I used to sympathize with the current Millenials re this issue but then I realized that there is no reason to; unlike my Gen X generation, Millenials have loads of info abt damn near anything at their fingertips via the Internet. Back in the ol' public library days, if you lived in Doorknob like I did, there were precious few info resources even at a local library that discussed things like avg earnings for fields, etc. Now, a Millenial has 0 excuse for not going in with open eyes. If a recent HS grad goes $100k into debt for a degree in basket-weaving, that's their problem-- and their debt. Don't start talking abt how we need to "forgive" these loans or do anything else. You made your bed, now sleep in it-- just like the rest of us have had to.
Oh yeah, and if you expect honest "guidance" from college admission counsellors-- really, what are you thinking? I can understand a naiive HS grad getting hornswaggled, but their loan-co-signing parents? Come on! If you can get the loan money for a Mercedes but make only $20k/yr, do you expect the car salesman to try to talk you into a cheaper model or not get the car at all? Colleges are businesses, and not just businesses, but hugely-gov't-subsidized ones (i.e., we the taxpayers are subsidizing them). Want to see college tuition costs drop? Reduce/remove the gov't-guaranteed loans and you'd see ppl getting a lot more practical real fast abt where and for what they go to college or which one they send their kid off to.
"Higher education" has become a racket. People running colleges have zero interest in seeing you graduate with a marketable skill-set or even a valud degree (cheating is rife on campuses all over the country and little real effort is put forth to stop it-- but collect donations? There's no end of effort there!). All they want is your money.
Never expect someone to betray their own income stream. Want to pay $150k for a worthless English degree? No problem! Sure, reading Proust might make you more "interesting" at certain kinds of snooty parties, but unless you can make a living off attending said parties and expounding on Proust, fuggedaboutit, as they say in the old neighborhood. Being "interesting" plus $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Now, if you can open a business as successful as Starbucks... now you're *really* interesting...
Re: “Degrees of debt”
I used to sympathize with the current Millenials re this issue but then I realized that there is no reason to; unlike my Gen X generation, Millenials have loads of info abt damn near anything at their fingertips via the Internet. Back in the ol' public library days, if you lived in Doorknob like I did, there were precious few info resources even at a local library that discussed things like avg earnings for fields, etc. Now, a Millenial has 0 excuse for not going in with open eyes. If a recent HS grad goes $100k into debt for a degree in basket-weaving, that's their problem-- and their debt. Don't start talking abt how we need to "forgive" these loans or do anything else. You made your bed, now sleep in it-- just like the rest of us have had to.
Oh yeah, and if you expect honest "guidance" from college admission counsellors-- really, what are you thinking? I can understand a naiive HS grad getting hornswaggled, but their loan-co-signing parents? Come on! If you can get the loan money for a Mercedes but make only $20k/yr, do you expect the car salesman to try to talk you into a cheaper model or not get the car at all? Colleges are businesses, and not just businesses, but hugely-gov't-subsidized ones (i.e., we the taxpayers are subsidizing them). Want to see college tuition costs drop? Reduce/remove the gov't-guaranteed loans and you'd see ppl getting a lot more practical real fast abt where and for what they go to college or which one they send their kid off to.
"Higher education" has become a racket. People running colleges have zero interest in seeing you graduate with a marketable skill-set or even a valud degree (cheating is rife on campuses all over the country and little real effort is put forth to stop it-- but collect donations? There's no end of effort there!). All they want is your money.
Never expect someone to betray their own income stream. Want to pay $150k for a worthless English degree? No problem! Sure, reading Proust might make you more "interesting" at certain kinds of snooty parties, but unless you can make a living off attending said parties and expounding on Proust, fuggedaboutit, as they say in the old neighborhood. Being "interesting" plus $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Now, if you can open a business as successful as Starbucks... now you're *really* interesting...