This is a hard question to address because the answers change from person to person. Today, it is almost mandatory to go to college immediately after high school, decide what to do with your life, and probably take out a lot of student loans in the process. So, if a degree is needed to help achieve success today, is it proving to be worth it?
I watched my brother and sister go through the university process before I went through the process. Witnessing and experiencing three people go through this has given me a bit of expertise on the topic. I don't know everything, but I know what I'm talking about people.
When approaching university, you have so many options that you could choose from. Do I want to go to a university? Yes or no. Would I like to go to a community college? Would public or private university be better or worse for me? There are so many questions that follow each answer, but rest assured...I may be able to ease your mind.
There are several things you need to consider when making these decisions. First, which is easier said than done, what do I want to do with my life? This is so hard to address, but even if you have a general area that you may find interesting, It helps to have a general answer to this. Some fields are difficult to find a job in if you don't go to a private or specialized university, and other fields just don't turn over that much money, so acquiring a lot of debt just isn't the smartest. Once you begin to address these concerns, the picture may begin to be a little clearer.
Ok, but you want to know if your decision is worth it when talking about money! It just depends. This answer is not what you're looking for, you want yes or no...plus a reason behind it. The economy can change and the demand behind certain fields can change too.
Maybe I can put your mind at ease. If your answer to a question above was that your career choice needs a solid degree behind it, loans couldn't be more worth it. If you are pursuing a strong field, such as engineering or a doctor, student loans will still be worth it. Now it gets tricky when talking about some other things.
Let's say you would like to be a freelance writer. You probably need a strong degree behind your name to help you with that because it's not easy. But having a degree behind you doesn't guarantee success in this particular career, either. You may go to the best university and amount to nothing in the writing field, or you may not even go to university and be incredibly successful. It's a bit of a gamble.
My sister acquired a lot of student debt because she went to a good private university, but she also had ten different job offers she could choose from before graduating. This doesn't happen with just any random university. That doesn't mean that her student loans magically went away. It meant she would be secure in her field to be able to pay them off.
Like I said, I don't know everything about student loans because hey, I have plenty of my own. The truth is that you should look at your options and where each may take you. Sometimes it's well worth it. The entire situation regarding student loans changes from person to person, and if you have loans and a good job, you still need to make sure that you manage your money. Forget that shopping trip or extra iPhone upgrade and ease your stress level a bit by putting it towards what got you to where you are now, OR if you're fortunate enough, full rides are not unheard of.
