A must watch for past, present, and future students with Student Loan Debt...

[superantigen]

The Student Loan Sinkhole




Up until recently (speaking in terms of decades and centuries), education was a luxury and privilege afforded and assessable to the social elite in societiesall over the world. After watching this video, I can't help but get the feeling that we're slowly, but surely, returning to those archaicstratifications that made education (at the level where it matters) a option for the privileged few--as a consequence of financial cost.

I mean, it really seems like if you're going to go to college, then you better set your sites on getting an MD, JD, Pharm.D, MBA, or something thatcombines any of the aforementioned degrees. Because apparently, being a teacher--imo, one of THE most important professions in a society--is not going to be"worth" the price and cost of your education. And as the video showed, being a social worker wont cut it either. I guess we don't put muchemphasis on the important roles these professionals play in maintaining the fabric of our otherwise debilitating and abrading American society.

More importantly, this makes you ask and wonder--what is the goal of education? Is it simply a way for one to achieve income, or is it something more. Is itabout passion--the gateway through which one can explore and understand his/her facultative abilities, all in an effort to have some profound understanding ofthe world we live in and that which surrounds us.�

Realtalk, I want to be a Renaissance man, like the DaVinci's and the Michelangelo's, but it seems like if I want to live a somewhat comfortable in thisday and age, I better sight my sights on being like Bill Gates or Diddy. To me this video aint just about Student Loans, it's allegorical with hints ofpresent day slavery and social stratification. And as previously mentioned, it forces you to consider whether learning should be done for the sake of learning,or done for the sake of money.

I suppose if your passion is to be an MD, JD, Pharm.D, then you're one of the lucky few. For the majority of us outside those fields, it would seem asthough college is a financial TRAP when present day costs are factored into the equation, and presented to reality.

This country freaking blows...

...

 

[lazy b]

College = businesses. College will only continue to become more expensive to "combat the rise of inflation". Just be real and say that you'rebuilding new things on campus and need the money. The role that public education used to play is being taken over by private schools. Public schools are stillaffordable but private schools now give a lot of money and in some cases pay for the entire tuition, room and board. College will only be affordable for therich and the extremely poor as colleges will pity their situation and throw them a bone. The middle class is being phased out of higher education likeeverything else in America. Its starting to resemble education during the Middle Ages in which the landowning elite were able to send their kids to monasticschools for education when everyone else cracked their backs for some grain. Learning for the sake of learning is dead in terms of the university level. If youhave money to blow then it can be acheived but now, you should be going to school to get a degree that will make you money upon graduation. My childrenaren't going to make the mistake that I made. When they get to college they will major in accounting, a science, computers or engineering; guaranteedemployment and a nice salary.

 

[seventh letter]

Well I mean if you ask anyone why they're going to school, more likely than not their response is going to be "to get a good job." Peopledon't go to school to learn, it's evident with all of the copying/cheating that takes place. The other majority of people probably won't even beable to answer the question because they don't know the answer. Higher-level education has become a social norm and you will be frowned upon if you choosenot to participate. Even though only 30% of people that attend college actually graduate.

 

[noodles]

damn

 

[superantigen]

Originally Posted by Lazy B

College = businesses. College will only continue to become more expensive to "combat the rise of inflation". Just be real and say that you're building new things on campus and need the money. The role that public education used to play is being taken over by private schools. Public schools are still affordable but private schools now give a lot of money and in some cases pay for the entire tuition, room and board. College will only be affordable for the rich and the extremely poor as colleges will pity their situation and throw them a bone. The middle class is being phased out of higher education like everything else in America. Its starting to resemble education during the Middle Ages in which the landowning elite were able to send their kids to monastic schools for education when everyone else cracked their backs for some grain. Learning for the sake of learning is dead in terms of the university level. If you have money to blow then it can be acheived but now, you should be going to school to get a degree that will make you money upon graduation. My children aren't going to make the mistake that I made. When they get to college they will major in accounting, a science, computers or engineering; guaranteed employment and a nice salary.

