Author Topic: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....  (Read 166323 times)

sunshine

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 185
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #150 on: May 24, 2015, 06:59:14 AM »
I do actually feel sorry for some of them. So many are very young when they start college. Many are conditioned to believe certain things since they were small children. They are conditioned to believe this is the only way to success and it will always pay off. I see a huge difference in my kids vs some of their peers. Simply because of the belief system they were brought up in.

My spouse and I are a prime example. I was brought up by parents that saved and paid for things. His parents did lots of payments. He thought that was how everyone was and at a young age got in a bit of financial trouble. He was conditioned all his life to believe that was the way it was done. I on the other hand was raised another way and saw it very differently.

asiljoy

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 407
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #151 on: May 24, 2015, 10:27:54 AM »
Well, I don't find it hard to feel sorry for them.  They meant well, they didn't intend to cheat anyone or be dishonest.  They made unwise choices and now are stuck in a terrible cycle of debt.  I don't think it helps to pour scorn on people who made unwise choices.  I've made many in my day, not so much with money, but certainly in other realms, and it was sheer luck that I emerged fairly unscathed.  If negotiating this complicated world were easy, more people would be better at it.

Agreed

Captain and Mrs Slow

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 414
  • Age: 63
  • Location: Munich Germany
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #152 on: May 29, 2015, 02:23:23 AM »
Here are a few of the stories told. I really have to wonder WTF were some of these people thinking. Alot of "oh poor poor me" going on.


Dude you should become a politician, kicking people in the nuts when there down seems to be the mantra to the GOP this days. I guess it's easier than having to understand a problem and come up with solutions. It will be interesting if the GOP win back the presidency (and keep the senate and the house), OMG we actually have to govern!


Student debt has been turned into a profit centre for lenders and colleges.  The lenders have the ultimate safe loan - that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.  The colleges get to massively over-inflate their tuitions.  The students, all of whom are young and stupid, get screwed.

And in the end you have a massive number of reasonably intelligent, creative young people who must GET A JOB AND KEEP IT in order to pay the debt.  No room for risk, or entrepreneurship or fresh ideas.  They must become beholden to an employer as soon as possible, and stay there for a decade or longer. 


I agree but that would force people to actually think and that seems to beyond most peoples this days, why else would people be so willing to vote against their own best interests.

As an aside big media is rather confused by Bernie Sanders, polling in the low 10s or less, very clear Hilary is going to crush him big time, yet his name and campaign keep coming up on social media and reddit. The reason is very simple the millennials are just being crushed by the economy today but us baby boomers are more than happy to lecture them about working hard etc etc.

Afterthought: the conservatives and GOP are so focused in the quest to destroy Obama and kicking  the poor in the nuts that they are completely obvious to the fact America is turning into a fascist police state. Just google Asset forfeiture. The police can knock on your door seize everything you own (money cars house stocks bonds etc) simply by declaring that you are a criminal. There is no burden of proof! At the moment it's mostly preying on the poor, hence the reason the GOP are silent. But the day they come and seize everything MMM owns than it will be too late.



« Last Edit: May 29, 2015, 02:40:45 AM by Captain and Mrs Slow »

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #153 on: May 29, 2015, 08:35:00 AM »


Dude you should become a politician, kicking people in the nuts when there down

These fuck ups are kicking themselves in the nuts with the many stupid life choices they make. 

Spud

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 161
  • Location: Southwest England, UK.
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #154 on: May 29, 2015, 10:12:16 AM »
The common theme here is that all of these people are what I've heard called "financially illiterate", like the vast majority of people on the planet.

What I'd love to see for each of the examples mentioned on this thread is the amount of money that goes into their account every month as earnings and then an itemized breakdown of all their spending for the last few years. I bet we'd see some absolutely shocking spending habits in relation to what they earn as well as other debt besides the student loans.

==================

Other random thoughts that may or may not be relevant.

Imagine for a second that MMM (or even the slightly more hardcore ERE http://earlyretirementextreme.com/sitemap.xml) style frugality was taught as standard in every school in the world, and was successfully applied, 100% of the time, by 100% of the students for the rest of their lives. The global economy would crumble. Think of all the clueless consumers that would be lost. The likes of Apple and Microsoft would vanish overnight.

Instead what we've got is a system that does seem like a massive conspiracy designed to take advantage of the financially illiterate and ignorant masses.

The best thing we can all do is ensure that both we, and our children, do not follow in their footsteps. I really do think that people (not on this forum but in the offline world generally) downplay the role of parental influence in how someone handles money.

A couple I know both have parents that were not great with money and guess what, they've turned out exactly the same. Her parents were poor and always wanted more. They even offered to take out a loan to help them pay for their $20k wedding. His parents are average savers and average spenders. The difference is that when he was growing up, all they ever talked about was the spending and the stuff/things they bought. They rarely spoke about savings in front of my friend when he was growing up, so it never occurred to him that it might be good to save.

On another note I've realised in the past 5 years or so that many of the hardest working and most driven people in the workplace are those with the most debt. I've never had any debt (I learned early from good parents) and thus I've always been a little more relaxed at work. Thanks to being frugal I can cope with ONLY earning $31k a year, and have never been one of those seemingly crazed people who will sleep/kill/lie/ass-kiss their way to a higher pay grade.

Reading the examples in this thread reminds me a lot of people I've worked with in the last 10 or so years. They started off with fairly bad spending patterns and got into some debt. Then they went to university because getting a degree is just what you do. That meant racking up a load of student debt. Now they are working themselves silly earn as much money as possible in order to fund what they believe is the only lifestyle available to them in the developed world, whilst coping with making minimum payments on the mountain of student debt.

I honestly pity them because they still subscribe to the belief that external appearance tells you everything you need to know about a persons wealth, success and happiness.

My "alternative" path was to avoid the student debt altogether and take a decent paying but lower paid job and live more frugally. I'm going to ensure my children will be taught this from a young age.

Thinking back to "The Millionaire Next Door" which I read some time ago, it seems that all these people are paying thousands of dollars to potentially improve their financial offense (because that is what they are told they should do) and yet they don't realise that improving your financial defense doesn't cost a cent (people are rarely told anything about this).

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #155 on: June 06, 2015, 02:53:12 PM »
These people who keep crying how it's unfair that they should have to pay back their loans should shut up and read this!

