How I Managed to Graduate College Debt Free

Hello, my name is Ryas Chapman. I am currently 23 years old and will be graduating in December of 2021 with my Bachelor's degree in Computer and Information Sciences. I come from a middle class family located in South Carolina and I am the son of a car mechanic who has operated his own shop in my hometown. We are not wealthy, I have never been given a trust fund and I went to a rather normal high school. I say all of this because I want you to understand that my debt free college journey is a product of hard work, sacrifice and determination -- nothing more.

Once I realized that I wanted to be like my aunt, who went to university (and the only one in my family to do so) I started my college search process. I had several schools in mind, both in the state of South Carolina and adjacent states. However, once I started to calculate the costs and my scholarships I soon realized how expensive it was going to be. In fact, at the end of my calculations and considering every financial aspect of going to school, I would be responsible for paying anywhere between $50,000 to $70,000 for my 4 years of education. This honestly terrified me as my family had no savings in place for me to go to college and at 18 years old, I surely didn't have that kind of money. This is when I first learned about the infamous Student Loan and the decision millions of students across the United States must face -- do I go into debt?

The question of whether or not I take out student loans soon became a topic of discussion in my household. I knew I wanted my education but at what cost? Is it worth the next 10-30 years of me paying off this debt? What happens if I don't go to college at all, will I be successful? In fact, you may be asking yourself the same questions as you stare down this exciting yet terrifying path. However, after months of researching and talking to many of my peers I finally made my decision. I wanted to graduate debt free and here is how I did it.

No Fluff, All Work

I will try to keep this as short as possible because your time is valuable and this right here is the meat and potatoes of the article. You do not have to follow this process step-by-step but maybe it can provide you with some idea of where to get started. Each person is different and their background varies so I hope you find this helpful and if anything, it inspires you to make your dream a reality. Now let's get down to it.

Think about what you want

Before you make any major decision, let alone one that can affect your life and your future you need to think it through. I know you're probably saying, well duh, who doesn't? You would be surprised. Ask yourself these questions and write them down. Be as clear and concise as you can. Talk them out-loud and really try to answer them honestly.

• What am I interested in/passionate about?
• What skills do I have?
• What could I see myself doing and be happy at least half of the time while doing it? (not everyday is going to be rainbows and unicorns. These things you can't control but what you can control is what you choose to do as a career).
• What specific careers do my interest align with?
• What do I NOT want to do? (people always ask what do you want to do, I suggest going the opposite way and eliminate the things you don't want to do. By doing this, you'll have a better understanding of what actually interests you).

Go see it for yourself

Now that you have a list or an idea of what you might want to do as a career, I highly recommend trying to see these professions in person. Interested in becoming a Nurse, Software Developer or HR Coordinator, go spend a day or two with them. The reason for this is simple, it's one thing to read it on paper, it's another to experience these professions in person. Here are a few suggestions on how to get started with doing this.

• Call the office of the employer to see if you can schedule a shadow opportunity (most company's love to see this as many don't take this initiative and will be happy to show you around).
• Reach out to family members that may work in the fields that you are interested in studying.

If you can, stay home

Covid-19 has turned the college experience upside down in the past year and pushed many students to remote learning. This change has brought some pros and cons but one opportunity in particular is that of staying home while studying. While some students have come back home, many are either living in apartments or in their dorms. I would recommend staying at home for as long as you can to avoid having to pay the astronomical prices of living on your own. I can say first hand this has contributed heavily to me being able to pay for school and save a good portion of my money. This is certainly one of those "sacrifices" I mentioned above but this will help you immensely with graduating debt free.

Start your journey at a Technical or Community College

What you've been told by your family, your advisors and many of your peers is the same sales pitch many generations have been sold. Go straight into a 4 year college or university and don't waste anytime getting there. You do not have to do this and regardless where you go, you will have to take what is called pre-requisites. These are your beginning courses that every student must take prior to their major of choice. I highly suggest taking these classes at a cheaper institution to avoid digging a financial hole just in the first year of school. The cost difference is dramatic and you also avoid being forced to live on campus (and pay for it) by starting at a community college. You will also likely qualify for scholarships by starting out here, leverage these to keep your costs down or at $0.

Try to get some experience (part time job/internship)

This will likely be one of the hardest responsibilities to take on, besides those of your classes. I have worked since the start of my college journey and because of that (in combination of what has been mentioned above) I have been able to pay for my classes out of pocket. I could not be more thankful to my employer for giving me the financial means to do this and with a little bit of research you can have the same opportunity. Again, this sounds crazy and at times it has been difficult to balance but I highly recommend doing this for the following reasons:

• Being able to pay for school (this is an obvious one but if you truly want to graduate debt free, you're going to have to get the money from somewhere).
• Work experience (this is something many students do not have when they graduate which hurts them in the job hunt process. Go a step further and try to find jobs in the field you are studying. This will be invaluable as you start your career and you can add it to your resume -- trust me its worth it. This is exactly what I've done).
• Budget and start to understand finances (by working and having to balance paying for school and other bills you will soon have to learn how to budget. This is an important lesson to learn ASAP. It's as simple as this: I have $100 and my bill next week is $60, do I go to that concert tonight -- no).

Transfer to an affordable 4 year school or do evening classes

This is where you will have to get creative and your time management skills will be tested. In fact, this is exactly what happened to me. I chose to take evening classes instead of going to the popular college of choice in my hometown and avoided their price tag. This is very taboo in comparison to what many students do but by doing this I managed to work a full time job during the day and take classes at night. Also by taking evening classes, the price for each credit hour was lower than normal so I managed to save money in the process. Don't get me wrong, it's not as easy as it sounds. In fact, it takes a toll on you but it is 100% manageable and I can say it was well worth the 'price' I paid.

One last thing

This is certainly a shortened version of the grueling 4.5 years it has taken me to get here but I say all of this because I know you can do it too. There is nothing special about my story and I was not gifted a silver spoon -- I simply worked and worked some more. I know it's hard to see it now as you may be at the beginning of your journey but the work and sacrifices you make will not be in vain. I believe in you and I hope my story inspires you to achieve your goal of graduating college debt free as I know you can. Remember, You are capable, well beyond your imagination. Never forget that.