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I attend a private liberal arts college in New England. I am 20 years old and already thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt, with still a couple of years of school left....
What school? How well are you doing (GPA wise)? There is always room for smart motivated students with "worthless degrees". But too many students are going to college that lack motivation and brains. If you are in a tier 3 school and a B average, it's going to be an uphill battle with just about any degree. If you are talented and motivated, you will find something. Doors open easier if you graduate from a better caliber school.
How did you get duped when you knew exactly what you were going into? You knew X University cost XYZ amount compared to Y University costing half of XYZ, but for whatever reason you chose the more expensive option. Transfer to a state school or see if it is possible to get a scholarship where you're at that might knock the cost down to in-state tuition somewhere else.
Why not drop out, join the military for a couple of years, and then go back to school with the post-9/11 GI Bill if you're concerned about debt?
The one thing you cant get from google and the library: a bachelors degree. What do you think you'd be doing right now if college wasn't getting in the way? I've noticed this from talking to a lot of current college kids (my boyfriend is in college now and has the benefit of going to school after his military career), but they all think if they weren't in school they could be landing some great high paying job in marketing or working in a generic office environment with a cushy desk job. Really, you'd probably be working retail or fast food.
There's nothing wrong with liberal arts. Study something because you enjoy it. Don't decide to change your major to engineering tomorrow because that's where you think money/jobs are. Everyone is doing that and I have a feeling four years from now it's possible that there will be too many graduating engineers, many of whom with no passion for engineering, that it may be tougher to find a job in that field. It is hard to know what the supply and demand will be in a field four years from now, so study what you love while you can and laugh at all of the naysayers. One of my close friends was an english major. How people laughed at her and how she wouldn't get a job. Social media director of a major national weekly magazine. Who's laughing now? Others majored in business, got jobs, hated them, and joined the military or decided to become special ed teachers or something. Another one of my close friend majored in sociology, she is now an archaeologist. Another majored in art history and does something managing stuff at Colonial Williamsburg. Study what you love and you can figure out how to get the job you want later (a lot is being persistent, staying motivated, and bringing passion and enthusiasm to your work) I do have a good laugh about all of my friends who were like, "Well I'll get an english degree and go to law school to make lots of money!"....highly indebted waiters and waitresses who thought law school was the answer of how to make money with a liberal arts degree. At the time, it seemed like the answer, but you can't always tell what will happen in three to four years that will change labor demand.
Enjoy school. Network, socialize, and all of that. It's the last time you'll be somewhere where you are all in the same boat (about the same age, same place in life, with people of similar goals). But for one minute, don't believe you were duped by some system. You're smart enough to know what you're getting yourself into, and you're smart enough to figure out hard work can pay off if you keep on working hard.
OP---You're experiencing what's called Sophomore Slump. The excitement and glow of college has worn off, and you have as much in front of you as you do behind you. The term "sophomore slump" was around before my college days, so what you're going through is nothing new.
I was fortunate, I never owed a dime for college---my father paid it all, except my spending money, for which I had a PT job. The advice Dad gave me, when I hit my "slump"---don't quit in the middle or you will never go back. Things will just get in the way. Then again, I didn't have debt to contend with. Is there any way you could complete your final two years cheaper? Transfer to a cheaper school, get cheaper living accomodations?
If you are in your junior/senior year, I think you should complete your college (finish what you have started, transferring may tack on extra courses and cost more in the long run). Then enter law school. You can make a great salary if you choose, but more importantly follow your passion. A great education opens doors and is an investment, the money will come and you will pay off the debt. Dropping out will get you nowhere, yet you will still have the debt.
If you are a Freshman, apply now to transfer to a cheaper state college. The education is just as good & the opportunities the same.
And I agree with the above poster about the Sophomore Slump. Lots of kids go through this, ie. questioning the value of what they are doing, wishing they could focus on something else that is more meaningful. Don't deceive yourself. You still have an adolescent brain that is capable of making bad choices, so just ignore your existential crisis and do the work in front of you! You will thank yourself a million times over years from now.
West seattle girl, unless this poster were to get into a top 10 law school, there is no point in receiving a law education right now. There aren't enough law jobs around for the amount of law graduates who have passed the bar exam these days and it is only expected to get worse. My law school graduate pals are working as waitresses or waiters, crushed by 150K in debt, and are unable to do the things I am getting ready to do like purchase a new car and a home. One of my friends feels like he can't even marry his fiance because she will then be crushed by his debt load as he can't afford it alone on his 36K a year teacher's salary.
West seattle girl, unless this poster were to get into a top 10 law school, there is no point in receiving a law education right now. There aren't enough law jobs around for the amount of law graduates who have passed the bar exam these days and it is only expected to get worse. My law school graduate pals are working as waitresses or waiters, crushed by 150K in debt, and are unable to do the things I am getting ready to do like purchase a new car and a home. One of my friends feels like he can't even marry his fiance because she will then be crushed by his debt load as he can't afford it alone on his 36K a year teacher's salary.
For some reason, people view law school as the thing to do, even still.
That is really sad. However, the OP should still continue with degree and get the BA with a high GPA. Then maybe teach English in Asia for a few years, or join the Peace Corp, while sorting out the long-term career goals.
Is this endemic of the ME generation? Blame others without taking personal responsibility. Nobody duped the OP.
They are even not doing proper research.. if he had, he would have realized there is a glut of lawyers.
Take personal responsibility. Quite college. work at Walmart to get experience in the school of hard knocks.
For anyone loking at quitting college in the middle, look into how long credits are good for, until they expire. Many students simply assume they can pick up where they left off whenever they wish. Policies vary, but usually one has to lock in certain credits by applying them to a degree, or they are no longer valid towards the application of a degree. It also depends on whether you plan to continue at the same university or transfer later to another.
If you're more than 2/3 the way through do look at how long you have to receive a degree before certain classes start dropping out. Then, take that with a grain of salt---what they say now might not be what they do later.
In many cases, just having a degree, in any major, is considered an asset. Certain Federal Govt jobs start at a higher pay grade with a degree, and many other jobs give higher consideration for hiring, promotion, etc.
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