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/06/05/success-even-after-self-destruction/

expectopatronum

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 225
  • Location: Texas
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #156 on: June 07, 2015, 02:26:09 AM »
Keep in mind that most people with student loan debt were clueless teenagers when they committed to the loans. For many, it is the first adult financial decision they ever had to make in their lives.


This. Additionally parents and high schools push hard to go to college. They paint a very rosy picture of college life in general, and tell you that college degrees automatically mean a very comfortable wage and that jobs grow on trees if you only go to college...

The American higher education system needs help. Too much emphasis on degree, not enough on hard work and hey that might mean trade school and that's just as valid of an option as going to get a BA in Film. (In fact, better. One wonders if the American Dream sometimes puts kids at odds with picking a degree wtih reasonable prospects. )

....In somewhat related news, I DO have a hard time feeling sorry for the Duke porn star. Her article in TIME made me want to punch a wall. The problem is not that as an upper middle class person, you can't get a good financial aid package. The problem is that you chose to go to a school that costs a fuck ton, whereas I believe she had a full scholarship to Vanderbilt and should have been able to get a great scholarship at a public uni. This was, to me, the equivalent of "woe is me, I can't make the car payments on my new Tesla and now I need a second job". No, you need to not buy a Tesla.

Now, first-generation state school kids who have been misguided into massive loans and live an MMM lifestyle? I can get behind those people.

infogoon

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 838
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #157 on: June 08, 2015, 07:12:59 AM »
The American higher education system needs help. Too much emphasis on degree, not enough on hard work and hey that might mean trade school and that's just as valid of an option as going to get a BA in Film. (In fact, better. One wonders if the American Dream sometimes puts kids at odds with picking a degree wtih reasonable prospects. )

"Just do what you love and the money will take care of itself" is what nearly every middle-class American kid has drummed into his or her head for years. Is it really that surprising that they believe it?

wenchsenior

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3791
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #158 on: June 08, 2015, 09:16:28 AM »
The American higher education system needs help. Too much emphasis on degree, not enough on hard work and hey that might mean trade school and that's just as valid of an option as going to get a BA in Film. (In fact, better. One wonders if the American Dream sometimes puts kids at odds with picking a degree wtih reasonable prospects. )

"Just do what you love and the money will take care of itself" is what nearly every middle-class American kid has drummed into his or her head for years. Is it really that surprising that they believe it?

I think there is a big shift going on in terms of this. For most Boomers, at least the older ones, college was pretty affordable and it usually did mean a good income. They practically invented "Do what you love, etc." For Gen X, raised by Silents and Boomers, the same thing was drilled into our heads, and although college was getting more expensive, it was still assumed that it would get you a pretty good job (most Gen Xers were in college/graduating during the 90s).

Then came the 2000s...with a rapidly tightening job market, skyrocketing college costs, and two recessions. So the Millennials are facing tougher conditions, but given that they are raised by Boomer and Gen X parents who might not fully realize how much the world has changed, I think the message of spending educational monies on only the most brutally practical majors/skills is still being sporadically presented.

nobodyspecial

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Location: Land above the land of the free
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #159 on: June 08, 2015, 09:53:08 AM »
"Just do what you love and the money will take care of itself" is what nearly every middle-class American kid has drummed into his or her head for years.
For people going to college in the 60s that worked.  Management jobs required a degree, didn't matter what degree it was just a filter. So if everybody got a degree everyone would be a manager.

Right now, 3 years extra programming experience at age 21 and a couple of successful open source or app store projects are worth a lot more than 90% of CS degrees in the job market. And instead of being $100k down in the FIRE race you are $100K up.






MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #160 on: June 08, 2015, 10:34:39 AM »
Why don't the poor people just all eat cake? [/sarcasm]

mathlete

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2070
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #161 on: June 08, 2015, 10:44:56 AM »
Right now, 3 years extra programming experience at age 21 and a couple of successful open source or app store projects are worth a lot more than 90% of CS degrees in the job market. And instead of being $100k down in the FIRE race you are $100K up.

I'd say banking on a kid creating a couple of successful app store projects between age 18 and 21 is probably a worse bet than a college degree. It has the bonus of not putting you in debt, but a vast majority of mobile phone software development is actually done by a small handful of people and companies.

Of course if you manage to develop some great apps, smart companies will hire you and you can even go into business on your own if you want, but the people who write hit apps are usually either exceptionally talented or exceptionally lucky.

"Be exceptional" isn't really advice so I think your average kid who is decent with computers is still better off getting a degree and trying to find a job either in IT or developing proprietary software for a business.

MgoSam

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3684
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #162 on: June 08, 2015, 11:57:49 AM »
Right now, 3 years extra programming experience at age 21 and a couple of successful open source or app store projects are worth a lot more than 90% of CS degrees in the job market. And instead of being $100k down in the FIRE race you are $100K up.

I'd say banking on a kid creating a couple of successful app store projects between age 18 and 21 is probably a worse bet than a college degree. It has the bonus of not putting you in debt, but a vast majority of mobile phone software development is actually done by a small handful of people and companies.

Of course if you manage to develop some great apps, smart companies will hire you and you can even go into business on your own if you want, but the people who write hit apps are usually either exceptionally talented or exceptionally lucky.

"Be exceptional" isn't really advice so I think your average kid who is decent with computers is still better off getting a degree and trying to find a job either in IT or developing proprietary software for a business.

I don't necessarily disagree with you on the virtues of acting doing something instead of going to college, but not everyone is going to be good at this, and even among those that are, not many are going to be make a living doing so.

That said, I do agree with anyone doing anything to earn a living instead of going to college. College is fun, but it really doesn't do much to prepare you for life or a career...unless you get a degree that is worth it's wait.

BlueHouse

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4136
  • Location: WDC
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #163 on: June 08, 2015, 12:53:55 PM »
"Just do what you love and the money will take care of itself" is what nearly every middle-class American kid has drummed into his or her head for years. Is it really that surprising that they believe it?
That's not exactly how I remember hearing it.  In my day, we substituted "Find a career that you enjoy" for "do what you love".  I think the nincompoops of today believe that if they love playing video games, someone will find them and pay them to create the idea for the next big video game sensation.   It just doesn't translate into develop a creative idea and follow through with gaining the skills you need to make a career of it.   

I truly believe that many of today's graduates believe that things "just happen" to people who have become successful and they feel entitled to the same level of success. 

