I'm applying for NDSU right now, but I don't know if it's a decision I'll like in 20 years. Going to college is something most people don't... really think about. It's usually a question of where should I go to college, rather than should I go to college.
You take out loans for $60,000 (not counting ANY of the interest, which can easily double the cost of a loan and then some), to get a good career, but then you spend that career working to pay off the student loans that helped you get it in the first place. Along with the house payment, kids, pets, cars, furniture, and everything else you just "have" to have.
Is this life? That's not living. You're a slave. A slave to whom, I don't know. You're not a slave to the bank, because you didn't have to buy a house and pay mortgage. You're not a slave to the state, because you didn't have to go to college and rack up massive amounts of debt. You're not even a slave to your children, because you could have chosen a different life.
Why not skip the entire system? I don't say this often because it sounds cheesy to say, but you really have to know me well to understand this next statement: Sometimes I think I would be happier being homeless on the streets of some large city than going to college and settling in a career for the rest of my life, where if you "break even" on your monthly payments for everything, you feel like you're succeeding.
Ah we are slaves to our whims and those of societies.
I am not sure I would go so far as homeless but I do my best to fight and keep life simple. Another Interesting blog.
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
I'm not interested in a career where I "break even". I did the working for other people and making money for them routine for about 12 years out of college. I learned a lot and I don't regret it. But you can do a lot better if you aim your career at being self-employed. When you start to really make money that college loan looks like pocket change.
But it does take some ambition, some self-motivation and a lot of hard work. And a willingness to take the risk of failure. It is not for everybody.
I agree. I think the amount of success you have is proportional to the risk you took to get there.
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I suppose I'm really lucky in the fact that in three years of higher education, I haven't yet had to take out a loan. In fact, they've paid me... and I'm very lucky.
Unfortunately, I am going to have one of those "break even" jobs... I want to be a teacher, and last time I checked (which was a while ago, I'll admit) the starting salary in Washington state is $30-34,000.
Now, I won't have the loans to pay back, but I want 2 or 3 kids, a yard, a dog... you know, I want to live the "American Dream." It'll be hard to do that on 30 grand a year.
I think the thing most people forget, though, is that (despite the 50% divorce rate and the unfortunate inability for many to legally marry [if you see ediblewoman's blogs you know what i mean by that]) life becomes a partnership for many people.
My boyfriend is potentially getting into an internship with a guy who makes about $70,000 a year. Obviously he won't make that much starting out, but once we're married, his salary and my salary will go together. While we'd probably "break even" alone, together we'll be able to have the two cars, three bedrooms, big yard typical dream.
Lucky for me, I don't have to be afraid of college loans. I wish there was something I could do so that everyone who deserved it didn't have loans to pay back. But alas, I can't :( I can just hope that everyone is able to do more than "break even."
----
Your Tongue is a Rudder; It Steers the Whole Ship, Sends Your Words Past Your Lips or Keeps Them Safe Behind Your Teeth... [Brand New]
I think that everyone who manages their money right can do more than break even. It just takes some will power and careful planning.
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My eventual goal is to go to college for computer programming, get a traditional degree in it, work for companies for a while (Google is a dream job of mine) and sometime in the future, have my own computer repair business where I can run things the way I want to.
I believe it will make me happy in life if I could have my own business, and as you only get one life, does happiness really have a price?
Sounds fun! I don't know anything about computers, so people like me would love to give you a job .
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I haven't had to take out any loans and I have a BS in Biology. I will be taking out a loan in the fall for a phlebotomy program, but it's minimal... only $3000, and so I'll easily be able to pay it off within a year or so.
You don't have to pay $60K for a college degree, either. I paid maybe half of that, including room and board. I will be taking out plenty of loans when I go on to medical school, but that's not exactly a break-even job, since I'll most likely make over $100K each year.
~C
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I have taken out right at $60K in loans, but that was for more than the required amount of credit hours. I also had to take the full amount because our school only has one facility for families and non-traditional students, and I wouldn't let my roaches live there. Daycare ate up a lot of it before she started school, too. But, that's a more extreme situation. I think people can get out for much less than that if they spend wisely and stay in state.
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But the cost of college shouldn't. It is outrageously expensive, it's true, but the repayment on the loans is not terrible. They set the payments at a level you can afford (if your lender is a reputable bank, that is). School loans don't count against you when getting a mortgage (at least, they didn't 2 years ago, when my partner and I were in the process...the credit crisis may have changed that).
You will earn more with a college degree. You just will. Even as a nanny, I make way more than nannies who have high school diplomas, because I am able to teach the boys proper grammar, science, social studies, literature, etc. Unfortunately, we are worth whatever the market says we are worth (I'm only talking about earning potential here); since the market values a college degree, it increases our worth. You'll survive. But look ahead at what you might earn out of college in your intended field and choose a school accordingly. NDSU is probably a good choice financially, as you are unlikely to earn six figures right off the bat in computers.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman