I said "crushing mountain" mostly for shock value, only because when I was 17 and applying for college I really didn't grasp the burden of "future me" having to wheelbarrow $700+ a month away from the School-Loans quarry for 7+ years. It wasn't six-figs like some unfortunate souls, though... those are the brave warriors trying to summit Mt. Debtverest.

It's not all bad either, I learned a few good lessons about the time/energy/freedom value of money and have also been rewarded with a strong aversion towards impulsively taking on debt.