<p>Communications and business.</p>
<p>Is happiness worth $80,000 in debt? that is the question.</p>
<p>the answer is yes</p>
<p>Thank you, Longhaul for the suggestions!</p>
<p>Pacheight, thank you for being so supportive- its really made a difference. I can’t tell you how nice it is to see an optimistic post amongst all the realistic ones!</p>
<p>“Is happiness worth $80,000 in debt? that is the question.”</p>
<p>No, the question is whether 4 years of possible happiness (i.e. your fantasy about how much happiness going to W&M might bring you) is worth 10-20 years of unhappiness because of the limitations on your options that having to pay off a large debt would bring.</p>
<p>^^ examples being: ride a bus to work (b/c you can’t afford a car and insurance), pay rent until you’re 35 or beyond (not the most attractive aspect to a prospective spouse either), maybe move back in with the parents if times get tough.</p>
<p>All realities and possibilities. Don’t mean to be a downer but that’d be the advice I’d give if you were my son/daughter. Best of luck to you. Regardless, you seem to be in store for a successful collegiate career.</p>
<p>
You have the right to choose chocolate instead of vanilla. Just as we have the right to warn you that the chocolate might be poisoned.</p>
<p>get a part-time job -cut down that debt.</p>
<p>has anyone mentioned:</p>
<ol>
<li>That you fortunate to have a college fund.</li>
<li>And to have big college fund thats big enough for a your state’s college and still have money left over. </li>
<li>That your family is able to contribute another $10,000/yr to your “education”</li>
<li>Money can never buy happiness. Happiness can be a very good substitute for money. </li>
<li>Education is an attitude, not a place.</li>
<li>Read threads in Financial Aid forum. And make no comments. </li>
<li>Be glad that you still have a Stafford and PLUS program</li>
<li>Be very glad that your Stafford loans will be at <=6.5% an PLUS at 8.5%</li>
<li>Be glad that you there is a loan program.</li>
</ol>
<p><<Is happiness worth $80,000 in debt? that is the question.</p>
<p>the answer is yes >></p>
<p>this is my favorite post.</p>
<p>This reminds me of the Robert Frost Poem:</p>
<p>RF:<<i shall=“” be=“” telling=“” this=“” with=“” a=“” sigh=“” somewhere=“” ages=“” and=“” hence:=“” two=“” roads=“” diverged=“” in=“” wood,=“” i–=“” i=“” took=“” the=“” one=“” less=“” traveled=“” by,=“” that=“” has=“” made=“” all=“” difference.=“”>></i></p><i shall=“” be=“” telling=“” this=“” with=“” a=“” sigh=“” somewhere=“” ages=“” and=“” hence:=“” two=“” roads=“” diverged=“” in=“” wood,=“” i–=“” i=“” took=“” the=“” one=“” less=“” traveled=“” by,=“” that=“” has=“” made=“” all=“” difference.=“”>
</i>
<p>This also reminds me of a poem from the wisdom of the ages book</p>
<p>Thou shalt listen to thy elders
Do not take thy debt with open arms
Consider thy future and plan
For many times a loaf of bread is as good
as a five course meal
Do not let thy jewels misdirect you
Live a simple life
Because all things in life that are best
Are free
Do not take out loans or shall Gods will curse you for two decades
For years and years you will be haunted
And thou shall be plagued with buyers remorse
Those who encourage you to spend
Are tricksters and flatterers
Who do not think for themselves
And if ye vote for Obama
The country shall perish
The end.</p>
<p>Again different strokes…
this last one sounds born out of fear
It doesn’t sound like it’s as popular either with the masses as the Robert Frost poem.</p>
<p>Something about the Robert Frost poem resonates…</p>
<p>Really? I thought my poem was longer and way cooler than yours</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Only if it comes with 3-Bedrooms and a 2-car garage.</p>
<p>^^^^ amen brother!</p>
<p>Are you sure you would be happy ONLY at W&M? College kids change minds all the time about their majors, there’s a chance after a few weeks you’ll come to dislike W&M. And if you took out big loans for that, have fun repaying those back while attending a school you THOUGHT would be heaven for you…</p>
<p>Listen to the wise experienced people here, not those who think “happiness” = prestige</p>
<p>For those of you who have read “The Road Less Traveled” with care, you know that the last lines are ironic: the speaker has already admitted that the two paths through the words are really not distinguishable. The last lines are presumably meant to anticipate the somewhat self-satisfied boasting of an old man who forgets that chance and not his wisdom or independence shaped his life.</p>
<p>Which is all a way of saying that there are many, many good college opportunities for students. Our ideal is to find a school that we absolutely love, get in, get sufficient financial aid to make it easily affordable, and discover while we’re there that we absolutely love the place–just as we thought we would.</p>
<p>But that ideal is often unattainable, and the thought that we OUGHT to be able to find something like that can obscure some basic realities: there will almost always be plenty of great schools for each student. They may be great in various ways, but there are always good options.</p>
<p>Falling in love with a college is appealing. But as people have said elsewhere on this site, it’s a mistake to fall in love with just one. Be promiscuous with your college choices, and then go to the one you can afford.</p>
<p>It’s not entirely true makepeace, and I don’t want to spend time debating a poem, but since you opened that door, one path showed less wear (the one he takes), also, he is making a conscious choice to take the less traveled path knowing he most likely won’t be back and have an opportunity to take the other one again:</p>
<p><<because it=“” was=“” grassy=“” and=“” wanted=“” wear;=“” yet=“” knowing=“” how=“” way=“” leads=“” on=“” to=“” way,=“” i=“” doubted=“” if=“” should=“” ever=“” come=“” back.=“”>></because></p>
<p>At any rate, critics argue the main point is that the traveler consciously chooses the less traveled road, and it has made all the difference, not that chance took him somewhere and oh, how great chance is in life!</p>
<p>Many people will tell you oh, do it this way…this is what you must do…9 out of 10 people will choose this path because hey, it’s logical. Because most people will do it THIS way, it must be the right choice…it must be right one for you.</p>
<p>Not necessarily…I’m not arguing against a careful analysis of options, just as the traveler does here, just take heed, and listen to your own self…this poem makes us think that it will make all the difference,not to choose something just because everyone else thinks you should.</p>
<p>Excellent analysis of “The Road Less Traveled”.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with the sentiment, though I have to admit it sounds uncomfortably close to the punch line of the old joke:</p>
<p>*“My word, what kind of girl do you think I am?”, she asked indignantly.</p>
<p>“We know what kind of girl you are, now we’re just haggling about the price”, he answered.*</p>
<p>While this isn’t the Robert Frost thread, I’ll take this opportunity to ride one of my hobby horses. The passage that you’ve pointed us to, redbluegoldgreen, makes it clear that the two paths are equally traveled:</p>
<p>Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,</p>
<p>And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.</p>
<p>At any rate, a poem can only take one so far in deciding which college to attend. There are many fine choices out there, and I believe it would be a mistake to imagine that a lifetime’s happiness and sense of fulfillment depends upon just one.</p>