The Coming Meltdown In College Education & Why The Economy Won’t Get Better Soon

I could certainly see how those motivators wouldn't apply to all students, though. Honestly they applied to me mostly out of personal, side-project-esque interest. In CS I tend to use statistics and discrete math a lot more than calculus, though calculus comes up occasionally.

When I signed the loan I was 18 and did not fully understand how much a loan would affect my life. It was very easy to receive an unsubsidized loan. I did not really think about too much to be honest. Growing up in a nice suburb. It was just the norm. My friends older brothers took out loans. My older friends did the same.

I grew up middle class. My parents had good jobs. I started working when I was sixteen. I did not do great in high school. In college I did very well. My last two years were the hardest. I worked fulltime. Having no free time was difficult. Still, I loved learning and it was a valuable learning experience. I was able to manage fun life, work life, and school life.

I worked hard at getting a good internship and a high GPA. At the end, in 2009, it was very hard to get job interviews. As a recent graduate, I could not get my foot in the door anywhere. I ended up a high end luxury store. It paid the bills. I recently quit because of family stuff I had to take care off. Now, I am jobless. I realized I have to start from square one. I am applying for internships at startups in Chicago.

Working for thirteen dollars an hour was just enough to make a living. I saw how many people without loans or college degrees had a better lifestyle. They did not have to worry about a large percentage of their income going back to the government. I am still unsure if it was the wrong choice. I learned more than I ever planned.

College changed my life in many positive ways. I am still an avid learner. I started reading news.ycombinator because I wanted to learn more about programming. I am enrolled in Udacaity right now. I also taught myself graphic design in the last year.

A very small percentage of the total financial aid comes directly from the school, so this is not what is happening. The vast majority of financial aid is from the state and federal government which is not financed by tuition.

They are using the extra money by and large to fund additional administration expenses, a new football team and other prestige projects in order to boost the perceived status of the school.

>If he can afford to pay twice as much and did so then the school was wise to raise it's sticker price.

I'm not saying that it raising tuition wasn't the rational choice for the school. However, it only works because federal loans allow them to do it. Almost no one can actually afford to pay the increased tuition out of pocket.

The more money the government makes available for student loans the higher tuition will go.

How many are there due to pressure? At the end of my high school career, I was ready to enter the workforce. I was already working in the industry I wanted to be in; there was little value to going from that perspective. Yet, the pressure from teachers and peers persisted. I was going to fail in life if I didn't go to school. You know the meme, I'm sure. I eventually succumbed and enrolled. Thankfully, I realized in my first year that I was wasting my time.

I picked up another job, used it to hone my experience in the industry, and by the time my friends were graduating, I was able to move myself into my dream job. I really don't see how a post-secondary education could have improved anything. It would have only been a hobby, which too is respectable, but not the right fit for me at that point in my life.

There's so much malarkey that goes around about education, it leads young people, without a clear view of how the world really works, to make hasty decisions that often ends with a massive amount of debt. I admire those who are in school for the right reasons, I just question how many really are there for the right reasons. I know I wasn't. I'm just glad I realized sooner than later.