<p>And yes I actually talked to her and she told me her story. She has absolutely NO regret. </p>
<p>One difference could be that the rules may have changed, so that fewer will be taken advantage of, and fewer loans will go unpaid.</p>
<p>I ddon’t know this for a fact. I had no money for college, but loans did not occur to my family back then . They suggested the military, and that, and going to an HBCU worked for me, but things are different now. </p>
<p>I’ve been looking into the military. I heard that if you joined after college, they help you with your debt. I already took my ASVAB in high school, just to be safe, and if that is true, that’s probably what my move would be when I graduate </p>
<p>What is so wonderful about that story? Sounds awful. It is an awful story about a hard way to go through college and life after made by myopia for NYU (or insert other unaffordable college here.) Not the worst, the worst is not graduating at all and having the debt and that sounds highly likely for you, as you don’t seem you will have a cosigner worthy for all 4 years. And she is paying money on debt that should go to her savings. Almost all of the bang toward getting very comfortable financially is the investments you make when you are younger and get the benefit of compounding interest. Just think if she could be setting herself up with 100k in the bank what that would grow to.</p>
<p>Thing is, you don’t really believe in yourself. You just believe in a name on a school diploma will make things happen by magic. If you believed in yourself and that you can do what you put your mind to you would be going to a school that doesn’t put you in such a precarious financial position. You would put yourself into the position of being awesome where you go and not making risky decisions.</p>
<p>The problem I have is it isn’t just you being foolish–you can be as foolish as you want.It is taking someone down with you. You have no way to be remotely sure you can make those payments or if you will stick it to your family. So that’s why it just selfish. Saying I WILL really loud is just meaningless. At the least defer a year and raise the money you plan so the loans are less. But better to pick a school with better aid/lower cost. You aren’t the only kid coming here with this sort of plan and we can sort the smart ones from the dumb ones pretty easy by now, seeing who can ‘get it’ or not. There is a thread I love here this year where the student last minute questioned if they should go to the dream school at the kind of debt you are talking about and she was able to get an acceptance at a school that gave a full tuition scholarship and had very good opportunities in the area of interest, all from some help of posters here. It was a relief to be able to help for one time.</p>
<p>You could be the next Lindsay, not Karen, see the video
<a href=“The college affordability dream is dead for these students”>https://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/college-costs-unaffordable-for-students-174357548.html</a>
<a href=“http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-11-09/news/debt-and-debtor/”>http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-11-09/news/debt-and-debtor/</a></p>
<p>and google the FB NYU debt stories mentioned in the video</p>
<p>Oy. Three years out of college, $52K in debt, no savings, stuck living at home, and basically unmarriageable, because who would take on that financial mess? Yeah, Karen’s story sounds wonderful. You think an NYU degree is some magic pass to success. It’s not. It’s a school that is far more impressive to kids desperate to live in NYC than it is to employers. Karen could have attended the honors college of her state school, enjoyed a social life and extracurriculars instead of grubbing for tips in a bar and undergoing medical procedures to pay interest, graduated with minimal or no debt, gotten the same job she has now (or been able to afford a masters degree if she were so inclined), have her own apartment and car and make contributions to a nicely growing 401(k) plan. She has no regrets? Just goes to show you that an NYU degree doesn’t mean someone is smart.</p>
<p>Why not listen to the unanimous opinions of experienced adults rather than follow in the footsteps of a foolish friend? Hopefully you won’t be able to pursue your terrible plan.</p>
<p>And by the way, your death is NOT the only event that will require your co-signer to pay your loan. If you lose your job or get sick and can’t make your loan payments for any reason (and yes, this actually happens in the real world), your lenders will be attaching you co-signer’s bank account and wages, which is why anyone would have to be nuts to co-sign a student loan.</p>
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<p>Karen’s story is a nightmare.</p>
<p>She has to work in a strip bar? She has to live at home? What if she met a SO and wanted to marry or move in with that person? Many people graduate from college and can’t/won’t move back home because they are now living with a SO or involved with a SO (and living at home won’t fit that scenario.)</p>
<p>I think Karen is either in denial about her regret or hiding it. Who wants all their income to go towards servicing debt? Who doesnt want to buy new clothes, a car, date, travel and do other fun things once they are a working professional? </p>
<p>If she truly has no regrets then her parents must be helping her more than you think. </p>
<p>What wonderful job has she gotten because of her NYU degree? And what would have happened if that job was not near her parents’ home?</p>
<p>What is your major and career goal? Does it involve living in NYC? If so, then you wont be able to live at home and work. </p>
<p>And what happens if your co-signer doesn’t qualify for the next loan while you are still in college? Then you will have NO DEGREE and lots of debt. How would you pay that off w/o a degree?</p>
<p>Why am I not surprised that the dream school is NYU? That school is so not worth the debt. </p>
<p>Assumptions. That’s all I’m reading which is expected when your giving advice/stating something to someone you don’t know. Totally understandable. Karen? One of the most adventurous people I know. Had fun working as a bartender (Yes, where she made most of her money). Who said anything about her going out of state? NY has always been her home state. No savings? Complete B.S. She took a side job from her already successful job to help with her new apartment. I think, not sure, but THINK she is having a kid with a guy she had been with since her junior year of college. I told her, “See that’s where you messed up. Not having kids will literally knock a decade off of your loans. I hope they take every last one of my eggs so I won’t have any.” That’s a whole other conversation…
Last time I talked to her she was moving out of her mothers place, or was getting ready to, had her own car, and a boyfriend who didn’t run away because she was in debt. Lol, who does that?
Her side job, selling those crazy wraps things, she told me was a great idea. “If you really want to make money, get into something that’s aimed at fixing the average American female insecurities, you’ll rack up in no time.” Great advice and I totally agree. She hasn’t been living check to check. She has a “surprisingly great about of savings” for her undergoing such a great amour if debt. Yes, her credit isn’t great, but it’s not awful (too awful to co sign tho)
As for me being stupid? DUH. Tell me something I don’t know, really? Everyone knows just because you go to a well known college doesn’t mean your going to graduate and BAM. Automatically 6figure job knocking at your door. Get a grip 
yes there are a lot of people who failed under there debt. I even promised my mom and my self I would transfer if I’ve changed my mom and is completely overwhelmed with the amount. But you know what? You google success debt stories. While I know the negative is very real, I also know the positive is too. I’m not delusional, a little reckless maybe, but not delusional. I was scared going to this school. I was conflicted and wrote to my creativity writing teacher (a wonderful smart educated older woman" The message she sent me back was what made me chose this school.
“You’re going to be in debt either way you go, might as well be in debt and be happy. Oh, and 97, good story”
Karen- “Wanna hear something crazy, I might go back to NYU for grad school. That look your giving me is saying I’m crazy, but aren’t you?”
Now, I have two weeks to get this money… If I don’t I’ll just take a semester off. Sell my eggs a litter earlier than expected. You guys have a wonderful debt free, savings filled, wonderful life</p>
<p>Closing thread. It is against the Terms of Service to solicit the CC community for a loan, which is what the OP did in one of her posts (I deleted the line now).</p>