Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Swimming with the Student Loan Sharks

Tags: activism, economics, education
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  • 17 comments
the_vulture

the_vulture

September 7 2010, 07:51:08 UTC 10 years ago

This is kind of a trigger for me. I went to England to teach and put myself through hell, eventually destroying any desire I had to teach... all to try and keep up with the payments... and then failing at that.

I am 40 years old with no house, no car, or any other major assets, as I live in perpetual fear that these could be taken from me at any given moment. My career is dead before it really got to begin. My future is destroyed, ironically by the very thing that was supposed to help me build it.

In a way, perhaps, I am somewhat fortunate: Canadian laws regarding Student Loans are not quite as draconian as American and there IS an end in sight for me. Still, I have to say that I completely and utterly regret having ever signed on that damnable line.

If any of you reading this are considering taking out a student loan, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, DON'T! There are NO guarantees in life. There are NO guarantees that an education will help you build a life. But if you find yourself in the grim circumstance of having to default on a student loan, you ARE guaranteed to go through hell for it. Whatever you think you will get from your education, it's not worth the risk. Save up, do summer work, move in with your folks if you have to, to afford your education, but DO NOT take out a student loan!

msstacy13

msstacy13

September 7 2010, 12:39:33 UTC 10 years ago

Yep.

I never had a future,
so it's not as if mine were destroyed,
but any hope I might have had would have been destroyed.

And when I reach retirement age, things will get much worse.
*sigh*
the_vulture

the_vulture

September 7 2010, 18:23:52 UTC 10 years ago

Retirement? What's that?
ysabetwordsmith

Well...

ysabetwordsmith

September 7 2010, 18:45:08 UTC 10 years ago

It's a socially responsible practice allowing older people to leave the workforce, as their physical and perhaps mental faculties gradually decline, while enabling them to continue living in reasonable comfort as thanks for their contributions to society during their prime years. Sadly, it is going out of fashion, which causes all kinds of problems.
the_vulture

Re: Well...

the_vulture

September 7 2010, 18:50:06 UTC 10 years ago

I need to add an indicator when I'm being all cynical and sarcastic, don't I...
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Well...

ysabetwordsmith

September 7 2010, 19:10:14 UTC 10 years ago

Sometimes, maybe, but this time I just figured people could use a reminder about what retirement is FOR, since so many folks seem to be forgetting that it has practical as well as moral reasons.