Should I Attend College in The Big City?

Cities have many jobs and internships: The college experience is expensive. Tuition for some schools can exceed the price of a luxury model car. And, if you add up the amount of tuition for four years at certain schools, you can drive a Bentley or 13 Toyota Corollas.

Many students will need to work during college, whether it be to serve lumpy “potatoes” in the dining hall, filing away thousands of twenty pound chemistry text books in the library, or selling super skimpy clothing at a cheap clothing story.

In cities, you can find a job on campus or branch off campus and find a job in the community. You have four years to experiment and try your luck at any crazy job under the sun, on or off campus, such as a docent at a museum or a promoter at a trendy club. You can even dress up as a character at a local amusement park.

You can also try jobs and internships in your field of interest. For example, you may want to work at a investment banking, law firm or accounting firm. Just don’t expect to become the CEO at twenty years old.


Remember that if you take a job off campus in the city, you should factor in travel time. Also, most off-campus employers won’t understand the excuse “I want to go to Miami for spring break so I can’t come to work for three weeks.” That would seriously disrupt production. If you find a job on campus, your supervisors will most likely accommodate to your hectic school schedule.

Cities can provide you with more organized excitement: Cities have stores, museums, movie theaters, restaurants and other activities that can provide you with excitement. However, for many colleges in the city, the on-campus social scene can be lacking and undeveloped.

For example, many students who attend schools in cities may not feel as attached to their colleges. Why support a football team who is 2-10 if you can attend the opening of the new club down the street? Colleges within cities may have fewer activities because students leave the college for their social outlets. Make sure you investigate the schools closely and decide if on-campus social activities are important to your college experience.

Cities can be expensive: It’s all relative right? Certain cities are more expensive than others. But for the most part if you are making a decision to attend school in downtown Chicago or rural Mississippi, I guarantee rural Mississippi is cheaper. Cities tend to be more expensive than rural areas. Your salary as, let’s say, a newspaper delivery girl will not extend as far in the city as it will in the rural areas. Plus there are distractions in the cities, which cost money.

Cities can feel less safe: People are a bit more cautious in cities when it comes to personal safety. Most people in Los Angeles or New York City wouldn’t dream of leaving their doors unlocked while completing their daily errands. Their neighbors would rob them blind. The moral of this story is clear: you should be careful everywhere. Lock your doors and don’t walk at night alone.