A millenial I know was applying for a rather high-level job as a financial auditor and for which he was grossly unqualified.  He had zero experience in the field, but does use Excel as part of his job.  I asked him what he knew about the position and whether he had ever done anything remotely like it before.  He explained that most jobs have a set of process instructions that document the work and that he would just follow the manual.  I was flabbergasted at the complete lack of understanding.   

MgoSam

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3684
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #164 on: June 08, 2015, 01:14:38 PM »
This is required reading for basically everybody who posts on this thread or most of the other threads in this sub-forum: http://imgur.com/gallery/h82vC

I agree, and loved this comic (posted it on my FB page).

nobodyspecial

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Location: Land above the land of the free
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #165 on: June 08, 2015, 02:26:58 PM »
I'd say banking on a kid creating a couple of successful app store projects between age 18 and 21 is probably a worse bet than a college degree.
I didn't mean rely on writing an app to make money.
I meant that if I interview a new CS grad from anywhere other than a top5 dept then I am not going to rate their degree above  3 years experience from somebody without a degree. Especially if that person's experience involved the full, design, build, market, sell, support, improve life cycle of their own app (or popular open source project).

The question is will a degree or 3 years extra experience and a bunch of side projects impress a recruiter more ...





MgoSam

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3684
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #166 on: June 08, 2015, 02:36:12 PM »
I'd say banking on a kid creating a couple of successful app store projects between age 18 and 21 is probably a worse bet than a college degree.
I didn't mean rely on writing an app to make money.
I meant that if I interview a new CS grad from anywhere other than a top5 dept then I am not going to rate their degree above  3 years experience from somebody without a degree. Especially if that person's experience involved the full, design, build, market, sell, support, improve life cycle of their own app (or popular open source project).

The question is will a degree or 3 years extra experience and a bunch of side projects impress a recruiter more ...

Absolutely I agree. We are looking for a receptionist at work and the owner is harping on about college, whereas we haven't really received that many resumes. I've mentioned that

a. It really doesn't affect a qualified person (if they can type and answer the phone then they  can likely do the job)
b. A college educated person that takes this job likely will leave it as soon as they get something better

He disagreed, while I am looking for someone that has some work experience, and don't care if they went to college or not.

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #167 on: June 08, 2015, 04:36:18 PM »
I know that we like to pretend on this forum that we're all in Lake Woebegone and everyone is above average, but that's not how reality works.  Some people in this world are going to have to work shit jobs because they are not capable of doing better.  The question then becomes whether people with shit jobs deserve to be able to at least scrape out a living from it or whether they should die in the gutter.  The majority of Americans think they should die in the gutter, which is just sad.

nobodyspecial

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Location: Land above the land of the free
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #168 on: June 08, 2015, 05:11:42 PM »
So telling them that they are a special little rainbow and if they borrowed $100k to do a worthless degree then the world owes them a living isn't helping. 

hint if your degree has "studies" or "history of" in the title it is probably useless.

Migrator Soul

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 145
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Texas
  • The sooner you realize life is hard, the better.
    • Cerebral Combatant
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #169 on: June 08, 2015, 06:37:56 PM »
I grew up piss poor, and graduated HS in 2010, and saw the great 2008 crash first hand as I was preparing to venture into the world.. I would be willing to bet that I may be the youngest, or one of the youngest here on this board. However, I for sure as shit didn't like the idea of going to college to get a degree costing thousands and "potentially" getting a job.

A few months before graduation, I was called up to the guidance councilors office. "So, Migrator, what are your plans for college? You have a great GPA, are reasonably intelligent, and yet I have not heard a peep from you about your college choices, unlike your peers."

Me. "I don't see the point in buying a degree that I may not be able to pay for, as I watch the economy crash all around me. Especially when I see the same people who taught me a few years ago get 'let go' because the district can't pay their salaries. Many of whom were the same teachers espousing loans and college and the dream."

Councilor. "...."

Me. "yeah, no. a few of my friends have been trying to get jobs with their coveted degrees for two years, and have been lucky to land a McDonald's position. I'll pass."

I found a recruiter a year later after realizing I couldn't live out of my car forever and be a rockstar, and have had my college summarily paid for, while I continue to save money and work. Lesson here? Join the Army kids, use tuition assistance, and stay in the green rather than put so much red on your ledger.

SpicyMcHaggus

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
  • Location: MKE, WI
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #170 on: June 09, 2015, 08:51:01 AM »
I grew up piss poor, and graduated HS in 2010, and saw the great 2008 crash first hand as I was preparing to venture into the world.. I would be willing to bet that I may be the youngest, or one of the youngest here on this board. However, I for sure as shit didn't like the idea of going to college to get a degree costing thousands and "potentially" getting a job.

A few months before graduation, I was called up to the guidance councilors office. "So, Migrator, what are your plans for college? You have a great GPA, are reasonably intelligent, and yet I have not heard a peep from you about your college choices, unlike your peers."

Me. "I don't see the point in buying a degree that I may not be able to pay for, as I watch the economy crash all around me. Especially when I see the same people who taught me a few years ago get 'let go' because the district can't pay their salaries. Many of whom were the same teachers espousing loans and college and the dream."

Councilor. "...."

Me. "yeah, no. a few of my friends have been trying to get jobs with their coveted degrees for two years, and have been lucky to land a McDonald's position. I'll pass."

I found a recruiter a year later after realizing I couldn't live out of my car forever and be a rockstar, and have had my college summarily paid for, while I continue to save money and work. Lesson here? Join the Army kids, use tuition assistance, and stay in the green rather than put so much red on your ledger.

I debated service to pay for college (ROTC,reserve,active).
My father (Navy Nuclear Engineering grad) advised me not to.
Long hours, low pay, paperwork and govt red tape. Would be easier to work part time, he said. He was right.
I would NOT recommend kids join the army. I would recommend they find a flexible job that pays ok, and funnel that money to college fees and expenses. Bank the rest. I bartended thru college. I averaged $18/hr 2-3 nights a week. I didn't have to ship off when Monkey-in-Chief started bombing Iraq, or when Monkey-in-chief-2 started bombing afghanistan. I didn't have to drive 3 hrs away to the drill center every month.

There's just a lot of other options. Waiting tables and tending a bar are zero-skill jobs. You can easily find someone willing to train you and be an expert in less than 6 months.

