Florida college students like you have ample opportunities in your future. This is the time for you to expand your horizons. You can test out what works for you, try different potential career paths and discover what you want to do with your life.
A DUI conviction may get in your way of doing this, though. You may think you will get off the hook if it is a first-time offense, but the strictness you could find may surprise you.
The impact of a first-time offense
The College Investor says your offense count does not matter in this case. Even a first-time offense is often treated in a brusque way. The treatment is unexpectedly harsh to many people. You could end up with a very different college experience from what you envisioned for yourself. You may even find your career path permanently changed.
First, certain fields do not accept applicants from people with a criminal record. This also includes DUI-related convictions. Examples can include government positions or jobs that involve childcare. Some jobs turn you down for DUI convictions, like jobs requiring you to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Financial struggles after a DUI
As for your time in college, you may find your financial options limited. If the college provided financial support before, they may rescind it. They may also bar you from staying on-campus. This forces you to pay full price for off-campus housing, which is often prohibitively expensive.
Because the college will take your DUI conviction seriously, you need to as well. If you do not, you could suffer severe setbacks in your schooling and life in general.
