Carmen's Decision
...y because she wouldn’t have been able to afford all of these things without the scholarship. If she goes to Radcliffe, then she would still have to pay for tuition, books, and maybe even transportation. It would be very unnecessary. So Mountainfield would definitely be the better choice for Carmen’s financial situation. At Mountainfield University, Carmen would receive a better education. Not only would the professors be better trained than those at Radcliffe, but she would also have a longer period of time to study her major. If she goes to Mountainfield she will most likely finish school in four years. If she goes Radcliffe, however, she will only be enrolled for eight months. How much can a person learn in eight months? It took me three years just to learn how to write a paragraph of Spanish in my foreign language classes. I think that four years would be a sufficient amount of time for Carmen to receive a decent education. Considering that Carmen does not know what kind of career she wants after high school, she should go to Mountainfield because there will be more options for her to explore. Ms. Aguilar, her guidance counselor, has told Carmen, “Most majors require only two years to complete, so you have plenty of time to find out what you like.”(218) I think it is an excellent opportunity for her to spend time deciding on what she wants to do with her life. If she goes to Radcliffe, she could possibly end up in a dead end job with no way out. They only train you in one area at Radcliffe, so if you find out after the eight months that you don’t like your job then it will have been a complete waste of money and time. So overall, Carmen’s happiness depends on going to Mountainfield. The most important reason why Carmen should go to Mountainfield is so she can gain more life experience. The school is far away from home, so she will be forced to meet new kinds of people and experience different situations. Carmen’s friend Alicia Casillas even says about Mountainfield, “It’s different. The people are different. You wouldn’t know anybody.”(218) In my opinion, it helps you grow as a person to put yourself in uncomfortable situations, and that’s just what Carmen would be doing at Mountainfield. Another advantage of moving away is that she would learn how to become more independent. If she also had an issue or some sor...