Migrator Soul

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 145
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Texas
  • The sooner you realize life is hard, the better.
    • Cerebral Combatant
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #171 on: June 09, 2015, 03:53:00 PM »
I debated service to pay for college (ROTC,reserve,active).
My father (Navy Nuclear Engineering grad) advised me not to.
Long hours, low pay, paperwork and govt red tape. Would be easier to work part time, he said. He was right.
I would NOT recommend kids join the army. I would recommend they find a flexible job that pays ok, and funnel that money to college fees and expenses. Bank the rest. I bartended thru college. I averaged $18/hr 2-3 nights a week. I didn't have to ship off when Monkey-in-Chief started bombing Iraq, or when Monkey-in-chief-2 started bombing afghanistan. I didn't have to drive 3 hrs away to the drill center every month.

There's just a lot of other options. Waiting tables and tending a bar are zero-skill jobs. You can easily find someone willing to train you and be an expert in less than 6 months.

Long hours? yeah, that is a thing. The pay really isn't as bad as you would think, as it is offset by allowances and other goodies. Free healthcare, gym membership, dental, eyecare, food. Got my eyes fixed with Laser Surgery free of cost. I have not paid a dime of tuition since joining. Lets calculate a few things out now, shall we?

Base pay: 2238
BAS (its a pay for food) 367
BAH (Housing allowance for my area) 1098
FLPP (Foreign language proficiency pay) 300

total in: 4003 per month. (Base cash assets)

Other benefits:

"Current Army policy limits TA (Tuition Assistance) to 130 semester hours of undergraduate credit or baccalaureate degree, whichever comes first and 39 semester hours of graduate credit or master's degree whichever comes first"

Cap is $250 per semester hour. so, $42,250 dollars of free money to go to college.

Add the medical benefits. Free doctor visits, free dental, free vision. Free Custom PRK or Lasik. (3-4 thousand dollar surgery)

In the past year, I have gone to the doctor about ten times for various things. Two of which required hospitalization for a few days. One of which required a ride on an ambulance. I have gotten a few fillings, and two teeth cleanings. I also completed physical therapy for when I tore my abductor muscle.

I paid absolutely nothing for all of that, which enables me to live an active and healthy life.

I don't drive three hours to the Drill center. I don't drive. I ride my bike from my house to work. Every day.

Do you know the difference between my resume coming out of the Army and the resume of some guy fresh out of college? Mine shows real work experience. It shows punctuality, the ability to accomplish tasks. Coupled with speaking a foreign language, an associates in that language, and a bachelor's in International Relations from Oregon State University, along with stellar references from multiple military and non military co workers/bosses? I'll take the odd deployment when looking at the benefits reaped.

There is far more to the Military than simply shoving off to Afghanistan.. If you put just a small ounce of effort in, you can make the military work for you.

A small bit of discomfort is well worth not having to take out loans, burden your parents with paying for college, or scraping by waiting tables and bar tending. Why waste time with a zero skill job when you can have education and a job that requires quite a bit of skill?

LeRainDrop

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1834
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #172 on: June 09, 2015, 05:59:49 PM »
Do you know the difference between my resume coming out of the Army and the resume of some guy fresh out of college? Mine shows real work experience. It shows punctuality, the ability to accomplish tasks. Coupled with speaking a foreign language, an associates in that language, and a bachelor's in International Relations from Oregon State University, along with stellar references from multiple military and non military co workers/bosses? I'll take the odd deployment when looking at the benefits reaped.

Wow, I seriously applaud you, Migrator.  Thank you for your dedication and service.  Have you considered helping the Army with recruiting?  Because I think what you laid out here would be very convincing to give many kids the skills for a bright future.

Migrator Soul

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 145
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Texas
  • The sooner you realize life is hard, the better.
    • Cerebral Combatant
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #173 on: June 09, 2015, 06:46:02 PM »
Wow, I seriously applaud you, Migrator.  Thank you for your dedication and service.  Have you considered helping the Army with recruiting?  Because I think what you laid out here would be very convincing to give many kids the skills for a bright future.

Thanks brother. If I didn't already know how recruiters really are expected to work already, I would absolutely do so. However, pressures from on high demand that critical billets be filled with bodies, rather than thoughtfully selecting soldiers to where they would fit best. Or want to go.

I will honestly most likely stay in the Army, as I find it enjoyable. Very few other places offer the ability to see the world, save close to 75% of my income, and still eat/sleep comfortably. 20 years is worth a sizable pension, as well as some of the best medical benefits. I'll be retired by 38... just a bit over 16 more years to enjoy :D

Were anybody to approach me, though, I would absolutely recommend the Army in a heartbeat. Men require discipline, I truly believe that.. But they also need space to make mistakes to learn. I am a lucky one, 23 and debt free, educated, and squirreling away a sizable portion into the TSP. Had I gone to college straight out of school, I would have been miserable. As an 18 year old male, I did not know enough to truly decide the correct path. Some people dog on the Military, and say its the easy way out. Maybe so, I can't really say its been too hard. But what I will say is this; It is the one and only place where you can fuck up fairly severely, and still get paid while people straighten your dumb ass out. You don't have a boss, you have a grumpy grizzled mentor, who granted, can be a bit of a dick, but legitimately cares about your success and well being.

Its all about effort. And the military is the place where if you put in even the slightest amount, it is rewarded in multiples.

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #174 on: June 09, 2015, 09:26:28 PM »
This one says she was FORCED to take out a school loan!  http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/

I have been on my own since I was a teenager. I never knew my father and my mother was an alcoholic and although I don't doubt whether or not she loved me, I know she loved her drugs and alcohol more. I was never formally adopted so when I went to apply for student loans, I had to emancipate myself from my mother just to be considered (Apparently working 3 jobs and pulling in just under $18,000 didn't qualify on its own.) It was rough, but I was determined to get my degree. I went to a local community college for 3 years and worked to support myself while I completed as many credits as I could before BEING FORCED TO TAKE OUT LOANS for my bachelor's degree. 2 years of commuting to campus and I still ended up with $26,000 in student loan debt. It was tough, but I did it. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Middle School English Education in May of 2011. Yay! Now I could find a full-time job with benefits and be in a career that I loved! Except for the tiny little detail that there were no teaching jobs. The market was flooded with teachers and schools weren't replacing ones that retired. My 6 months post-graduation expired and it was time to pay back those loans. Then, in 2013, my husband was diagnosed with liver cancer and on June 29th of 2014, he received a liver transplant. We have been drowning in bills and scrambling just to make ends meet every month since the diagnosis. We were able to put payments on hold while he was home for 6 weeks after the transplant, but as soon as he went back to work, the payments resumed. We want to start our family, but how can we bring a child into this world knowing we can't make our payments as it is? It's been 4 years and I still owe over $23,000 in student loans. How can the government say we make "too much" for assistance when we can't pay our basic utility bills? How is it that we make "too much" when we are constantly deciding which necessities we will have this month and which ones we will not? How can we make "too much" when their definition of too much is not enough?
Jessica Beeson  June 3, 2015  St. Charles, MO
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.roXlxaCb.dpuf

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #175 on: June 09, 2015, 09:31:49 PM »
And this one say's she is "TOO PROUD TO PAY" the $$$$ she owes!  LOL!!

