In some sense, yes. But it also matters what you're getting your degree in, the growth of various job prospects in the future, local considerations (the job market in California probably doesn't look like the job market in North Dakota)...

But so far, it doesn't really sound like you've thought this through. Is your *best* bet for being in school really the abstract sense of improving your statistical odds of getting gainful employment?

Sure. Some people say the same thing about going to graduate school. They TA and often teach/tutor on the side while working their way to a Masters degree, and sometimes end up with an extra degree that isn't really directed at something that they actually want to do. And even though they may have managed to not accumulate debt, they're now in their late 20s, still with an unimpressive resume, making just enough money to scrape by, and still not really working in something that they really want to do. And then in a few years they find themselves in their mid-30s wondering what they've done with their life.

Not all of them end up in that pessimistic place, but the ones that end up in better places tend to have a little bit more vision for what they're doing and aren't just jumping through the next hoops because they're in front of them.

I don’t understand?

Most people go to school for credentials that will hopefully lead to a better paying job than they can currently get or have, right?


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That's fine.

It depends. People getting two year associates degrees tend to do it for the job prospects as two year degrees are more focused on jobs. People getting four year degrees go for many reasons, but one of the primary reasons they go is because everyone around them is doing that. Yes, there's some abstract sense of "I need this to get a job" in the background, but they really don't know what they want to do for work, and they're using college to delay those types of decisions. And if someone else is paying for it, even better.

Second career students tend to be very specific about the degree they're trying to earn and the job they're in pursuit of after graduation. You don't strike me as that type of person given that you've only given the most abstract of reasons to go to college.

One of the absolute biggest mistakes that I think students make (especially the traditional 18-24 year old student going to school full time) is that they actually avoid talking concretely about jobs for much too long. They don't spend time looking for internships or talking to the career center to try to connect their degree to actual jobs that are available. And they don't take enough advantage of summers to either move faster through their education or get work experience (again, internships matter). Some are too focused on grades as if that's the thing that gets them the job, as opposed to taking time to develop soft skills and doing mock interviews and the things that have a much larger influence on their job prospects (as well as their prospects for advancement).

What do you know about your job opportunities where you are? Or are you thinking of going somewhere else? If so, what do you know about the job prospects there? How does your degree help you in those specific ways?

(I think there are lots of other reasons to go to college beyond job prospects, and those things include intellectual and emotional development, an opportunity to develop personal discipline, and explore personal interests in a way that you really can't do when you're working a job. But that's certainly not for everyone.)

I think you have the impression that I am much younger and less experienced in life than I actually am


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That may be true. Your evasiveness on specifics feels a lot like lack of knowledge and experience.

Edit: The alternative is that you're a grumpy old person who is upset at the world for constantly giving you the short end of the stick, which is why you feel like you have to fight for every last thing.

I feel like this is likely a false dichotomy


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That's because it is. The second one is a bit more tongue-in-cheek.

Aaron has a tendency to be nitpicky and condescending. He seems to treat pretty much everyone with an opinion this way, so don't take it too hard. I've had conversations with him where my point was so strong that the only way for him to attack it was to attack the useage of some of my vocabulary, and attack it he did even though it made him look silly.

You've got the right idea about staying out of debt, and you are correct that you would have a hard time justifying going to school if you were to graduate with debt (assuming an 'average' degree) so just don't graduate with debt. Seems simple.

I can find a way for you to continue to go to your school and you will only lose 1-2 hours every day. Deal?

What is the extend of your problem? 6k per year? per quarter?

I had to look this up because I wasn't sure. Technically, the federal government says that these loans are to be used for "educational expenses" and they do not approve of investing that money. But I could not find any evidence of the government actually going after people for this, and as far as I can tell there's no accounting that goes on with what you do with the money.

So I'm not sure what type of hot water you can land in other than the hot water of not being able to repay the loan if you invest poorly.

There is no hot water because money is fungible. The amount of a student loan offered is based on the portion of estimated school expenses for which you have no other financial aid being provided. So you can spend the loan on anything, totally legally.

My scholarship is worth ~6k per year

Im a bit reluctant to enter an agreement unless I know the details. feel free to PM or post here, whichever is best for you

You can work part time in the univ work-study program and make 6k per year, and stay full-time student.

I hope you don’t have to do so, but it is not so bad as it seems.

My school is primarily online, I don't think they have a work study program

Yes definitely, i meant deal... if it takes only 1-2 hours per day and of course its agreeable in content. The deal is not with me it's with the idea to solve your problem and maintain your ability to study with small time cost that would even contribute to your education in a way.

Sorry in case i missed details. Are you located in US? If so do you have a legal resident status/social security number or even better are you a citizen? You do not have to answer here, its your private life, just to yourself.

Can you name a few topics in math, computing, sciences, music, arts etc you can claim you are very good at and can mentor/tutor/help young students with live or online? Endless reputable sites exist out there that can accept your service if you train a bit on your own to be able to maintain a very good level of knowledge in things that you help others and easily pass a few very easy skill and background tests.

It's the easiest way to make money from very little to a lot, in a way that you can control the time you spend and never get fired if you momentarily stop or take a break etc. You can easily make a part time 10k a year with 1-2 hours per day. To give you an idea; In a good university TAs get easily $1.5-1.6k per month just to guide students in labs, grade papers and lab reports and help with homework in office hours. That is way too much time compared to the other alternative of helping others for money after first you establish a good reputation with very well executed meetings with people that try you for a small symbolic initial price until you have some history of good reports. A lot of good students and professional that take breaks from other jobs or in between jobs make a great living this way, let alone side income which is very doable. You can work on the weekends mostly to avoid undermining or putting stress to your weekly studies and classes.

Tell your professor that your answer is also mathematically correct.