<p>Sounds like you already have your mind made up because you sure are making a lot of excuses for why going to school in California would be perfect. You’ll find dedicated, hardworking students at any college campus in America. Don’t fool yourself. There is nothing special that awaits you in California that you can’t find somewhere else. </p>
<p>If your parents can afford the cost, you should do what you want. But if you have to pay for school through student loans, then you should really reconsider. The UC’s cost around $50k per year for OOS students, and they won’t give you any financial aid outside of loans. Stony Brook is much more reasonably priced for OOS students. </p>
<p>I think you need to step back and look at the situation realistically. If you are paying with student loans, even after 2 years of CC, you’re looking at around $100k in debt. That is WAY too much debt, even for a computer science major. People don’t realize what this kind of debt is like. You think it will be so easy to pay off, but that is not the reality of it. And if you can’t pay that back, it will dampen a good chunk of your future. </p>
<p>Last year I was in your position. I was all ready to go to USC but I realized that it wasn’t worth it. I’m at my state flagship and I’m so glad I stayed here because even seeing that I have $5k worth of loans is hard to deal with. That money you owe won’t magically go away. And until that $100k is paid off you can’t buy a house, a car, start a family… great plan.</p>
<p>You can move to California after you’ve gotten your degree if that is what you want. But basing where to go off of something as trivial as the weather and the false assumption that you can only find people like you in California (and “really wanting to go there”) is a REALLY bad idea. </p>
<p>Plus, what happens when you graduate with your CS degree and find that you cant find a job! All of a sudden you’re working at McDonald’s for minimum wage trying to pay off a $100k debt. Not saying it will happen, but it has happened to people. You aren’t guaranteed a job after college and that is something you need to remember. </p>
<p>Go with what is AFFORDABLE, you will thank yourself later.</p>