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
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ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

September 7 2010, 16:28:06 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'm sorry to hear that. It's not uncommon, though. This problem doesn't just wreck individual lives; it's a far-flung channel trap that drives people out of the middle class.

>>There are NO guarantees that an education will help you build a life. <<

What makes this such an effective trap is: It's almost impossible to make a sufficient living without a college degree. Almost all jobs require one now, even if it is irrelevant to the work, even if one has relevant experience. More and more, even the menial jobs that don't pay enough to live on require it. A college degree has become the equivalent of what a high school diploma used to be, except that it costs a huge amount of money rather than being provided free through public schools.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
the_vulture

Re: Yes...

the_vulture

September 7 2010, 18:23:12 UTC 10 years ago

Ya wanna know what's REALLY sad? The job I'm doing now doesn't require a university degree. Both of my freakin' bachelor's degrees have little bearing on how I'm keeping bread on the table. And, frankly, I've got a higher standard of living than when I was teaching. Heck, my brother is making over $60k a year as corporate sales support for wireless networks... WITHOUT a college or university degree. So, at least in Canada, if you can't earn or save enough money for higher education, there are still options out there. I know, however, the US job situation is a bit more dire.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

September 7 2010, 18:46:26 UTC 10 years ago

I'm glad that Canada still has some decent job prospects for people without a college degree. Such is really not necessary for all types of job.