Cheyenne,

Speaking from the point of view of someone who had an opportunity to finish my college education right after High School, but instead chose to get myself distracted with all of my “adult responsibilities.” I can tell you this, no matter how difficult you feel it will be to go to college now, given all these circumstances you mentioned, it will be 10x harder if you put it off for later on.

Right now you’re only bills are a cell phone and tuition? incidental expenses? I would kill for those to be my only financial concerns… and before you think Im some old dude, Im only in my late twenties.

At your age, no one really expects anything out of you, other than to do exactly what your parents are encouraging you to. Go to college, get your degree, because honestly without it no amount of “understanding the workforce” is ever really going to get you on track to a career, you’ll always just be “the workforce.”

Concerns about money are completely legit, most young people get insanely in debt to go to the “best school” when often times the people in the cubicle next to them after graduation paid half the price for the same degree. Unless you’re going into some extremely technical field the reputation of the college means very little, especially if your majoring in anything liberal arts. If you’re hesitant about moving away and the tuition? May I suggest a local community college? its often 1/4 the price of a major state school, its a great bridge academically between HS and a University. They do a great job of offering a flexible schedule for people who want to work part time and go to school full time and if you communicate with your advisers and you stay within the same state post secondary education system most if not all your hours will carry over to the state universities. Also if you decide after 2 years college isnt for you at least you have a degree that much no one will be able to take from you.

No matter what you decide trust me when I say, no matter how difficult you think the prospect of college is now, as you get older it only gets that much harder to juggle. If I had a time machine I would go back to my 18 year old self and tell him to get it together… and not make the same mistake.