewhere I could start working and getting published right away. I am sure I would not have had the same opportunities I have here at DePaul had I started out at our community college. I have access to so much here that community colleges usually don't offer, or aren't recognized for. I've been able to be live on air at our award-winning radio station, get bylines in our university's newspaper and hope to have a role at our news t.v. show in the future. I can now say I'm ahead, only in my second year, because I wouldn't even have access to all of these spaces at a community college.

Not to mention the quality of my professors and the connections I've made. Professionals who have years of experience in the field from places like NBC, WTTW, and Chicago SunTimes are all professors, some of which I've had the pleasure of working with and who have helped me get my work out there and are providing students with internship information. Yes, it's expensive, but I really believe you get what you pay for here.

If I was going into something else, odds are I would have started at a community college, but the opportunities here weren't something I could pass up for my chosen field. The idea that I worked so hard in high school, and the scholarship I received would essentially go to waste played a big role too.

In the future, I'm confident it will all pay off. I'm proud of the decision I made, the connections and field work I've gotten to do so far.