A relative of mine graduated a 3rd tier law school right into the buzzsaw of the recession with $150K in loans. She worked by day as a roaming free lance lawyer doing closings and grunt work earning squat while tending bar at night to pay the bills. After about a year, she landed a real job, though still low paying. After bouncing around a bit, she landed at a firm, just made partner and is doing great. Those loans don’t seem so crazy. She was all-in though. Not your typical millennial. She refused to be a statistic.