u/whosereallife1

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
Originally, my plan was to go to a US community college in 2027, transfer to a 4-year university, graduate there, and eventually work in the US.
But after researching more, I realized finances are a much bigger problem than I expected.
So now I’m thinking of a different path:
Korean university (possibly Engineering)
→ exchange student program in the US (maybe 1 year)
→ graduate in Korea
→ later try for US graduate school or US employment.
I’m interested in engineering but still deciding between Mechanical / Electrical / Computer Engineering.
My long-term goal is still to build a career in the US someday, but I’m trying to find a path that is financially realistic.
Questions:
Does a Korean university + exchange student route actually help for working in the US later?
Is graduate school usually the stronger option?
If you were in my situation (average grades, non-native English, limited finances), what would you prioritize?
I’m not asking for encouragement or discouragement — I’m trying to understand what realistic pathways actually exist.

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
Originally, my plan was to go to a US community college in 2027, transfer to a 4-year university, graduate there, and eventually work in the US.
But after researching more, I realized finances are a much bigger problem than I expected.
So now I’m thinking of a different path:
Korean university (possibly Engineering)
→ exchange student program in the US (maybe 1 year)
→ graduate in Korea
→ later try for US graduate school or US employment.
I’m interested in engineering but still deciding between Mechanical / Electrical / Computer Engineering.
My long-term goal is still to build a career in the US someday, but I’m trying to find a path that is financially realistic.
Questions:
Does a Korean university + exchange student route actually help for working in the US later?
Is graduate school usually the stronger option?
If you were in my situation (average grades, non-native English, limited finances), what would you prioritize?
I’m not asking for encouragement or discouragement — I’m trying to understand what realistic pathways actually exist.

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
Originally, my plan was to go to a US community college in 2027, transfer to a 4-year university, graduate there, and eventually work in the US.
But after researching more, I realized finances are a much bigger problem than I expected.
So now I’m thinking of a different path:
Korean university (possibly Engineering)
→ exchange student program in the US (maybe 1 year)
→ graduate in Korea
→ later try for US graduate school or US employment.
I’m interested in engineering but still deciding between Mechanical / Electrical / Computer Engineering.
My long-term goal is still to build a career in the US someday, but I’m trying to find a path that is financially realistic.
Questions:
Does a Korean university + exchange student route actually help for working in the US later?
Is graduate school usually the stronger option?
If you were in my situation (average grades, non-native English, limited finances), what would you prioritize?
I’m not asking for encouragement or discouragement — I’m trying to understand what realistic pathways actually exist.

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
About a year ago, I started a long-distance relationship with someone in the US.
Talking to her every day changed how I think about my future.
To be honest, she is a big reason this dream became real for me.
But it’s not only about meeting her.
I want to study Engineering in the US, graduate there, build a career there, and become financially stable enough to create a good life and someday support the family I want to build.
That’s why exchange programs don’t really fit my goal — my goal isn’t just to spend a semester abroad and come back.
Recently I’ve been researching community college → transfer pathways, scholarships, and realistic options.
The problem is my family realistically can’t support studying abroad financially.
I’m not asking for money.
I just want advice from people who were in a similar situation or had to build a path without family support.
If you had my goal, what would you do?

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
About a year ago, I started a long-distance relationship with someone in the US.
Talking to her every day made me realize I want a bigger future for myself too — not just meeting her, but studying Engineering and building a life in the US someday.
The problem is my family can’t realistically support studying abroad financially.
I’m trying to look into community college → transfer pathways, scholarships, and realistic options, but sometimes it feels impossible.
I’m not asking for money.
I just want advice from people who were in a similar situation or had to build a path without family support.
What would you do?

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
About a year ago, I started a long-distance relationship with someone in the US.
Talking to her every day made me realize I want a bigger future for myself too — not just meeting her, but studying Engineering and building a life in the US someday.
The problem is my family can’t realistically support studying abroad financially.
I’m trying to look into community college → transfer pathways, scholarships, and realistic options, but sometimes it feels impossible.
I’m not asking for money.
I just want advice from people who were in a similar situation or had to build a path without family support.
What would you do?

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
About a year ago, I started a long-distance relationship with someone in the US.
Talking to her every day made me realize I want a bigger future for myself too — not just meeting her, but studying Engineering and building a life in the US someday.
The problem is my family can’t realistically support studying abroad financially.
I’m trying to look into community college → transfer pathways, scholarships, and realistic options, but sometimes it feels impossible.
I’m not asking for money.
I just want advice from people who were in a similar situation or had to build a path without family support.
What would you do?