I'm in over $100,000 in student loan debt, but I'm not using my degrees. I now often wonder if college was worth it.

Jul 30, 2026 01:13 AM - 1 hour ago 1

Smiling helmeted personification takes a selfie supra a wide forested scenery nether a partially cloudy sky.

When I was increasing up, my mom told maine that acquisition is ne'er wasted. I was fortunate to turn up successful a family wherever assemblage was connected the table.

Having graduated from precocious schoolhouse 1 twelvemonth early, I started my associate degree soon aft my 17th birthday. For 2 years, I studied zoo technology. Upon graduating, I decided to transportation to a four-year schoolhouse to prosecute my bachelor's degree. I went connected to study biology and chemistry, but aft 1 semester, I changed fields to workout subject and minored successful wilderness education.

Changing fields and minors required maine to return connected further credits to meet the requirements of my caller grade track. Another 3 years went by, and I graduated pinch my B.S.

I enjoyed schoolhouse — learning had ever felt exciting. So, I decided to prosecute a master's degree. Two semesters later, the weight of my student loans began to creep up connected me. Payments would soon beryllium approaching, and I couldn't attraction connected thing but the magnitude of money I would person to fork over.

I was getting myself into a spread I knew I would ne'er beryllium capable to climb retired of. I withdrew from the programme a fewer weeks later successful an effort to debar taking retired further loans.

Crippling student indebtedness now haunts me

I was conscionable a kid erstwhile I started taking retired student loans. I was eager to time off precocious schoolhouse and statesman my college journey, arsenic astir teenagers are. I knew I'd person indebtedness to salary disconnected down the road, but I wasn't expecting my indebtedness to beryllium truthful utmost astatine specified a young age,

The mostly of my indebtedness is owed to a backstage student indebtedness institution pinch astronomical interest rates. Now, I'm near pinch overwhelming monthly payments and 2 degrees that I'm not using. I'm a writer; I haven't stepped wrong a zoo successful years, and I ne'er did usage my workout subject degree.

My first quote for a monthly student indebtedness bill was astir $1,570. Several tearful telephone calls later, and aft falling down connected payments, my indebtedness institution was consenting to shave $1,000 disconnected my monthly payments. This is only a impermanent solution, however; the magnitude owed will spike backmost up.

In backstage loans, I beryllium conscionable complete $107,000. Income-driven repayment plans are not disposable done my issuer, and refinancing is not an action for many. There is small thief retired location for those going done backstage companies. By the clip you recognize you're successful trouble, it's excessively late.

Was assemblage worthy it?

I deliberation backmost to what my mom told maine astir acquisition ne'er being wasted, and I do guidelines by that statement. Had I not gone to college, I americium definite I would not person recovered a profession successful writing. My way to becoming a writer has been thing but traditional, but attending assemblage allowed maine to acquisition a assortment of profession paths and find wherever I genuinely belong.

I will everlastingly beryllium haunted by student debt, and it's a very existent anticipation that I will ne'er unrecorded my big life debt-free. That pains me.

Every clip I spell to make a payment, I mobility my determination to spell to assemblage successful the first place. I've ever been frugal owed to terrible worry astir money, moreover successful precocious school, but now it's exacerbated.

I'm school myself really to unrecorded a fulfilling life moreover pinch indebtedness pursuing maine everyplace I go. Happiness and indebtedness do not spell manus successful hand, but the only measurement retired is through.

If I could spell backmost successful clip and do it each complete again, I'd still take to be college, but pinch micro-adjustments. This was a portion of my travel to becoming a writer, and if I were to alteration thing astir my path, I fishy I wouldn't beryllium doing what I do today.