Growing up poor wasn't anything outside the norm for me. When I hit 14 however, I met my real father. He was loaded. I ended up graduating with academic honors and even got into Purdue. It was a big deal since no one in my family had even tried to go to college. Once there I did extremely well. My father told me I didn't have to get loans and that he would pay out of pocket. His exact words were "You won't have to worry about a dime". His business started going through the struggle that every small business did and he decided that what I wanted to do with my life wasn't good enough (Graphic Design) and that he would no longer pay for it. I was an -A- -B- student taking 5 classes ("crap classes") and working part time just to eat. Once we severed ties he left me with about $4,000 worth of debt after my second semester. I AM TOO PROUD TO PAY this amount and it has been since 2009. I am curious if this debt will ever go away or if I will forever just owe this amount.
Brittany  June 3, 2015  Indiana
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.fHCHvxY9.dpuf

LeRainDrop

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1834
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #176 on: June 09, 2015, 11:30:47 PM »
Once we severed ties he left me with about $4,000 worth of debt after my second semester. I AM TOO PROUD TO PAY this amount and it has been since 2009. I am curious if this debt will ever go away or if I will forever just owe this amount.
Brittany  June 3, 2015  Indiana
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.fHCHvxY9.dpuf
Oh, Brittany, the correct answer is "neither" -- the debt will not just go away, and you also will not forever "just owe this amount."  Rather, the debt will continue to accrue interest and late fees such that you owe even more!!!  Too "proud" to pay?  WTF!

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #177 on: June 10, 2015, 06:10:18 PM »
This one says she was FORCED to take out a school loan!  http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/

I have been on my own since I was a teenager. I never knew my father and my mother was an alcoholic and although I don't doubt whether or not she loved me, I know she loved her drugs and alcohol more. I was never formally adopted so when I went to apply for student loans, I had to emancipate myself from my mother just to be considered (Apparently working 3 jobs and pulling in just under $18,000 didn't qualify on its own.) It was rough, but I was determined to get my degree. I went to a local community college for 3 years and worked to support myself while I completed as many credits as I could before BEING FORCED TO TAKE OUT LOANS for my bachelor's degree. 2 years of commuting to campus and I still ended up with $26,000 in student loan debt. It was tough, but I did it. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Middle School English Education in May of 2011. Yay! Now I could find a full-time job with benefits and be in a career that I loved! Except for the tiny little detail that there were no teaching jobs. The market was flooded with teachers and schools weren't replacing ones that retired. My 6 months post-graduation expired and it was time to pay back those loans. Then, in 2013, my husband was diagnosed with liver cancer and on June 29th of 2014, he received a liver transplant. We have been drowning in bills and scrambling just to make ends meet every month since the diagnosis. We were able to put payments on hold while he was home for 6 weeks after the transplant, but as soon as he went back to work, the payments resumed. We want to start our family, but how can we bring a child into this world knowing we can't make our payments as it is? It's been 4 years and I still owe over $23,000 in student loans. How can the government say we make "too much" for assistance when we can't pay our basic utility bills? How is it that we make "too much" when we are constantly deciding which necessities we will have this month and which ones we will not? How can we make "too much" when their definition of too much is not enough?
Jessica Beeson  June 3, 2015  St. Charles, MO
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.roXlxaCb.dpuf

Yeah, I guess she wasn't forced to get student loans.  After all, she could have just chosen not to get that teaching certificate and just be a substitute teacher making $75 a day (before taxes).

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #178 on: June 11, 2015, 09:25:21 PM »
This one says she is a "victim" because she CHOSE to take out a school loan, yet she went back again and took out another school loan so I guess she CHOSE to be a "victim" a 2nd time!  :  )


I am example of someone who fell victim to the "system". The system is: do well in school (elementary through high school) in order to go to a good college. Go to college, get a loan if tuition is not affordable. Get a degree to get a good job. The salary from having a degree, will be enough to pay back those loans. Easy peasy. Well, I needed to have real world experience to learn that I didn't HAVE TO go to college, especially when I didn't know what I wanted to study. After I graduated with a Bachelor's I didn't know where to go. I couldn't find a job, and a college professor suggested I go back to school and get a Master's degree. So I did, and realized after 3 years of graduate study, that I couldn't go on any further. I was so burned out from so many years of working hard at school. I dropped out and now have about $100,000 in student loan debt. I'm full of so much regret. Sure, higher education has its benefits, but it's not for everyone and I wish I had learned that BEFORE going to college and ruining my life with debt. The debt is so large that I don't want to burden anyone else with it. So, I will not get married, I will not have children. I'm very lucky to be one of the few college graduates who found employment, but I'm afraid that I'll be paying off my loans until I die. What kind of life is that?
melody  May 16, 2015  seattle, wa
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.GAEHuOYm.dpuf

infogoon

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 838
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #179 on: June 12, 2015, 08:20:25 AM »
After I graduated with a Bachelor's I didn't know where to go. I couldn't find a job, and a college professor suggested I go back to school and get a Master's degree.

Asking a professor if you should go to grad school is like asking a Powerball winner if you should spend your last ten bucks on lottery tickets.

"Worked out great for me!"

Wilson Hall

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 163
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #180 on: June 12, 2015, 12:03:38 PM »
After I graduated with a Bachelor's I didn't know where to go. I couldn't find a job, and a college professor suggested I go back to school and get a Master's degree.

Asking a professor if you should go to grad school is like asking a Powerball winner if you should spend your last ten bucks on lottery tickets.

"Worked out great for me!"