I agree with everything you just said. And as grim as it may seem, everything you just typed is the reality of our American situation right now. Education isthe single most powerful privilege in the U.S, and anywhere in the world for that matter, for the mere fact that empowers the INDIVIDUAL. The lack ofeducation--the type that imparts real knowledge--makes one just another tool to used and disposed of at a whim. That said, IT REALLLYYY bothers me that peoplecan't see this and are instead, fixated on rudimentary knowledge that only serves to make "the company" more money. If you're working solelyfor money--regardless of how much--YOU'RE A SLAVE. And like the slaves of the antebellum, when you've worn out your welcome and your ability togenerate income--you will be disposed off by "the company" you so willingly served for how many number of years.

At this juncture, I don't know whether to blame this society for creating a system that emphasizes money, or the individual who refuses to break out themold and exert themselves. We've made money so pertinent in this country, and now, it's become the life support that keeps us alive even though we aresimultaneously killing ourselves with debt.

On another note, you say your children wont make the same mistake you did. I'm curious--what exactly is that "mistake"--because in my opinion,the mistake would be forcing them into "accounting, a science, computers or engineering..." when they could potential do so much more. I see more tolife than "guaranteed employment and a nice salary". In my opinion, there is no such thing as "guaranteed" employment. There is only a"good-probability" that you may be of service to "the company" with a degree in those fields. But then, also realize that you'reputting your children into a rat race because everyone is now chasing "a nice salary", which means, they are all the more expendable.

Originally Posted by seventh letter

Well I mean if you ask anyone why they're going to school, more likely than not their response is going to be "to get a good job." People don't go to school to learn, it's evident with all of the copying/cheating that takes place. The other majority of people probably won't even be able to answer the question because they don't know the answer. Higher-level education has become a social norm and you will be frowned upon if you choose not to participate. Even though only 30% of people that attend college actually graduate.

So in other words, what we will have if we continue on this path is a nation of money chasing imbeciles who won't be able to figure out how to solve thesimplest of problems without cheating...

Meanwhile, the really educated, who were smart enough not to join the rat race, will become leaders of industry because they possess real knowledge, the likesof which money can't buy and/or oppress...

But even so, it seems as though this class of individuals will be stopped from ever reaching their potential because of the exuberant and honestly, unrealisticprice of education. So for this population, the options then become

• Join the rat race and chase the "money-degree" because I need money
• Don't join the rat race but greatly increase the chance that I will be hampered by debt for the rest of my life
• Don't even bother going to college and seeking knowledge because it doesn't seem worth it

Looks like either way, social elite and the keepers of money have already won huh...

...

 

[primavera vills]

That's why I quit college....partly.

 

[eff ecks]

good post

 

[theswoosh]

A few things come to mind:

1. The loan terms are fairly easy to understand, did she neglect to read and ask questions?

2. With a masters in social work she has jobs available across the country. She could probably find work somewhere.

3. Getting a student loan is WAYYYYYYY to easy. In my case my tuition and books are paid for and I receive a good amount of money each quarter to cover rent,food, ect. But I am also offered additional loans in excess of 3,500 each quarter. Signing up for these loans is as simple as clicking my mouse on the"YES" button. There needs to be some counseling for these students who are at 15-18K in debt their jr year. Its sad but a number of students commitsuicide because of their loans.

I thank my parents for being frugal when I was younger because it taught me its ok to go without some of the extras in life. I have nearly completed 2 BA'sand I am applying to grad school right now for social work and thank god I only have 12K in loans.

