Military? College? Trade school?

I think it's super easy to worry about what your worth as a person will be if you do or don't pursue certain paths. It's hard to break out of that view, but when it comes to making these sorts of decisions, I think there are elements that are more important than whether you're a "grunt" for going to a "bad" college or what have you.

That said, I don't know the details of your financial situation, but are you aware that the "top" colleges in the US (the more selective ones) tend to have spectacular financial aid. Many of them will meet 100% of your calculated need (though there are flaws in the way need is calculated).

You say that your grades are just okay. If that's accurate, you might have a hard time getting into those colleges. A solution could be to go to a community college for two years so that your grades can move from okay to great and you can have a stronger chance of getting into those top colleges. Even if you don't go to a top college after community college, you'll have saved money by spending two years at a cheap place. Your options aren't just "the military or trade school."

It doesn't sound like you want to go into the military. It is always my advice to people who only want to go into the military to pay for college to not do that at all. But you need to ask yourself: is getting into what you view as a good college so important that you'll sign away years of your life to achieve it? Would your time and energy be better spent on other solutions?

You want to go to law school, and you're saying that you can't swing it without military benefits. Frankly, it's too early to say that. Once you're closer to finishing undergrad you can reassess your academic situation to see if you'll be able to get scholarships for law school.

Consider your ability to work while in school. This might be able to provide you with the extra funds you need to make things work. This ties in with your trade school idea. From what you've told me, I would only recommend going to trade school if a) you truly have a desire to go into a field that trade school offers you or b) you want to quickly get certification to get a fairly well paying job so you can save for your bachelor's and law school.

We can hash out the details of some of your options here, but I really want your biggest takeaway from this to be that your worth is not determined by how many awards the school you go to has. You can be happy and successful coming out of Bodunk College in Nowheresville, I promise you.

 

Exoskeleton make some valid points. Don't forget that you can cut the costs of undergrad in half by starting with community college!

Now, I will be frank that law school is the most brutal of the graduate sector. Law is an extremely pretentious field. Undergrad education doesn't matter much in the field, but where you attend law school can literally make or break a career. Law school also tends to not be too forgiving when it comes to scholarships and financial aid unless you have significant financial which you probably won't if you live better than most. However, law school is only a few years and working alongside taking out a few loans is the norm.

Student loans are the fear of this century, but taking out loans to attend reputable universities in well paying fields in not the same as taking out loans for a Classics degree. It is all about the worth of a degree and law degrees from well ranked universities are absolutely worthwhile degrees.

So, I would definitely research how efficient the community college system in your area is. You are definitely going to want to transition as smoothly as possible so that you can perform well during your first year. You don't want to start out already stressed about money and we want to get to the point of being able to say that our undergrad grades not just okay but are great without the italics. :lol:

 

Well, I advise you not to go to military if you aren't "made for it". If your grades are okay, you shouldn't have trouble getting into a good college.
See my situation: financial situation is lousy, my grades are pretty good. I'm not a sporty type and I would be embarrased if I went to the military due to my physical (in)ability. Now, my father told me one day that he wants me to go to the military, as everything is pretty much free there. Suprisingly to me, my mom also wanted me to go there. They know I'm not the type for it but still. The thing that saves me from the military are my glasses, however. And there are some pretty good colleges near me so it isn't the end of the world. So, my advice is, don't go if you really don't have to. You'll probably end up in a pretty good college anyway in the end