I graduated from college in the middle of a recession. My parents encouraged me to attend graduate school, which I did, mostly on assistantships along with some student loans and a bit of family assistance. At the time, there were all these rumblings about the hordes of professors who would be retiring from academia by the end of the decade, leaving plenty of jobs for the taking. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, had always done well in school, and this seemed to be a good way to kill some time until the recession was over. A few years went by, and the rumors of unprecedented faculty retirement were proven to be wildly overstated, to put it mildly. Having realized by this point that teaching wasn't my calling, I knew that I had better get some real-world job experience before finishing my program, or else risk the possibility that no one would hire me.

Oh, and when did this all happen?  The 1990s. This was before the full-scale adjunctification of higher education took hold. The internet was in still in its infancy, but that didn't stop graduate students from finding out through the academic-conference grapevine that it was common for a single tenure-track position at a liberal arts college to receive more than 400 applications. I can't feel sorry for people who borrow loads of money --for graduate and law school, at least-- then complain about how poor their job prospects are; how they can't afford to pay their loans back.  The information has been out there for a long time. People continue to ignore it to their peril.

nobodyspecial

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Location: Land above the land of the free
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #181 on: June 12, 2015, 10:10:51 PM »
I can't feel sorry for people who borrow loads of money --for graduate and law school, at least-- then complain about how poor their job prospects are; how they can't afford to pay their loans back.  The information has been out there for a long time. People continue to ignore it to their peril.
Yep, us wastrels who thought that a 21st century economy might need some physics and math PhDs are exactly like the people who put a $70k  weding  on a credit card.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2015, 10:38:12 AM by nobodyspecial »

Argyle

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 904
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #182 on: June 12, 2015, 11:25:56 PM »
Going into tens of thousands of dollars of debt in order to get a degree, and then being unable to find a well-paying job, may be silly and unwise, but come on — this is a whole order of magnitude different from being in horrific debt because you bought boats and toys and crazy-expensive new cars and a McMansion.  People are told from all levels of society that education is the key to getting ahead, and to some extent that's right.  Knowing how to get that education and what to aim for is complicated, and there's a whole segment of advertisers and for-profit schools trying to persuade people that their brand of expensive education is the golden ticket.  But even when people fall victim to this, they're trying to do the right thing.  They're trying to improve themselves and get a job and earn their way out of poverty.  That's really different from people buying silly expensive items like there's no tomorrow and going into debt to do so.  It's those consumerists that we really ought to be facepunching.  The others sadly just got taken for a ride.

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #184 on: June 15, 2015, 02:54:37 PM »
This law should be in ALL states!!!

http://fusion.net/story/110165/default-on-your-student-loans-lose-your-license-in-these-22-states/

That's an awesome idea.  That way, if you can't afford to repay your student loans, then they can prevent you from going to work to earn the money to pay your student loans.  It's a foolproof plan!

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #185 on: June 22, 2015, 07:47:28 PM »
So telling them that they are a special little rainbow and if they borrowed $100k to do a worthless degree then the world owes them a living isn't helping. 

hint if your degree has "studies" or "history of" in the title it is probably useless.

I concur!

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #186 on: June 28, 2015, 07:38:44 PM »
This genius thought for some reason his school loan was supposed to be a INTEREST FREE LOAN!!  LOL!!


I had an $8,000 plus loan which I made all the payments on. When I checked on what should have been the last payment they told me I owed $7,946 because they put all my payments towards interest (there wasn't supposed to be any). I demanded documentation which they never provided and sent my loan to a collection agency that then demanded over $14,000. This issue has prevented me from obtaining an additional license that I need because the grantor now thinks I'm financially irresponsible
Andy Steinborn  June 16, 2015  Las Vegas
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.E3n0JdTj.dpuf

Sofa King

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #187 on: September 04, 2015, 12:18:54 PM »
A few new ones:

Where do i begin? My student loans have been a pain in the neck since i left a 4 year college. It has destroyed my credit and it stresses me out. I went to a 4 year college back when i graduated high school in 2006. I didnt finish because the tuition went up and i could not afford to take out anymore loans on top of my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. I took a year off to tend to my mother while also looking for constant work. that did not pay off. After about a year and a half i ended up going to a 2 year college where i did graduate but again finding work in my field as well as any other field was hard. To this day, I still have not found work in my field because no one wants to give you the opportunity if you dont have the "in office experience". After being frustrated with that and still dealing with my moms health, i ended up going to beauty school for 6 months. I applied for fafsa but due to my loans with shaw university, it was not able to pay full tuition so I still had to come out of my pocket $100 a month that i really did not have. I did not finish there because i ENDED UP GETTING PREGNANT and the reality of standing up on my feet all day did not comfort me. I do plan on going back to finish but the thought of applying for fafsa and it not being able to help me with tuition scares me. I am now back to being unemployed because my mom most recently has been dealing with neuropathy and other side effects from when she was taking chemo. My passion is doing hair but i cannot continue that education because my loans are holding me back. On top of being late with rent and utilities, i just dont have the money to pay back any loans which is why i keeping asking for deferments. If my student loans were forgiven, that would be a huge load off my back. I can finish following my dream on top of being financially stable to help my mom and family. I could also work on GETTING A NEW CAR for the car we have is no longer working and maybe even help my mom move to a better home. Having my loans forgiven will be the best thing that has happened to me, besides me having my daughter but i would be sooooo grateful and appreciative.

I have a good heart and I just dont want to worry anymore.
christina nolley  August 13, 2015  charlotte, nc
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.cEcj0ABm.dpuf


Why do these people keep shitting out babies when they are broke?