 

[cabron james 23]

you gotta PAY to PLAY... its just the way of the world

 

[theconditioner]

College = businesses. College will only continue to become more expensive to "combat the rise of inflation". Just be real and say that you're building new things on campus and need the money. The role that public education used to play is being taken over by private schools. Public schools are still affordable but private schools now give a lot of money and in some cases pay for the entire tuition, room and board. College will only be affordable for the rich and the extremely poor as colleges will pity their situation and throw them a bone. The middle class is being phased out of higher education like everything else in America. Its starting to resemble education during the Middle Ages in which the landowning elite were able to send their kids to monastic schools for education when everyone else cracked their backs for some grain. Learning for the sake of learning is dead in terms of the university level. If you have money to blow then it can be acheived but now, you should be going to school to get a degree that will make you money upon graduation. My children aren't going to make the mistake that I made. When they get to college they will major in accounting, a science, computers or engineering; guaranteed employment and a nice salary.
EXACTLY. And unfortunately.

The education system in the US is essentially a filter. The higher the education level, the more obedient andrich the person is likely to be. Not necessarily the one with the most potential. Those guys are left behindbecause they can't afford it, or because they're not viewed as malleable puppets (especially in relation to private sector jobs).

 

[lazy b]

Originally Posted by SuperAntigen

Originally Posted by Lazy B

College = businesses. College will only continue to become more expensive to "combat the rise of inflation". Just be real and say that you're building new things on campus and need the money. The role that public education used to play is being taken over by private schools. Public schools are still affordable but private schools now give a lot of money and in some cases pay for the entire tuition, room and board. College will only be affordable for the rich and the extremely poor as colleges will pity their situation and throw them a bone. The middle class is being phased out of higher education like everything else in America. Its starting to resemble education during the Middle Ages in which the landowning elite were able to send their kids to monastic schools for education when everyone else cracked their backs for some grain. Learning for the sake of learning is dead in terms of the university level. If you have money to blow then it can be acheived but now, you should be going to school to get a degree that will make you money upon graduation. My children aren't going to make the mistake that I made. When they get to college they will major in accounting, a science, computers or engineering; guaranteed employment and a nice salary.

I agree with everything you just said. And as grim as it may seem, everything you just typed is the reality of our American situation right now. Education is the single most powerful privilege in the U.S, and anywhere in the world for that matter, for the mere fact that empowers the INDIVIDUAL. The lack of education--the type that imparts real knowledge--makes one just another tool to used and disposed of at a whim. That said, IT REALLLYYY bothers me that people can't see this and are instead, fixated on rudimentary knowledge that only serves to make "the company" more money. If you're working solely for money--regardless of how much--YOU'RE A SLAVE. And like the slaves of the antebellum, when you've worn out your welcome and your ability to generate income--you will be disposed off by "the company" you so willingly served for how many number of years.

At this juncture, I don't know whether to blame this society for creating a system that emphasizes money, or the individual who refuses to break out the mold and exert themselves. We've made money so pertinent in this country, and now, it's become the life support that keeps us alive even though we are simultaneously killing ourselves with debt.

On another note, you say your children wont make the same mistake you did. I'm curious--what exactly is that "mistake"--because in my opinion, the mistake would be forcing them into "accounting, a science, computers or engineering..." when they could potential do so much more. I see more to life than "guaranteed employment and a nice salary". In my opinion, there is no such thing as "guaranteed" employment. There is only a "good-probability" that you may be of service to "the company" with a degree in those fields. But then, also realize that you're putting your children into a rat race because everyone is now chasing "a nice salary", which means, they are all the more expendable.

Originally Posted by seventh letter

Well I mean if you ask anyone why they're going to school, more likely than not their response is going to be "to get a good job." People don't go to school to learn, it's evident with all of the copying/cheating that takes place. The other majority of people probably won't even be able to answer the question because they don't know the answer. Higher-level education has become a social norm and you will be frowned upon if you choose not to participate. Even though only 30% of people that attend college actually graduate.

So in other words, what we will have if we continue on this path is a nation of money chasing imbeciles who won't be able to figure out how to solve the simplest of problems without cheating...

Meanwhile, the really educated, who were smart enough not to join the rat race, will become leaders of industry because they possess real knowledge, the likes of which money can't buy and/or oppress...

