Risk

Last week in class we discussed the risk involved in purchase decisions. I knew about cognitive dissonance, from marketing class, I get it a lot since I'm a poor college student trying to learn how to manage her money. I get cognitive dissonance over a new shirt, or a case of beer - so i experience that like every other day? (exaggeration, that's wishful thinking i guess).
Every risk that we went through, financial, social, psychological, personal, and performance, I applied to my life in a different way. --College in general was a huge risk for me. I could easily apply every risk to college.
Social risk- there are two - count 'em, one, two, other people from my home town attending Kent right now, they both graduate this year. By coming to Kent, I was not only putting a lot of space (31/2 - 4 hour drive) in between my family, I was putting a lot of space in between me and all my friends that were in college or going to college that year with me. I was essentially going to a school no one in my hometown went to or had heard of in lot a cases. I was taking the risk that I'd distance myself from the people I loved and relied on. All of my other friends seem to go to college together in packs 5 to Bowling Greeen, 10 to Ohio State, 4 at our branch in the next town over, a few at Cinci, and my best friend at OU, yes by herself but none the less still a good drive away. Yes, I was alone, no one to explore with, or room with, or even touch base with. alone. social risk - of losing touch with all my friends from high school.
Financial risk - I am one of 5 children, and my mother always said it was no problem growing up but she never knew we'd all go to college. So I am the last, the baby, and I've seen mom and dad go years without new shoes and have no vacation or money for themselves so they can send that money to my older brothers and sisters to help pay rent or eat that week. So money, financial risk - when i could have saved money by going to the branch in the next town over (my one years tutition at kent would have been the cost of all four years tutition there) was huge.
Psychological risk - had a lot to do with if Kent would be the right fit for me, one of my older brothers had gone off to school, to decide a year later thats not what he wanted, and a year later deciding he wanted something else. fear of failure, or wasting my money and my parents money.
personal risk - i think of that more having to do with my mom and dad, and saying over and over again - college is dangerous, be safe, dont walk alone at night, calls when i'm sick, and that.
performance risk - there was always the what if i just dont go to class, or if i have a really hard time in my classes. what if this school isn't teaching me what i need to learn, doesnt have the best professors and a good ciriculum? will the university teach me everything i need as promised?
college in general was a huge risk for me, good thing so far it's paid off.