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what sort of moron do you have to be to spend $170,000 on a photography degree? i don't even want to know what the math is behind that, i'm just surprised it is possible. To make matters worse, she didn't even know how much she owed because it was too depressing? what a weak-minded person; this goes far beyond a simple mistake.
i would've broken it off with this 15-year-old-in-a-31 year old's body as soon as the words "six figure debt" came up, nevermind that it ended up being 70% more than she originally claimed. It isn't even about the money, it is a pattern of horrible decision making, and a clear lack of respect for OPM which will surely bleed into her dealings with others (like, a husband, for instance).
The doctor with $250k in debt is another story. Although that is an excessive amount of debt for someone going to medical school in Augusta, GA, at least she has some means to pay it back over a decade or two. the NYT tries to make this out as normal, but $250k of debt at a place like MCG could support two doctors, not just one.
what I'm curious about, though, are the stories of the GUYS with the $170,000 in debt and a photography degree, and how this would affect their relationships. In these little human-interest stories about student loans, it always seems to be women with frivolous degrees and large amounts of debt. I have to wonder if Ms. Photography major would've even considered dating this guy, much less marrying him, had the tables been turned.
My high student debt load causes me to be unmarriageable.
I have a very high level of student loan debt, and therefore I am probably will never be able to be married because of this debt.
In retrospect, I should have pursued becoming a doctor when I was younger. I wasn't interested in medicine during my younger days, but if I had the foresight to have become a doctor, then I would not be unemployed or underemployed, would be making a lot of money and would likely be married.
Last edited by Highpointer; 09-07-2010 at 09:04 PM..
To me, the issue isn't even the debt. It's her tenuous grasp on reality.
First off, let's get something straight. There are plenty of excellent photography schools around the country that charge waaaaay less than the tuition she apparently paid. I mean, if she were going to medical school or law school at Yale, she wouldn't rack up that much. The photography program at a place like the Portfolio Center, a bad-ass program if ever there was one, is only $4,000 a quarter, $16,000 a year. What on earth has she blown the money on? I mean, a Hasselblad is $18,000, but that still doesn't even begin to approach the amount of debt she amassed.
What's more, I know any number of photographers. By that I don't mean wedding photographers, but people who do national-level work, people whose work shows up in national magazines, and have been featured in showcase industry publications and honors such as Communication Arts and the One Show. Yes, they make excellent coin. But not enough to pay back that kind of crushing debt.
So, something tells me that this woman isn't telling the entire story. Her fiance uncovered a rat's nest and got out while the getting is good. Don't blame him one bit. Life is hard enough to be shackled to a person with zero judgment. The rest of his life would have been an endless treadmill of work simply to eliminate debt he had not even incurred.
what I'm curious about, though, are the stories of the GUYS with the $170,000 in debt and a photography degree, and how this would affect their relationships.
These are the guys who are living with single mothers while hiding out from the creditors. On the side, they biff some bored housewife for pocket change.
When their looks give out (women say they no longer have "confidence") they can be found living in the single men's hostel, panhandling for spare change. They badly need a dentist.
To me, the issue isn't even the debt. It's her tenuous grasp on reality.
First off, let's get something straight. There are plenty of excellent photography schools around the country that charge waaaaay less than the tuition she apparently paid. I mean, if she were going to medical school or law school at Yale, she wouldn't rack up that much. The photography program at a place like the Portfolio Center, a bad-ass program if ever there was one, is only $4,000 a quarter, $16,000 a year. What on earth has she blown the money on? I mean, a Hasselblad is $18,000, but that still doesn't even begin to approach the amount of debt she amassed.
What's more, I know any number of photographers. By that I don't mean wedding photographers, but people who do national-level work, people whose work shows up in national magazines, and have been featured in showcase industry publications and honors such as Communication Arts and the One Show. Yes, they make excellent coin. But not enough to pay back that kind of crushing debt.
So, something tells me that this woman isn't telling the entire story. Her fiance uncovered a rat's nest and got out while the getting is good. Don't blame him one bit. Life is hard enough to be shackled to a person with zero judgment. The rest of his life would have been an endless treadmill of work simply to eliminate debt he had not even incurred.
Unfortunately, a cousin of mine headed down this path. She went to some art school in Los Angeles or Santa Monica that was something like $20K a year. Her mother (my uncle's ex-wife) co-signed her school loan (God only knows why) and then refused to continue to do so after she divorced my uncle. My grandparents co-signed for another year. I think she's something like $60K deep for her photography degree, but my dad finally talked her out of going any further. How is she going to dig herself out of that one? My grandparents wouldn't co-sign another year, so she didn't go any further--so she has all this debt and no degree! She works in a coffee shop.
And then there's my sister, with her BFA in Dance.
These are the guys who are living with single mothers while hiding out from the creditors. On the side, they biff some bored housewife for pocket change.
When their looks give out (women say they no longer have "confidence") they can be found living in the single men's hostel, panhandling for spare change. They badly need a dentist.
you have a very active imagination. what do you want to be when you grow up?
A college degree is now like having a high school diploma. Employers frown on people who don't have one, but aren't impressed if you do. And given how bad the economy is, a lot of people are questioning whether it's even worth going to college. Spend 20K a year to come out with 80K in debt. If you find a job, it'll be some entry level job where you get 35-40K. So it's surprising to hear that there are still people willing to incur such massive debt to pursue a career that has very little chance of paying off that debt. If education is an investment, then I'd hate to think how these people are with their other investments.
And here I am, with no experience, and a disposable camera, taking decent pictures that accurately depict the object in front of me. Oh, by the way, the camera costs about $8.00, and the film development about the same...
i know a couple of photographers who take the most amazing pics i have seen---they do lifestyle portaits and they are just gorgeous. neither one has a degree and they are doing great!
These are the guys who are living with single mothers while hiding out from the creditors. On the side, they biff some bored housewife for pocket change.
When their looks give out (women say they no longer have "confidence") they can be found living in the single men's hostel, panhandling for spare change. They badly need a dentist.
A lot of truth in what you say and in the future, it will likely be even more so. Most men cannot even find a job to pay the interest. At some point, this will result in homelessness or dependency.
A guy who is deep in education debt is likely screwed permanently. A women with a similar problem is likely only one smitten moron away from dumping said debt on an ex.
On sites where men deal with reality, this was a common situation that was described. Pump and dump.
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My high student debt load causes me to be unmarriageable.
