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RadiationTherapy

(5,818 posts)
Thu May 24, 2012, 10:56 AM May 2012

It's not like people are forced to take student loans. [View all]

I earned my first bachelor's degree at age 37. I can assure each and every one of you that, for me, there was no thriving - only basic surviving - without getting a degree. The costs of earning a degree (tuition, books, etc), the high cost of living, and the low paying jobs all conspire to make loans quite necessary, thank you.


39 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
People are not forced to take student loans.
9 (23%)
The job market, cost of living, and cost of education conspire to "force" one to take student loans.
30 (77%)
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Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll
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Education is a human right, and it should be free to all comers. bemildred May 2012 #1
while I agree with you to some degree... ProdigalJunkMail May 2012 #3
Who decides? bemildred May 2012 #5
so, why would anyone ever do any work ProdigalJunkMail May 2012 #6
Yep, scary thought. bemildred May 2012 #9
what the fuck are you talking about? ProdigalJunkMail May 2012 #14
"surely you can see the danger in that..." bemildred May 2012 #15
it is apparent that you have once again failed to grasp the point ProdigalJunkMail May 2012 #17
The world would be fine The2ndWheel May 2012 #29
the Earth would be fine...indeed n/t ProdigalJunkMail May 2012 #75
Most people work to get money. To eat and stuff like that. bemildred May 2012 #31
Unless they belong to the 1% FloridaJudy May 2012 #62
Indeed. bemildred May 2012 #66
hmmm...someone is going to have to work to supply ProdigalJunkMail May 2012 #76
False dichotomy. It is not an either/or choice, bemildred May 2012 #84
people might go to work so they can buy food, afford a place to live, maybe even go on vacation fishwax May 2012 #58
HA! +1 underseasurveyor May 2012 #156
Attending school doesn't pay an hourly wage or salary. underseasurveyor May 2012 #155
College should be free, as it is is quite a few countreis obamanut2012 May 2012 #7
Absolutely - we are doing the wrong kind of testing in this country. TBF May 2012 #10
Not really "free." Education in such countries is paid for through taxes as is health care CTyankee May 2012 #24
In countries where it is free they often restrict it based on highschool performance 4th law of robotics May 2012 #77
There's no such thing as "free" education, it's paid for via taxes. Johnny Rico May 2012 #88
This is not an actual problem. surrealAmerican May 2012 #96
That's what I don't get about people who argue everyone will become professional students. white_wolf May 2012 #111
Then teachers should instruct at no cost. dkf May 2012 #25
You do of course realize nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #63
Yes, though limited to ability treestar May 2012 #42
Of course, you still have to do the work. bemildred May 2012 #44
Yes!!!! nt ZombieHorde May 2012 #72
Age 37 is one thing frazzled May 2012 #2
This isn't a matter of opinion. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #4
Yes, but those first two and possibly the third are whole unknowns when a young person arrives. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #8
They're not unknowns to the school administration. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #18
The School Administration paid 6 figures and charged with growing the campus and the coffers? RadiationTherapy May 2012 #32
Then you chose "lifestyle purchase" lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #50
and if you research the earnings ahead of time magical thyme May 2012 #12
"that calculus" = "the results of your ROI calculation" sorry for the ambiguity. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #19
At what stage in life would a person's education include RadiationTherapy May 2012 #33
When I was in fifth grade, I knew that I could buy my friend's bike for $30 and resell it for $40. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #43
HAAAahahahahaha! I suspected as much. "I don't think with you" - RadiationTherapy May 2012 #45
Fine. But don't expect me to be inclined to absorb the costs of your choices. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #52
No, no, of course not. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #53
"jubilee" is exactly that. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #60
It is easy to see I am not advocating for that. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #64
What's the logical conclusion of holding people blameless for the loans they agreed to? lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #67
It's quite complex don't you think? I don't have a "solution" nor RadiationTherapy May 2012 #70
Okay, we're getting somewhere. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #89
Ah, thanks for the textbook example nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #90
Did college entitle you to write your own textbooks? lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #92
Funny nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #94
You said education was useless for its own sake. white_wolf May 2012 #102
And that college was mostly a scam. nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #105
I'm doing pretty good right now. white_wolf May 2012 #109
Visiting mom, getting home tomorrow nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #110
No, I said college is useless for it's own sake. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #116
"What I strongly disagree with is the notion that "education" is so valuable for its own sake..." white_wolf May 2012 #122
You're right. I fell into the convention of treating "college" and "education" as synonymous. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #125
ok. calculus actually is a requirement for many degrees magical thyme May 2012 #147
Now that the school knows the actual starting wage lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #148
the school already knew the starting wage magical thyme May 2012 #152
There are loads of careers that had outstanding growth projections in 2008, that are flattened now riderinthestorm May 2012 #16
No, it a game of chance with no rules and fewer facts from which to work. Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #37
education is not an investment it is a necessity Johonny May 2012 #40
And libraries are free. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #54
Gee, want to go see a dentist nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #112
I'm pretty confident that my dentist can afford his student loans. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #115
Knowing actual dentists and doctors nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #119
The average dentist makes $140,000+ annually. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #123
Not worth it nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #126
Being on dialyup Bohunk68 May 2012 #117
Okay. Free in the sense that sidewalks are "free". lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #120
