My college rant... Why not?

My little rant on the conflict caused by high tuition rates. 

The college process is a grueling one, and the past few months have been filled with stressful applications, an extraordinary amount of essays, and a lesson in patience. And ironically enough, result of this rollercoaster of emotions is another rollercoaster of emotions. 

After the utter euphoria that came with receiving a college acceptance, reality kicked in as I stared at the cruel, mocking numbers on my computer screen. Apparently, going to college costs a lot of money. With parents who dont believe in college funds and don't want me to take out student loans, all that's left for me to do is hope for the best. When discussing my future, I've heard from almost every adult in my life that I must "be practical", and that I don't yet understand what a burden it is to have to pay back thousands of dollars in loans. While I do see their point, and I do concede that their experience may lead them to be wise in this area, I simply cannot let go of my dreams. In a society where money is valued above all other things, some people can't comprehend why I would choose a tremendous amount of debt over  attending a school for practically nothing AND stay closer to home. 

But dreams are called dreams for a reason, they haunt us in the best way possible, and I feel passionate about achieving what I've worked for. The costs of attending the school I want to attend do not outweigh the higher level of education that I would receive compared to going to a local school. Even if I have to go through massive culture shock, be distanced from family and friends, and eat ramen noodles for the rest of my life, I would still rather go to the university I desire. Perhaps I see it differently because I'm not going to college to earn a degree in order to score a high paying job. I'm truly passionate about my education, I'm thirsty to learn and apply my knowledge somewhere where it counts, and this to me is more valuable than the money in my pocket. We only live on this earth for a limited number of days, and so many people live for green little printed sheets of paper. People surround their careers around it, make decisions by it, even kill for it. Maybe I'm still young and naive (granted, I've never had a job), but I'd like to believe that my life is going to be about more than superficial aspects such as money. I hope I'll be following my dreams, living in a way that makes an impact in the world, taking advantage of every moment I have on this earth and living it to the fullest.  

My conclusion is that if you're truly passionate about something, you sort out your priorities, and make the necessary sacrifices. Life is short, and there's no do-over where we can do all that we miss, so as cheesy as it sounds, follow your heart.