Sitting through the 45 minute lecture every Wednesday during PAWS about financial aid for college can be a real drag. Thoughts of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, annual income, government loans, and pell grants rush through my head, and I am wondering, why haven’t we started to learn about all of this, stuff, sooner?

Senior Rose Hogmire explains, “How backwards of a system are we being exposed to when we’re required to learn things only a few will use in the future, but it’s left to us to learn the things everyone will need to know?” Hogmire has a point. As a senior at Blaine I have never been exposed to skills such as balancing my checkbook or filing my taxes, but hey at least I can find the area under a curve.

When I sat down to file my FAFSA I found myself scratching my head in frustration at the question asking for detailed breakdowns of my families income. Hogmire furthers, “ It’s almost social sabotage when colleges want a well-rounded student that is successful in math, science, and reading, but [does not] care whether that student understands loans, taxes, or anything about what being an independent adult does.”

Logan Micek, also a senior states, “I feel like I am being thrust into adulthood without enough knowledge on what I need to do, I guess.”

At least Blaine is making a conscious effort to educate students on the monstrosity that is the Fafsa; however, it has students feeling like it’s a little too late.

Talk about college preparation should be started sooner, not the last week in February when decisions have already been released. I wish I was eased into all this knowledge insteading of it being bluntly fed into my head the last few months of High School.

You can find the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Mrs. Rice in the career center is always there before and after school to lend a hand. Adulthood is a scary thing, but Blaine has some resources to help ease the burden. Just try not to procrastinate this one, that’s one lesson I don’t need to be an adult to know.