College is the most enjoyable and careless four years of your life. You meet new people from all around the world, make the best friends, and become part of a community that is bigger than yourself. There are some downsides to getting a college education, with money being the biggest. Some people have the funds and support from their parents and grandparents. Others, like me, have to come up with funds for themselves. This is not an article about attacking people who have their college educations paid for, it's simply about the growth and appreciation that it takes to pay your way through college.

As an underclassman, I use to think, "Why me? Why can't my parents help me?" As I learned over the last three years, paying for my own college has helped me to grow into the individual who I never thought that I would be. I have learned to appreciate my college education more than I ever thought I would. I rarely skip class. Knowing that each class is worth around $50 makes me want to put forth the extra effort to learn all of the new things that will shape my career after college. I have also grown to understand how important it is to work to get good grades. Every grade counts. I spend hours upon hours studying for exams, sacrificing nights in, and actually reading the $500 textbook that my professor required me to buy. I have become the student who I never thought that I would and have also picked up skills along the way.

Another benefit is learning how to budget my income and expenses instead of spending 95 percent of my money on food. Organization is another key skill that I have picked up. It can be hectic to manage classes, work, expenses, extracurriculars, and friends, let alone finances. I was the biggest mess in high school and early on in college, but, once I got accustomed to my financial situation, I quickly began organizing the other parts of my life and it helped me academically. Nearly every aspect of my life has been impacted by this choice. It hasn't always been comfortable, but I know that I wouldn't be as strong and independent without the experience. I have become self-reliant. By knowing that my future is in my hands, I have learned how to trust myself when trying and learning new things. I taught myself to see and listen to other peoples' perspectives, knowing that the situations that they have been in may help both them and me through tough situations. I have become well-rounded and involved in order to get the most out of the privilege that is my college experience. I appreciate the little things more and I understand the value of my time and hard work.

Tuition is expensive and taking on the responsibility of paying for the training of the rest of my life has benefited me through learning new values, learning to work as hard as I can for myself, and learning the skills that are necessary to succeed in life.