As graduation approaches for both high school and college students, graduating seniors dread the seemingly never-ending questioning they receive from everyone: family, friends, and sometimes even strangers. What are you doing next year? The Scituation decided to do somewhat the same, and attempted to reach out to every member of Scituate High’s Class of 2014. As our Class of 2018 starts to make final decisions about colleges, we wanted to know all about college life–from people who made the same decisions four years earlier.

We heard back from approximately 30 former Sailors, now located all over the United States–from New England, to down South in Alabama, and those currently serving in the United States military.  Out of 30 respondents, 24 will be graduating this spring. The other six have either graduated early or will graduate a semester or two late due to illness, accidents, or gap years.

Only one of the students who responded transferred from the original college they decided to attend. Some of these original schools include Saint Anselm College, Boston College, the University of Alabama, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Loyola University, Maryland.

23 students reported they will graduate with student loans, which is just over 75% of the students we interviewed. With that trend, it is clear that most students are now graduating from college with student debt. That leads to the question, with all these student loans after four years, was college worth it? Was it worth all the money? And the general consensus is yes.

Olympia Sachitella, a senior at Keene State University, eagerly agreed, saying, “Absolutely! You meet so many new people who will be your friends forever. Although it is expensive, most students come out with debt, but it is worth it to be successful.”

Saint Anselm College senior Meghan James is excited about starting her career in nursing. She explained how college was a period filled with both personal and academic growth that will serve her well for the rest of her life. She stated, “I learned a lot, and I feel that I have grown as a person and matured a lot being away from home and having to be independent.”

The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is a very popular choice among SHS students, with approximately 20-25 students from each recent graduating class attending. Students from UMass Amherst who responded to our inquiry said the expense of college was worth it. Senior Jack Duff shared his perspective: “Yes, definitely–in order to do what I want to do, I needed all the mentors, academic skills, and professional training I found in college. It also was a perfect halfway-point between living at home, and being able to make my own food and pay my own rent. Basically, training wheels for being an adult!”

As these former SHS students look toward a new chapter in their lives–starting new jobs or continuing their education–we look to do the same.  As many current SHS seniors embark on their journey to college, parents and students may want to rest assured that everything works out in the college process. No matter how long it takes to graduate, SHS grads seem to believe the experiences and educational opportunities make the cost of college worth it in the long run.