re: student loan

Best advice is don't look at it as just a student loan to go to college. Look at it as an investment that will yield a return. Do some research into what you actually plan to do with your life. What does the future for that career field currently look like? What is the salary? What might my realistic monthly expenses be in a city where I would get a job?

The note after graduating would probably be around $300 a month. Not that difficult to swing. But my wife has her master's degree and a good bit more than 40k in debt and makes less than 50k. She'd be in a tight spot if she were living on her own. Not saying she'd starve, but I'm sure she'd be depressed about how much of her check she has to give to loans. If she were a chemical engineer or doctor, those loans wouldn't be anything. Over her career, it would totally be worth it. Hell, her current salary would be pretty nice if she didn't have to pay so much to her loans.

And this doesn't even include the curveballs of life. I can guarantee not many people think about the kids they are going to have when they take out loans. Or the house note. You are probably still going to be paying your student loans off when that stuff pops up. You are really going to want that $300 a month.

I'm not trying to scare anyone away. I think it's totally worth it. But only if you realize that you need to utilize the time to make yourself worth something. $300 a month is a small price to pay if you have the opportunity to make $10k a month.