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Comment by purplelobster | Hacker News Reader

You have little sympathy? So for someone who doesn't live near a university, doesn't have daddy pay his tuition for him and provide free housing and food, it's just tough luck? Like another commenter said, that's $40k in tuition, probably another $40k for housing, food and other expenses during that period of time. Your attitude is not productive, and sounds to me like the typical "fuck you, I've got mine" attitude.

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Noooo, not what the GP is suggesting at all. The GP is saying that local public schools generally pay subsidies to instate students, so that's not a very expensive proposition. He's saying that it shouldn't be $40k + $40k, but rather $10k + $0k (live at home with parents). Racking up an unnecessary $70k/annum debt is something of a self-infliceted wound if that more expensive option isn't going to pay itself off through increased earnings later in life.

Exactly, and thank you. There are a lot of options between borrow 100% of a 4-year degree at the most expensive option available, and don't go to college at all. I think most people that want to go to college can find an option that works without burdening them with life-crushing debt. It might not be 4-years of the typical undergrad experience at State U though. You might spend a couple of years at community college. You might take 8 years to finish because you are working your way through school. There is nothing wrong with any of those options.

The key phrase is getting a sociology degree. While racking up $100K in debt for a Petroleum Engineering degree [1] arguably isn't necessary, it's much more defensible.

[1] http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/04/29/and-the-highest-paid-...

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