But even so, it seems as though this class of individuals will be stopped from ever reaching their potential because of the exuberant and honestly, unrealistic price of education. So for this population, the options then become

• Join the rat race and chase the "money-degree" because I need money
• Don't join the rat race but greatly increase the chance that I will be hampered by debt for the rest of my life
• Don't even bother going to college and seeking knowledge because it doesn't seem worth it

Looks like either way, social elite and the keepers of money have already won huh...

...

I should have reworded it better but I get what you are saying. A friend of mine who goes to Fordham was having a discussion with me about this afew weeks ago. He brought up the point that there are too many programs in our universities that do not prepare students for careers. What I meant by making mykids take those majors is that it is very hard now to get a job with a degree in one of the liberal arts unless you can really differentiate yourself fromother prospective employees. Things that are needed such as engineers, IT analysts, accountants and people with backgrounds in sciences are more likely to getthem something. The mistake I made is that I am a history major. Don't get me wrong, I love my major and enjoyed every class I took (except one, #+**@!+middle east). The point I'm trying to make is that if I don't get into law school or grad school, how likely is it for someone to hire someone with ahistory background in this current economic climate, not very likely. I regret not changing my major or enrolling into the business school upon my acceptanceto my university. My friend wanted to major in history but his father, a history professor, refused to pay for it because he himself knew how difficult it wasto find employment with a simple liberal arts degree (he tells his students not to major in HST but ACC, ECN). Now that's not the case for all people withliberal arts degrees but I'd rather my kids just like parents paying for my colleagues to go to school, be unhappy with a major they don't like butwill make them money post-graduation.

As far as the rat race goes, we are all in one from birth. We learn to adapt to our surroundings and implications of the race. From that we make successes ofourselves or failures if we can't make the necessary changes. When we look for jobs, that is also a rat race. We're deemed expendable upon graduation.We differentiate ourselves with experience and connections. GPA doesn't get the job done anymore. Its cheaper to hire someone who has years of experiencerather than the person who graduated cum laude but needs a month learning the system.

 

[theconditioner]

On another note, you say your children wont make the same mistake you did. I'm curious--what exactly is that "mistake"--because in my opinion, the mistake would be forcing them into "accounting, a science, computers or engineering..." when they could potential do so much more. I see more to life than "guaranteed employment and a nice salary". In my opinion, there is no such thing as "guaranteed" employment. There is only a "good-probability" that you may be of service to "the company" with a degree in those fields. But then, also realize that you're putting your children into a rat race because everyone is now chasing "a nice salary", which means, they are all the more expendable.
That is exactly why I said "unfortunately."

As far as the rat race goes, we are all in one from birth. We learn to adapt to our surroundings and implications of the race. From that we make successes of ourselves or failures if we can't make the necessary changes. When we look for jobs, that is also a rat race. We're deemed expendable upon graduation. We differentiate ourselves with experience and connections. GPA doesn't get the job done anymore. Its cheaper to hire someone who has years of experience rather than the person who graduated cum laude but needs a month learning the system.
And this is unfortunately true too. Society must realize that this is not a race. However, as a result of greed, perpetuated by our economicdoctrines, society continues to work this way. And if it continues, there will only be more social stratification and inequality in this world.

 

[bigshake]

Anyone have an answer to these debt situations? I'm in a cc right now with a plan on majoring in chemical or mechanical engineering
when I transfer to a university here in California and I don't want to be in major debt after college. My gpa is only 3.0, so most scholarships
are out of the question. And I'm in the lower-middle class so i can't leech money out of the government. Hey, who wouldn't mind getting a
free ride from big brother? And I'm not sure if the race card works anymore with scholarships but I am mexican/native-american.

Any advice/answers?....seems like theres only speculation on this subject thus far.

p.s Real Talk

 

[mf doomer]

When the system is layed out like this it really makes you think about college it's self. It's definently a two way sector for those fortunet enough topay leaving the others in debt glore. It's a buisness and college will milk you if your'e not smart enough, not book smart but generally smart to havea plan other than a degree.

