Grayma
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2011
- Messages
- 956
- Reaction score
- 0
I usually am opposed to student debt. It can quickly escalate and get out of hand and limit the choices you can make for your life for decades.
Is your major something that tends to lead to good employment options? Are you sure you will finish? I know many education majors with thousand of dollars in debt who are working as secretaries, working at craft stores, and one who has been working at a coffee shop for the last three years- all jobs they could have done without college, and they would have less stress without the huge debt load. I know engineer majors who are working in factories on the assembly line, not as managers, and their debt load is not a good fit for the work they could find.
That said 2,000 really isn't that big of a loan. I don't think it would be a terrible idea to take just that loan, get that year of college under your belt. Right now start looking hard for a job that you can do during school breaks, and whatever it is, make yourself indispensable. My husband manages a grocery store, and there are a couple of college employees that he holds positions for each summer and during spring breaks because they are that reliable.
Another way to find a good job is to volunteer somewhere and do such a good job they hire you on. Two of my daughters did that and they did such a great job, their employer chose to pay them retroactively for their volunteer time. Unfortunately, it turned out one of them was too young - the state wouldn't allow her to be a paid employee.
Back to college- I don't agree that residency is always the way to go- my eldest graduated from a university 40 miles from us, and she commuted throughout her entire four years, and she finished school with no loans. She was able to save enough of her scholarship money to pay for a trip to Europe for herself.
Our fifth daughter is also going to school now, and she will living at home as well. She is looking to save her scholarship and grant money for a trip to visit friends in Germany.
In your case, I can see why staying at the college might be better for you. Since you say your dad is saying it's up to you, I think it might be better not to go behind his back, though. Taking off behind your parent's backs doesn't prove your're independent. It proves something much different, and probably will prove to them exactly what they are worried about. Of course, as the mother of seven kids, I am sympathizing with your parents a lot when I think about how they will feel if you just leave behind their backs.
I also think you're mistaken about the ereader. You aren't going to find a lot of typical college texts on the e-reader, and when you do, they aren't going to cost that much less. You can find out for yourself, though. Contact the school and ask for a list of some of the books that were used in the classes you'd be taking and look them up on your ereader.
Best of luck.
Is your major something that tends to lead to good employment options? Are you sure you will finish? I know many education majors with thousand of dollars in debt who are working as secretaries, working at craft stores, and one who has been working at a coffee shop for the last three years- all jobs they could have done without college, and they would have less stress without the huge debt load. I know engineer majors who are working in factories on the assembly line, not as managers, and their debt load is not a good fit for the work they could find.
That said 2,000 really isn't that big of a loan. I don't think it would be a terrible idea to take just that loan, get that year of college under your belt. Right now start looking hard for a job that you can do during school breaks, and whatever it is, make yourself indispensable. My husband manages a grocery store, and there are a couple of college employees that he holds positions for each summer and during spring breaks because they are that reliable.
Another way to find a good job is to volunteer somewhere and do such a good job they hire you on. Two of my daughters did that and they did such a great job, their employer chose to pay them retroactively for their volunteer time. Unfortunately, it turned out one of them was too young - the state wouldn't allow her to be a paid employee.
Back to college- I don't agree that residency is always the way to go- my eldest graduated from a university 40 miles from us, and she commuted throughout her entire four years, and she finished school with no loans. She was able to save enough of her scholarship money to pay for a trip to Europe for herself.
Our fifth daughter is also going to school now, and she will living at home as well. She is looking to save her scholarship and grant money for a trip to visit friends in Germany.
In your case, I can see why staying at the college might be better for you. Since you say your dad is saying it's up to you, I think it might be better not to go behind his back, though. Taking off behind your parent's backs doesn't prove your're independent. It proves something much different, and probably will prove to them exactly what they are worried about. Of course, as the mother of seven kids, I am sympathizing with your parents a lot when I think about how they will feel if you just leave behind their backs.
I also think you're mistaken about the ereader. You aren't going to find a lot of typical college texts on the e-reader, and when you do, they aren't going to cost that much less. You can find out for yourself, though. Contact the school and ask for a list of some of the books that were used in the classes you'd be taking and look them up on your ereader.
Best of luck.