I am a graduate of the now defunct Art Institute of New York Culinary Art program. I graduated in 2008 with all the hope and promise of being able to get a hands on career that would let my creativity flourish and allow me to build a promising life for myself. I came to the decision of the Art Institute after having a long discussion with my husband (then boyfriend who also attended but never received his certificate despite his completion of the program) about how much I enjoy baking, and being able to do art and bake simultaneously could be revolutionary. I was looking for colleges and saw the Art Institute everywhere. In my mind I believed if they have campuses all over and they are advertised frequently there has to be something good. WRONG. I attended the open house and took a small tour of the school followed a lecture claiming that they were the ONLY trade school accredited by the Department of Education. Oh how naive we were. I really believed this would change my life...and it did but not for the better. I met with the recruiter who sang songs of great starting salary (upwards of 50k) amazing job placement and a true environment that fostered both learning and creativity. I made my choice, payed the $100 application fee and continued the course to the financial adviser. I hit a small hiccup because in order to qualify for Financial Aid I needed my mothers Tax history. She completely refused to provide it. She said I had to figure it out on my own. (This same process had stopped me from attending an out of state college) I explained my situation to the adviser and she said " Well we'll just say you're independent since you work, say you don't live with her and you can just pull out some private loans, but don't worry you'll be able to pay them off no problem once you graduate." Everything following was painless. Filled out my information, was told to pick Sallie Mae (since that's what everyone else uses) for both my private and federal loan. I got approved and started classes only to learn 2 weeks in the program was closing down. I was told not to worry, our education wouldn't be effected and we'd have the same quality all the alumni had. We decided to stay the course, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Within a month more than half the faculty left. The entire facility was practically a ghost town save what few instructors stayed ( I would have to if I made $75.00 an hour) and the remaining student body. Everything we learned was minimal. I had a personal incident with a chef who chose to destroy a display cake that was made over 3 days and when I spoke to him asking him to not pick at it, he broke my project and proceeded to lob a piece that almost hit my face, had my friend not caught it. I had no one to report the incident to, no supervisors were on duty and the dean had quit. Flash forward it's time to graduate and I'm defeated. I don't feel like I learned anything extraordinary. No skills that could carry me into a future with this certification. I wound up finding my own job during my internship phase. When my job dissolved I was no longer able to receive any help from the faculty. There were never any job interviews set up for me. There was never any advocating on my behalf for a fare starting salary like they stated. Now it's 6 years later, I have a family, I STAY AT HOME WITH MY SON, because if I got a job I'd only pay for daycare. I cannot afford and have never been able to afford my student loan payments. I live in a veritable shit hole of an apartment and can't even afford to move. When my husband and I tried desperately to take a small personal loan out for a new apartment we were denied due our credit. Our debt exceeded our income. We would not be able to successfully pay it and our student loans off. Even now with our son we have to choose to either eat or pay our loans. We chose food so our kid wouldn't ever have to starve. Now we deal with possible wage garnishment, default in our loans and a black hole of debt that will never end. Go Ai!
Danielle Adorno  August 10, 2015  New York
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.UoLtGovI.dpuf


I started out in college going for vascular technology, failing out of that, then changing majors. Since I changed majors, all the classes that I had in vascular technology didn't apply to my career, and I started paying more money to take psychology classes since I wanted to go into psychology. After that, I went for my masters in psychology taking on more student loans than I can handle. After my masters, I now have a minimum wage job supervising visitations and I'm also a CASA. I went on disability before I got my minimum wage job in 2012 because of personal reasons, could never get the correct documentation sent to them to defer my loans because of the confusing process, and now have interest rates upon interest rates for forbearances and on my unsubsidized student loans. I am now 33 years old, 150,000 dollars in debt and no way to get out. Please help!
Annita Bell  July 11, 2015  Vancouver, WA
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.ZHItOBbI.dpuf


Those cry babies on this page should listen to this guy:

Ok so I have read many stories here and I feel very disgruntled by how many of your suffer. But my story will be a little different, it will be of hope. I took 16k in student loans from 2012 to 2015 to help me pay for expenses while I was attending school. I had full ride, but I knew I couldn't work full-time and keep good grades. In total at the beginning of 2014 I have 16k in student loans, 11k car loan, 3k in credit card debt, 3k in miscellaneous debt. It was daunting, I was only a 22 year old, and I already had more than 30k in debt. But one thing was clear to me, I didn't came to this world to suffer from slavery. Debt is the slavery of the new age, it decomposes yours soul, its the root of fear, depression, and sleepless nights for many of us. In 2014 I took a 3k credit card to start my own business, I resold electronic items I purchased online through online stores or at traders villages, anyways to cut it short I have paid off 3 student loans, my car loan, credit card debt, and all miscellaneous debt, I only owe now 9k in my student loans which will be paid off in October by selling my car. There is hope people, think outside of the box, go out there, the money is everywhere, you just have to be creative. God didn't bring you to this world to live a miserable existence, just the essence of life itself its pure on its own syntax. So to whoever reads this, go out there, make a plan, execute it. Don't quit on life. If your loans are exuberant and you see no end, leave the country, but if you want to stay and deal with the problems you face, fight, even if you have to bend the rules, fight. You and your family deserve a good life. Remember, impossible is nothing.
Hector  June 30, 2015  Texas
- See more at: http://studentdebtcrisis.org/read-student-debt-stories/#sthash.ZHItOBbI.dpuf


Papa Mustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1650
  • Location: Humidity, USA
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #188 on: October 04, 2015, 09:03:45 PM »
Fortunately I had a very well developed, deep distrust of "grown-ups" that had been  formed and nurtured by parents and every teacher I ever had. I totally sh1tcanned that false yabba-jabba idea of College-as-Messiah. I asked questions. "How much? Best field of study? What's the payoff?" "Why the hell am i doing this, exactly?"  Assholes (adolts) had no answers.  Like a TV pitchman or someone on a hallucinogenic drug, just kept spouting the same  "ya gotta go to college"... BECAUSE! mantra.   Is it gonna cost me (a poor person with poor parents) money? Then why would I burden myself with it? I eventually got several degrees  for almost no cost to me and none were for money. All fields of avocation. I was already getting paid. I was just "punching my ticket" and filling a square.

There are other ways to earn a living, make money,  get a degree or other job training than force feeding  yourself into college  3 months after high school.

What did you do for a living before the college degrees? Just curious?

Hank Sinatra

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 129
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #189 on: October 04, 2015, 10:21:34 PM »
Fortunately I had a very well developed, deep distrust of "grown-ups" that had been  formed and nurtured by parents and every teacher I ever had. I totally sh1tcanned that false yabba-jabba idea of College-as-Messiah. I asked questions. "How much? Best field of study? What's the payoff?" "Why the hell am i doing this, exactly?"  Assholes (adolts) had no answers.  Like a TV pitchman or someone on a hallucinogenic drug, just kept spouting the same  "ya gotta go to college"... BECAUSE! mantra.   Is it gonna cost me (a poor person with poor parents) money? Then why would I burden myself with it? I eventually got several degrees  for almost no cost to me and none were for money. All fields of avocation. I was already getting paid. I was just "punching my ticket" and filling a square.

There are other ways to earn a living, make money,  get a degree or other job training than force feeding  yourself into college  3 months after high school.

