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Don't Be a Hero, Don't Go to College
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One thing that I wish I had done for my future was to spend a year or two working before I went to college. I should have saved some money first. I wasn’t without resources. I got a job when I when I was in school and my generous parents helped me out as much as they could. It was never enough. Tuition, dorm fees, books, food, car… I graduated with a B.A. in English and tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
At the time, the economy was better than it is now, but not by much. I grew up thinking you got offered more money for jobs and were better qualified to earn more, if you had a degree. All of the jobs I found required lots of work experience. I felt that my education was a waste and I was making little more than minimum wage. I struggled to gain experience enough to earn a higher paying job. I found one, but it was a horrible fit. It was math / science heavy and I am a literary girl. I struggled to do well and was stressed out to tears on a weekly basis. Fool that I am, I decided to do the romantic thing, something a heroine would do. I left it all to pursue my dream of becoming a professor.
I went to get a Master’s degree. This was when the American economy took a nose dive. I thought, “I’ll get my degree in a foreign country! One where their currency is worth more than the dollar. Then I can pay off my loans faster and send money home!” Only, if the value of the foreign currency in your new country is higher than the money in your native country, it stands to reason that you will have exorbitant cost of living expenses. England, is an expensive country.
So here I am. Back in the states with a Master’s degree and more debt. I am again working at jobs that pay little more than minimum wage. I live paycheck to paycheck and my student loans are so large, they block out the sun. My future is in darkness. All my dreams of getting a Ph.D. hinge on if I can keep up my payments and make ends meet. Every month I open my bank book and see question marks.
I think I am doomed to float here in the middle forever while the interest continues to accrue. Am I proud of my degrees? Yes. Do I value how my education has enriched my life? Yes. But I also wish that I had some kind of hope that one day I will be debt free.
My advice is to not be like me. I can discuss the literary theory of Psychoanalytic Criticism versus New Criticism. I can explain the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. But I have no way to even begin thinking about putting away money for my own future, until I can finally pay off my debts of my past. By the time I can start to save for retirement, I’ll be retired already. Who am I kidding? I’ll never be able to retire. I am 32 years old right now and I’d trade all my education for a 401K with some money in it. I will end up working myself to death at a fast food joint. I will be living in a second rate elderly home / raisin ranch / asbestos house. You want fries with that?
If you paid for college via student loans, then I’ll see you there. I’ll save you a paper hat and a name tag.
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Very much true. |
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All I can say is hang in there! It does get better. I also graduated with an English degree and entered the workforce at a pretty rough time (mild recession, but still no jobs in my field). I remember feeling the exact same way as this. What I did to make it through was to a) really work on my skill set and b) work whatever job I could get in the meantime to keep an income and stay current on my loans. With English, you actually do have a lot of good marketable skills: you can write, communicate well, edit, and analyze. I decided to take on a newspaper reporting job, which enabled me to hone these skills further and get some published bylines. Granted, the job only paid minimum wage, but I was able to live at home for that first year in order to get the experience I needed for the next step. If possible, think about what trade-offs you might be able to make to get the experience you need to open up a few more doors. The money will follow eventually if you gather this experience and put yourself in situations where you can really show how valuable you are. Also, don't be afraid to totally change course. I have one friend who also majored in English and now works in private equities. She took her skills and got a job with a start-up investing company, then studied for and passed the exam that enables her to do more in this field (Series 7 I think it's called?). In fact, start asking around and you'll find that a lot of successful people in business have a Bachelor's degree in English. Hope that helps! |
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There has to be a way to be an English major snd have a secure financial future. Im studing the Romantic poets, |
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sad but so true :-( |