 

[crftz333]

the education system in this country is broken...

the idea of a 4-year college is so pointless in this day and age. there is a free trade of all the general information you could possibly need available on theinternet... high schools need to refocus on teaching kids how to find the answers to questions they don't know, rather than just having them memorizehistorical dates and math formulas. Equipping them with that, a good deal of life lessons involving money management and taxes, and then the basics of science,language and math... would make everyone well rounded enough in this world.

If you wanted to go into a specialized career - a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a plumber... have specific schools for those trades that people can get intostraight out of high school... no more wasting money and time on these "well-rounded" degrees in the liberal arts and what not. That information ischeap and free on the internet and in text books to anybody who so wishes to find it. On the job training can fill in the gaps, and apprenticeships could takethat all a step further.

Education became a business a long time ago.. but that wasn't enough.. they then started coming into the high schools and convincing people and otherbusinesses that you shouldn't hire people without these expensive degrees and fancy titles. It's time to get back to basics, and refocus as a countryon what's important.

This is coming from somebody who wasted the tens of thousands of dollars in loan debt on a degree and wakes up to regret it every single day... somebody notmuch unlike the girl in that video. Nothing I heard in the video was surprising or unrelatable in some way, and I just can't believe that living in acollege town, i still see tuition rising like crazy every year, assistance dropping, yet enrollment increasing also. It's a joke... and everyone keepsbuying into it.

 

[mangudai954]

Marked for later

 

[krazy88s]

At least a few things in that video that most can relate to. College is/was.....eh. Im up to my neck in loans. Even the few grants I got wasn't enough. Inhindsight I probably would've taken a year off between HS and college. I have no regrets for going though. Perhaps it's the bad economy making me sortof regret going or maybe it's the truth that many my age (24) didnt see coming out of HS. Whatever the reason the US education system is bad shape IMO.

I recently asked for a forbearance on my biggest loan. It was simply too much per month and Im not making anything. A reminder to those in similar situation asme, as noted in the video pay the interest of the loan while in forbearance. That way it wont double up on you.

 

[romedadude]

I'ma watch this in a little bit. But, first I have to finish this HW so I can graduate college, make money, and pay back these student loans.

 

[lemonade41]

my view on it is that I'm going to have them anyway, and they WILL be paid off before too too long, IMO its a necesary evil unless you're one of thepeople who graduated HS with a 4.0 and high scoreso on the ACT/SAT

 

[krazy88s]

Originally Posted by romedadude

I'ma watch this in a little bit. But, first I have to finish this HW so I can graduate college, make money, and pay back these student loans.

 

[l silky johnston l]

Welcome to the real world.

 

[blknaitch]

bookmarked

 

[roc4life24]

Originally Posted by Mangudai954

Marked for later

 

[romedadude]

OK, it took me a couple of days, but I finally got around to watching this and reading the responses you guys made. This stuff is REAL. My loans I have aregov't subsidized right now and I've gotten a couple scholly's too, but I've found out this out of state tuition ain't no joke. The bestadvice I can give is to apply for a lot of scholarships, people are giving away money for the craziest of things (being left handed, being over 6'3",etc.) so don't turn your nose up to any scholarship opportunity. Like you all said college is business. Last year a professor told us college is like afast food restaurant, take this for example:

You go to Wendy's and get your Baconator combo. You drive off and didn't realize they forgot your fries. Wendy's won't chase you down sayinghey you forgot your fries! College is just like that, they don't care if you don't come to class or if you spend all your time partying, all they wantis the money. Money Makes The World Go Round (c) Brad Jordan

I hate to go off on a tangent, but everything we do is in the pursuit of money. EVERYTHING

 

[atlien seeko]

Hmm.. This is interesting this Sallie Mae company isnt surprising at all. The government probably still has something to do with them. Look at the FederalReserve... Private company affiliated with the government.