What did you do for a living before the college degrees? Just curious?

I joined the Air Force right out of high school

Papa Mustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1650
  • Location: Humidity, USA
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #190 on: October 05, 2015, 12:48:16 PM »
Fortunately I had a very well developed, deep distrust of "grown-ups" that had been  formed and nurtured by parents and every teacher I ever had. I totally sh1tcanned that false yabba-jabba idea of College-as-Messiah. I asked questions. "How much? Best field of study? What's the payoff?" "Why the hell am i doing this, exactly?"  Assholes (adolts) had no answers.  Like a TV pitchman or someone on a hallucinogenic drug, just kept spouting the same  "ya gotta go to college"... BECAUSE! mantra.   Is it gonna cost me (a poor person with poor parents) money? Then why would I burden myself with it? I eventually got several degrees  for almost no cost to me and none were for money. All fields of avocation. I was already getting paid. I was just "punching my ticket" and filling a square.

There are other ways to earn a living, make money,  get a degree or other job training than force feeding  yourself into college  3 months after high school.

What did you do for a living before the college degrees? Just curious?

I joined the Air Force right out of high school

I went to the Navy soon after high school. It was a great start. Decided I didn't want a career there but a great start all the same. am hoping my kids give it some serious consideration although we could afford for them to go straight to college. I think the military enlistment experience is very, very worthwhile.   

FatCat

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 244
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #191 on: October 05, 2015, 01:51:25 PM »
This genius thought for some reason his school loan was supposed to be a INTEREST FREE LOAN!!  LOL!

I thought some student loans don't accrue interest until after you graduate. Is that not the case anymore?

Perhaps he took out a loan that claimed not to accrue interest until after graduation and thought that meant it was interest free forever.

MishMash

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 731
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #192 on: October 05, 2015, 02:58:13 PM »
This genius thought for some reason his school loan was supposed to be a INTEREST FREE LOAN!!  LOL!

I thought some student loans don't accrue interest until after you graduate. Is that not the case anymore?

Perhaps he took out a loan that claimed not to accrue interest until after graduation and thought that meant it was interest free forever.

Non subsidized Staffords and private loans accrue interest from the day they are taken out

FatCat

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 244
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #193 on: October 05, 2015, 03:28:56 PM »
This genius thought for some reason his school loan was supposed to be a INTEREST FREE LOAN!!  LOL!

I thought some student loans don't accrue interest until after you graduate. Is that not the case anymore?

Perhaps he took out a loan that claimed not to accrue interest until after graduation and thought that meant it was interest free forever.

Non subsidized Staffords and private loans accrue interest from the day they are taken out

So do the subsidized loans that I was describing still exist? Or has this been phased out?

I knew there were some loans that accrue from the moment you get them. I'm asking if the ones that don't accrue until after graduation still exist.

LeRainDrop

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1834
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #194 on: October 05, 2015, 06:30:46 PM »
This genius thought for some reason his school loan was supposed to be a INTEREST FREE LOAN!!  LOL!

I thought some student loans don't accrue interest until after you graduate. Is that not the case anymore?

Perhaps he took out a loan that claimed not to accrue interest until after graduation and thought that meant it was interest free forever.

Non subsidized Staffords and private loans accrue interest from the day they are taken out

So do the subsidized loans that I was describing still exist? Or has this been phased out?

I knew there were some loans that accrue from the moment you get them. I'm asking if the ones that don't accrue until after graduation still exist.

Subsidized federal student loans are still available, as are the unsubsidized version.  Both of them accrue interest from the beginning.  The difference is that for subsidized loans, the government pays the interest until the grace period after graduation ends, but for unsubsidized loans, the borrower is responsible for all of the interest from the beginning.  https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized#subsidized-vs-unsubsidized

HairyUpperLip

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 893
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #195 on: October 06, 2015, 08:57:37 AM »
lol - those stories are pretty funny.

Almost everyone has some stupid justifiable reason they couldn't finish school.

I wonder how many graphic designers there is? And how many graphic design jobs actually exist?



infogoon

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 838
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #196 on: October 06, 2015, 09:36:19 AM »
lol - those stories are pretty funny.

Almost everyone has some stupid justifiable reason they couldn't finish school.

I wonder how many graphic designers there is? And how many graphic design jobs actually exist?

At my alma mater, "digital media" was the major that people went to when they failed out of computer science but still wanted to work in technology.

nobodyspecial

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Location: Land above the land of the free
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #197 on: October 06, 2015, 11:54:19 AM »
I wonder how many graphic designers there is? And how many graphic design jobs actually exist?
I think "graphic designer" is the intersection of "I want to be an artist" and "I want to eat"
« Last Edit: October 06, 2015, 09:15:21 PM by nobodyspecial »

Jschange

  • Guest
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #198 on: October 06, 2015, 07:08:50 PM »
I'm Canadian, and spent my late teens and 20s wondering why people with student loans partied, and how they could consistently claim not to know how their loans worked. I went back to school at 30.
-a school coordinator advised me that the form she wanted me to sign was only so that the school could get funding to cover accommodations for my disability. I read it, it was a loan application, I didn't sign.
- I did choose to get loans for my last year, any time I went to my school's financial aid office, they had loan documents they asked me to sign. The document never matched what they said I was signing. They were always rude when I read the documents and asked questions.

If I was 17 with no financial literacy, I could easily imagine being tricked. But, I also think that the students who are misled about student loans should take a few months to whine with friends about it. They then need to decide if they want to be responsible and repay the loans  and be frugal, or to launch a lawsuit against the financial aid people who misled and bullied them. But both are active, empowered choices.

FatCat

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 244
Re: HARD TO FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE....
« Reply #199 on: October 07, 2015, 09:05:59 AM »
I did choose to get loans for my last year, any time I went to my school's financial aid office, they had loan documents they asked me to sign. The document never matched what they said I was signing. They were always rude when I read the documents and asked questions.

Anytime someone acts rude, angry, or impatient because you want to read the legal document you're about to sign, you should probably just leave. Whenever someone starts acting irritated that I'm reading a document, the document always says something different from what they told me I was signing. It's usually very different. I've even seen the item I was purchasing and the price be completely different in a document. They told me not to worry about it because it was a mistake and they'll change it after I sign it. I said, "You can't do that. If it worked that way, what's to stop you from just changing it around as much as you want after I sign it?" Then they got mad that I didn't trust them.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!