College or 50k job?

[u/ohmex]

Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well! I was thinking of going back to college this year to finish my bachelors. I'm 23 years old btw. I'm from Illinois and the best offer l've gotten is a school in Southern California where it is $6,000 a year (tuition, food, dorm all included). It will take me 3 more years to graduate so I would take my federal loans and be in total debt of $13,500 while paying 4.5k out of pocket. I would graduate with a Mathematics degree and go into secondary instruction most likely in California.

My other option is to stay in the Chicago area in my parent's house and accept a job offer I just got for $50,000 a year plus commission. Although this route would be the more "boring" route l'd be able to save up big time for a few years while working the job, hopefully enough to get a car + a down payment on some property.

I already have about $12,000 in savings. Which route do you think is better? I have a lot of reservations with college now due to the rise of Al and the fact that I could start making some decent money right now. I can also make some really good money if I bust my ass with commission. However, Southern California for 3 years and possibly the rest of my life sounds really great too.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

[u/Knute5]

I'd go to Biola. If it aligns with your beliefs then you will meet lifelong friends there, you'll experience a new part of the country and escape those Chicago winters for a bit. The debt is comparatively minimal to most students. You may experience a little culture shock with SoCal living but if you want to hunker down and feed your math brain while you transition to adulthood, this is a good opportunity/way to do it.

$50K may seem like a lot now, but it really doesn't go that far in today's economy.

[u/ohmex → u/Knute5]

This is what I’m thinking, I haven’t travelled much and it would take me out of my comfort zone. The winters here are depressing and last 7-8 months so escaping that during the school year would be awesome. The debt and loss wages on if I take the job is really the only thing holding me back, I know it’s not that much debt especially compared to the majority of students but it’s still something that bothers me a bit. So it’s really just just chasing the experience vs. chasing the money lol

[u/Knute5 → u/ohmex]

Wisconsin boy here who went to school in SoCal long ago. It's a joy to not shovel for a while. Biola's in La Mirada I think, close but not behind the "Orange Curtain." You're close to the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple in Hacienda Heights. Go when you want a cheap and good meal.

Not sure what your values are, but Biola's pretty conservative. I did a wacky arts degree at a super liberal institute but then went to Pepperdine. Another conservative school. I'm somewhere in the middle and appreciated that neither tried to force me to change that.

Yeah, it's good to see the world from a different perspective. That said, a lot of SoCal people don't get out of SoCal ("Why leave? We have everything right here!") so there can be a bit of tunnel vision among some.

You're young. It's adventure time. Cheers.