Undergrad Debt, how much did you incur?

[kylebes1]

What school are you going to attend?

Kennesaw State. $7000.00 is for my housing, which is pretty much a university owned apartment complex. 6 hours over the Summer cost right at $1000.00. I have to take 14 in the fall and another 14 in the Spring. Maybe it is more or less, either way I got to get the grades from now on. Ain't no dumby, but I have messed up lately.

[yberther]

I'm a freshman at UW and I'm 10k in :\

[trashcop 80s 80s]

That is $14000 just for tuition and rent. Not to mention food and gas, because I still work.

What school are you going to attend?

[Jonathan Chan]

College degrees don't get you high paying jobs (in most fields) - experience and willingness to bust your butt do. I know of a good number of people (myself possibly included) who quit college early to get into their respective field and after about 5-6 years were over the $130k mark with no school debt. Unfortunately I don't know too many colleges that teach you to be a good DBA (for example.) Logic, common sense and a drive to make yourself and your organization the best it can be is where the money is.

None of that applies to doctors, lawyers or financial planners :)

Actually, a college degree and experience get you high paying jobs, combined with that willingness to bust your ass.

An in regards to future pay, 5 - 6 years after a good undergrad program (and maybe a masters) will net you the 6 figures if you play your cards right. By then, if you're 100% stupid or retarded, you should be doing pretty well for yourself, regardless of what path you've chosen and if you stick with it.

What you said about logic, common sense, and personal ambition/drive is all up to you to pick up and learn. College isn't always what's taught in the classroom, but the life lessons everyone learns going through the experience.

If you want to be good at something (while in college) and sticking with the DBA example, you should be doing internships when you can while in school. That sets you apart from the droves of other people wanting to get into a field. Internships provide that real world experience, without having a lot of responsibility while you're taking a full class load.

I know that when I started college, it was the norm to think that you pick a good internship your junior year, and they'd hire you after you graduate. Now, in order to even get a decent offer, you need to load up on as many internships as you can (in the field you want to work in) and use that in your portfolio of skill sets.

That said.. I interned for four summers (and part time during the school year) at big ad agencies and market research firms. Now I'm going into systems engineering :rofl

[jimsill]

including my MBA, i racked up about $23K. Like many of you, i was disenchanted upon entering the job market after my schooling to realize that a degree from a competitive, nationally recognized private school does not guarantee competitive pay. Even with an MBA, intership experience, and solid undergrad acheivements, my best offer was $48K to start, and involved an out of state move. Dejected, i started working for my father in the business i now own, a painting and restoration business. I make close to double what my friends make who entered the job market out of school like i had intended to do.

On another note, as a small business owner who does alot of residential work where cash trasnactions are frequent, it really doesnt matter "how much you make", its "how much you keep", in the end, that really counts.

[adam12hicks]

College degrees don't get you high paying jobs (in most fields) - experience and willingness to bust your butt do. I know of a good number of people (myself possibly included) who quit college early to get into their respective field and after about 5-6 years were over the $130k mark with no school debt. Unfortunately I don't know too many colleges that teach you to be a good DBA (for example.) Logic, common sense and a drive to make yourself and your organization the best it can be is where the money is.

None of that applies to doctors, lawyers or financial planners :)

[TwoJ's]

I think a masters will open a lot of doors for anyone that already possess an undergrad education and work experience.

It's "too" easy to get an undergrad education these days, if you want to make that money, I think you gotta put the time in to get a masters.

The current place that I'll be starting work with next week contributes 70% to a masters and the other 30% upon completion. FTW!

That's true, I do think a standard BS degree is really not all that hard to get. That is very cool your employer will pay for your further schooling. I'm hoping to work for Boeing when I graduate from here, and they also pay for 100% of any further applicable education.

Then you can actually start making real money.

[nando]

I have about $7k - not too bad. lazily paid off, it should be gone in 4 years. I worked through school though, had full tuition paid for a couple times, and I took care of my uncle's house for a couple years (no rent), so school debt wasn't a big issue.

[155///MPH]

None - till I got married.....

[kylebes1]

That sounds about right. My rent contract at school is $7000 for one year, about $3000 times two semesters and another $1000 for Summer. That is $14000 just for tuition and rent. Not to mention food and gas, because I still work.

I just borrowed another $6000.00 to get me through two more semesters. If I do not have a 3.75 by the end of that I cannot accomplish any of my goals anyway.

I should have taken it seriously in the beginning.

curious, whats the standard cost of uni for an undergrad in the states?

me and most of my mates rack up around $12K a year for course costs and living expenses, and most are at uni for 3 to 4 years. Obviously less if parents contribute and most do to some degree or other.

[Jonathan Chan]

Yes you are right, I'm still talking about with a few years of real job experience.

I'm also considering going back to school to get my Master's in Technical Communication, but don't know if it will be worth the extra debt incurred.

I think a masters will open a lot of doors for anyone that already possess an undergrad education and work experience.

It's "too" easy to get an undergrad education these days, if you want to make that money, I think you gotta put the time in to get a masters.

The current place that I'll be starting work with next week contributes 70% to a masters and the other 30% upon completion. FTW!

[Turf1600]

I've got about a year and a half left and I'm at a whopping $0. My work pays $5k a semester. My wife is in nursing school and she has ~2k in debt from her first semester in college. What sucks is when she's an RN with a bachelors she will see a miniscule pay increase from where she is now.

[z31maniac]

Don't bash my dreams. I should be finished with my BS in MET a year from now, and I am hoping to make at least $60k/year. A good friend of mine just graduated and he had a job offer before he graduated for $58k with very good benefits. And that is over here on the east side of the mountains where cost of living is minuscule compared to the West side around the Puget Sound where I want to live.

That's awesome I hope you land it, but to put it in a bit of perspective, I was told that number 8 years ago when I was a freshman and you are in an area of the country that still costs more to live in.

[z31maniac]

You're still not going to find that $85k - 100k job right out of school though, or are you talking about after a few years of experience? DBA jobs are really popular now with all the social-networking sites popping up.

Yes you are right, I'm still talking about with a few years of real job experience.

I'm also considering going back to school to get my Master's in Technical Communication, but don't know if it will be worth the extra debt incurred.

[Borat]

curious, whats the standard cost of uni for an undergrad in the states?

me and most of my mates rack up around $12K a year for course costs and living expenses, and most are at uni for 3 to 4 years. Obviously less if parents contribute and most do to some degree or other.