Think I’ll feel even better about it once the student loan organization posts the payment, but due in part to a sudden reckoning by family re: support to date and capacities today, I was able to pay off the last bit of my loans without screwing up my immediate need finances.
10 years in the making, lol. Just kinda feel like shouting this into the void, despite faithfully making the payments it still never really felt like this day would ever come.
Congratulations! I hope you don’t mind my asking, but was the degree worth it?
Lol, no.
…eh, now that I write it out I have a hard time believing that. It does not have direct relevance to my career to date, but it did train me in the basics of critical thinking through application (unsure if this is purely frustration talking or not, but this is apparently a rare thing), and I’m personally happy I did it. But if anyone were to ask “Should I go into debt for your degree?” these days, it’d be a resounding no unless they are also getting an BEd to become a teacher. Read books and pirate criticism on your own time, pick up a skilled trade instead.
[MA in English Language and Literature. Literally one of the top ‘useless degree’ punching bags. All the debt is from the BA though]
BA in the same! Also not using my degree in any way for my job, but I do appreciate a lot of soft skills I picked up, the ability to appreciate critical analysis from other points of view, and at least giving me a taste of what a potential career as an editor would be like. Not sure it was worth the price tag I paid, but it was at least worth something.
I agree, it was time well spent in my case as well. The price tag is just a mite heavy for that experience, compared to other paths with better career options.
But it’s definitely enriching in its own right.
I recently paid mine off after 11 years (thanks covid for putting me off track).
I went to an art school in the South and work today at a software company in sales.
Was the degree worth it? Eh, maybe, maybe not. It was expensive as fuck before federal help and scholarships, but I lucked out a bit.
I wouldn’t have made the lifelong friendships I have without it though. I wouldn’t have the appreciation for the arts without it. I wouldn’t have the global perspective on life I have without it.
you meet a lot of different people in higher education, and experience a lot of different viewpoints and ideas.
Financially these things weren’t “worth it” as I only did my art career for two years. But I think I’d be less of a well rounded individual if I went into the trades. I’d be less empathetic, less worldly, less willing to understand someone else’s views.
It was also a very expensive four year long party and vacation and I didn’t work nearly as hard as some others did.
I’ll never get the chance to do that experience again and I don’t regret it.
Those are just my feelings on it.