We do invest in education 4th law of robotics May 2012 #78
Education is a national security and economic issue. aquart May 2012 #11
I'm sorry, but I don't understand your question. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #13
Either I misread the OP or you did? Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #69
I got my first degree in 1985 at age 23 hfojvt May 2012 #20
You are forced to take student loans unless you like flipping burgers DotGone May 2012 #21
College is the price you pay for the privilege of working cleanly, indoors. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #30
Pray tell what are these dirty unskilled jobs? DotGone May 2012 #56
Does college pay any better than any of those careers? lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #68
Yes. jeff47 May 2012 #81
That's a line people keep repeating 4th law of robotics May 2012 #79
Trade schools still cost nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #97
I am aware 4th law of robotics May 2012 #98
Depends nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #103
I agree in general 4th law of robotics May 2012 #141
Alas this requires taxes nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #151
the other part is hfojvt May 2012 #143
And how long ago was that? Bake May 2012 #22
Costs for 2012 at the University of Illinois, a public state school for in-state undergrads is $30k riderinthestorm May 2012 #26
States have continually ratcheted down what they pay for colleges. Bake May 2012 #27
If the investment required to become a nurse can't be recouped in salary, why become a nurse? lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #28
You probably do not realize this nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #38
My 19 y/o son is in a 2 year diesel tech class. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #49
Look at tuition for trades nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #59
No, I'm objecting to the assertion that college is somehow separable from economics. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #65
I guess we should not indulge our curiosity nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #93
If it's an important career, it pays enough to repay student loans. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #101
You mean like medicine? nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #107
Mind reading. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #114
Nope not mind reading nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #118
Macro: Colleges serve a useful purpose because they provide the social capacity to do things. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #127
Whoosh... nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #129
So wrong. Dance, music, art, literature? None of those pay enough but are incredibly important to riderinthestorm May 2012 #130
Yes, my "sweeping condemnation of anyone who doesn't work in a trade" is also a clarion cry lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #131
I'm not deluding myself that it's more important riderinthestorm May 2012 #132
No degree demonstrates that you can think. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #133
Cop out. I'll take it you have no serious answer. Good night nt riderinthestorm May 2012 #135
Sorry, you were asking a question? lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #139
So nobody should be a doctor, nurse, road or bridge engineer, geologist, computer designer, riderinthestorm May 2012 #73
"People who enjoy what they do are typically the biggest innovators, the ones who truly create" lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #134
Who was in college when he was inspired. Exactly. riderinthestorm May 2012 #136
Maybe he "learned how to think" just from walking into the admissions office. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #137
I graduated this past December. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #34
Ah, I deduce you did not read my post, but only the title. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #35
My apologies. You did say that loans are a necessity. Bake May 2012 #39
No probs! RadiationTherapy May 2012 #46
Not to mention that colleges often don't provide basic information about the cost and amounts of the yellowcanine May 2012 #23
So many jobs need a degree SoutherDem May 2012 #36
It's part of a strategy treestar May 2012 #41
If you can't afford to go to college or don't WANT to take out a student loan snooper2 May 2012 #47
I find it suspicious you did not take an opportunity to list these "ways to make good money". RadiationTherapy May 2012 #48
Setting mobile homes, skirting snooper2 May 2012 #51
Thank you for this list. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #55
Computers joeglow3 May 2012 #57
Here's a few: 4th law of robotics May 2012 #80
It is a false choice, central to the college scam. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #91
I do not understand the thought processes of those who are happy with the current situation. stevenleser May 2012 #61
depends on what your idea of a "modern and complete education" is snooper2 May 2012 #74
That's pretty easy stevenleser May 2012 #86
Great definition. white_wolf May 2012 #106
What exactly is an "anti-education" poster? snooper2 May 2012 #140
And that is a sad thing, isn't it? stevenleser May 2012 #145
Oh ast week our guide to Puebla nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #153
As to your first sentence. white_wolf May 2012 #82
Here's the other side of the empathy coin. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #108
Very well thought out post. Here is why I disagree stevenleser May 2012 #144
The education that everyone needs to be a citizen = secondary education lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #149
In third world countries, people say the same thing about grade school. stevenleser May 2012 #150
You're still in Lake Woebegone. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #154
I believe they conspire but. raouldukelives May 2012 #71
work you ass off in High School blueamy66 May 2012 #83
After high school I was a scholarship earning physics/chemistry major. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #87
My father died when I was attending an expensive private college. grantcart May 2012 #85
Encouraging people to work random jobs 4th law of robotics May 2012 #99
well everyone is different. At 18 college was perfect for me. For some its not. grantcart May 2012 #100
Exactly. blueamy66 May 2012 #142
Sorry, but no, loans are NOT necessary - lynne May 2012 #95
Ever since Washington cancelled the Pell Grants VISA and MasterCard have been happy. Octafish May 2012 #104
Change "Forced" to "Compelled" and I can vote on this Motown_Johnny May 2012 #113
kick. good poll Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #121
just wondering ? Why stop 4 t 4 May 2012 #124
It isn't free. It is a collective choice of tax expenditure. RadiationTherapy May 2012 #128
unless you come from a fairly well-off family there are few other options ibegurpard May 2012 #138
forced versus "forced" aikoaiko May 2012 #146
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