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re: Mark Cuban says taking out a loan to go to college is the "dumbest thing you can do"

Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:16 pm to
Posted by TXLSUCHE
Houston, Tx
Member since Sep 2005
693 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:16 pm to
The bigger problem is people not doing their research to understand how much they will make in the field of study they are going into. There's a lot of worthless degrees out there with no job openings to fill.
Posted by gaetti15
AK
Member since Apr 2013
15297 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:17 pm to
quote:

think the better option is to defer your enrollment for a year or two and work to gain some real world experience. Then start your 4 year college with money in the bank and some practical knowledge about adulting.


would be great if you still lived near family or your parents and they ALLOWED you to live at the house

if that's not the case, good luck with how much rent and shite costs nowadays
Posted by Techdave
Laffy
Member since Apr 2014
835 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:22 pm to
quote:

Scruffy has a buttload of loans, but at least with med school, he can afford it.

There are people who go to crazy private schools that have higher loans than me with stupid degrees.


Which makes sense in your case. The unfortunate folks that were misled towards certain degrees at certain schools is the main reason the student loan problem exists.
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
16155 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:30 pm to
quote:

defer your enrollment for a year or two and work to gain some real world experience.

Not saying the National Guard is full of adults, but always a great option. About 190 job options to choose from.
Posted by Techdave
Laffy
Member since Apr 2014
835 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:32 pm to
quote:

I did CC for two years, finished at a state university, and then did grad school at a small private school that was cheaper than the big 4-year universities.

Still cost me about $70k.


Out of curiosity, what degree did you go for? With that amount of debt, you had to have been shooting for a strong career to repay it, right?
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
92280 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:32 pm to
quote:

Not saying the National Guard is full of adults,


not only pay for your college but unless you are a big time goob, they'll send you to pilot training and have your own jet, with your name on it, waiting for you
Posted by Techdave
Laffy
Member since Apr 2014
835 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:36 pm to
quote:

have your own jet, with your name on it, waiting for you


Piss off. All I got was a Humvee with my name stenciled on the front glass.
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
92280 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:37 pm to
quote:

All I got was a Humvee with my name stenciled on the front glass.
Posted by Sus-Scrofa
Member since Feb 2013
11075 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:41 pm to
He’s obviously right, but it’s hard for an 18 year old to put saving money over the “college experience”

If you went to a decent high school, most of your first two years in college will feel like an academic step down at most large state schools.
Posted by BluegrassBelle
RIP Hefty Lefty - 1981-2019
Member since Nov 2010
108046 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:48 pm to
quote:

Out of curiosity, what degree did you go for? With that amount of debt, you had to have been shooting for a strong career to repay it, right?


Psych. I'm a licensed therapist. Because I'm in private practice, I do make enough to cover my student loans and bills. But my fiance also makes good money so we live comfortably together.

That said, insurance keeps reducing reimbursement amounts (not something that you can really account for when going for that degree). So it may eventually force me to go private pay.
Posted by Techdave
Laffy
Member since Apr 2014
835 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:49 pm to
quote:

He’s obviously right, but it’s hard for an 18 year old to put saving money over the “college experience”

If you went to a decent high school, most of your first two years in college will feel like an academic step down at most large state schools.


I mean it starts with the parents. They need to be smart about setting the kids up for success. Talk your kids out of the silly degrees that will lead to a life of debt.
Posted by jmarto1
Houma, LA/ Las Vegas, NV
Member since Mar 2008
38722 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:57 pm to
I was lucky to have a 2% eate on mine. The new rates a big problem as well as funding whatever bs degree these kids want to avoid growing up
Posted by Techdave
Laffy
Member since Apr 2014
835 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 12:57 pm to
quote:

Psych. I'm a licensed therapist.


And this isn't a bad career choice by any means. It's just unfortunate that it costs that much for your degree.
Posted by upgrayedd
Lifting at Tobin's house
Member since Mar 2013
138931 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:00 pm to
quote:

No, it is the byproduct of the government using an "unlimited" pool of money to fund them which caused universities to increase prices and add a bunch of needless administrative positions that do nothing to further the education of those enrolled in the university.

Dude, he just wanted to try out the new talking point/buzzword salad.
Posted by BluegrassBelle
RIP Hefty Lefty - 1981-2019
Member since Nov 2010
108046 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:06 pm to
quote:

And this isn't a bad career choice by any means. It's just unfortunate that it costs that much for your degree.


I don't disagree. Especially when I purposefully chose options to cut that cost. It could've been about $40K more.

Posted by Jake88
Member since Apr 2005
80001 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:09 pm to
quote:

taking out loans to pay for college "the dumbest thing you can do"
Thats stupid advice for an academically capable person.

quote:

compared to $11,950 per year for in-state students at public four-year institutions
This isn't shite. The average student debt is $38,000. Most people stupidly pay far more for a vehicle.

What that attention seeking clown should have said was "Taking out a loan to get a worthless liberal arts type of degree is one of the poorest choices one can make early in adulthood."
This post was edited on 5/5/26 at 1:18 pm
Posted by theliontamer
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2015
2020 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:14 pm to
Eh, you're also paying for the experience and to associate with a higher class of people. It can pay off in the long run, even if it is not a smart financial decision.
Mark Cuban was never going to float the mainstream and work a 9-5 job, and that's fine. He is gifted with intelligence and drive that made him successful. There are plenty of capable people who never take the jump to create their own business. But there are also people that do take risk and it doesn't work out. College is a nice buffer to take some time and figure out what you think you can handle, and worst case scenario, you will be set up with a decent desk job that provides income, benefits, and work-life balance. The vast majority of the population falls in this category and is better off here.

People will go on and on about welders and plumbers making more at 18 than a college graduate at 22. But, it's just not true if you look at the big picture. This argument immediately doesn't hold up to any STEM degree. Secondly, trades that make this much usually do so at sacrifice to their body and free time. 100k a year working 70 hr weeks in a construction setting vs 60k a year working 40 hr weeks in a desk job. Give me the desk job any day. The desk job also provides more room for growth and promotion, and has a myriad of other benefits the other worker will never have access to.

I think people need to be smarter about choosing their degree and which school to get it from. Private schools are obviously much more expensive than in state public schools. Federal funding propping up liberal arts degrees is also harming the higher education community. We don/t need several LGBTQ & black "phds" at every university, they take from the pot and do not contribute to the overall good. They also encourage mental illness to fester and grow.
Posted by N2cars
Member since Feb 2008
39654 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:14 pm to
Mark Cuban loves to hear Mark Cuban talk.
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
139474 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:18 pm to
He's not wrong.
Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
35539 posts
Posted on 5/5/26 at 1:30 pm to
He's right in general, but there are a lot of variables.

While college has certainly increased substantially, it's mostly the college experience that has increased: Living expenses (food/rent), social activities, etc., then there is private school or out-of-state tuition.

If you live at home, you can still get a college education relatively cheap at a state school. Every person in Louisiana lives within commuting distance of a 4-year college and multiple 2-year colleges.
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