Brent P
Right. And I am REJECTING your hypothesis as bullpoo. In addition it has nothing to do with my point. It's a red herring, and of no value.
Got it yet?
Non-answer snipped. Of course you would borrow to make an investment like a house. A college degree is almost exactly the same.
All other things AREN'T equal, and you know it.
It's not an anchor if it allows you to make double or more right out of the gate.
No, I'm using my situation as an illustration that the stupid idea of "debt is debt" is just that - stupid.
Take debt and have double the earning power. Don't take debt and have some greater earning power, but over less time. Stating that one is financially perferrable over the other without looking at the cost:benefit is just plain STUPID.
But I *didn't* "have" to borrow any other monies. And I earned more, sooner. Was my debt good or bad? Is it possible that my situation is not unique?
It's the implication of "all debt is the same" juxtaposed with "all other things being equal, no debt is preferrable."
So it is "of the kind" without actually stating it.
Your argument of "all debt is the same" holds no water, because it's only true for one small, limited case: where you want to borrow money.
That's it. And that has nothing to do with my the thrust of my arguments.
No, it *is* relevant. I recognize it's not relevant to your argument of "debt is debt."
Making good choices about money is WHAT THE f***ING THREAD IS ABOUT.
Are you getting it yet?
Spending money on jalopies and gasoline to travel back and forth to job and school may *not* be the wisest choice, and other choices exist.
"Debt is debt" is *a* consideration, but not *the* consideration you want it to be.
Are you claiming it's not possible? I don't think so, you're claiming it's not preferrable. To you. A *choice.*
Hmmmmm.
You don't. You keep implying that the only consideration should be how much debt you have after school.
That's a dumb and short-sighted approach to how to finance college.
No - I'm explaining how getting a science degree and holding down enough job to pay for it all would be quite difficult.
This does not address the time required to get good grades. (Not pbutting grades - good ones.)
Absolutely not. You seem to hold the notion that someone can work a McJob and pay for all their schooling, get done in the alloted time, get excellent grades, and still have a life. I am asking where in the hell the time comes from.
I made my luck. Anyone in my situation could have done it if they tried. The next year students might have had a harder time of it, but they could have done it too!
Right. And it works that way a lot of places. If you work a McJob, and get hurt at it, or while driving, you might miss some courses and have to take a whole semester again. That cost just blasts the interest on the loans right out of the water, in terms of dollar amount.
This idea isn't merely limited to my scenario - it applies more widely. I could have lived like a pauper, got mediocre grades, worked my way through school, and have gotten out later, with fewer prospects (I got more because of my grades), all for the sake of saving the equivalent of a new car in debt.
No, I am having a math problem here. No matter how I calculate it, my way seems to come out much better.
Well, except for those three years you harp on, where I couldn't borrow as much money.
Then you had money, or were so poor as to have had grants. I had none of that - some small savings from summer jobs. That's it.
You got through school on someone else's money - grants, scholarships, whatever. I had to get through on my own dime.
Universities don't take IOUs, you know.
How much does it affect your earning power?
You've been done a long time.
Luckily, I'm the one that's right.
E.P.
