- I went to college in the UK, and now I'm in a lot of student loan debt.
- Since my degree hasn't helped much with my career, I wish I had dropped out of college.
I started my English literature bachelors in the UK in 2020 and graduated from college a few years later. But, in hindsight, I wish I'd dropped out just to save myself on my now-mounting debt. Everyone always told me that I'd see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but, for me, it's yet to appear.
It might have softened the blow if I had needed my degree to begin my career as a freelance journalist. But at the end of my second year, I had already completed remote internships and had a few regular contracts to get the ball rolling. In my third year, I was nearly working full-time.
Since then, nobody has asked me about my college degree. In fact, the focus has been almost entirely on having a great portfolio and enough experience.
I'm not sure my formal education was worth the debt I am now accumulating.
Dropping out would have made more financial sense
I now owe about £50,000 — or nearly $65,000 — in student loan debt, which will increase yearly as the interest outweighs my payments.
All that money sometimes feels like a waste. My degree has yet to open any career-related doors for me. In fact, sometimes, the restrictive semesters actually blocked me from grabbing fantastic experiences that would have further boosted my portfolio and résumé.
I think a mixture of fear of the unknown and sunk cost fallacy kept me in college — even though I knew I wanted to leave. I figured I had already spent enough time and money, so I might as well get my degree.
But it's hard to predict what opportunities will arise before they do. How did I know at that point that nobody would ask to see my degree?
I believe my best — and safest — bet would have been to switch to an online degree when the pandemic first hit. And from that, I've learned a valuable lesson: Don't be afraid to try different paths.
There were other avenues I could have taken
As I studied during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of my learning was through my laptop or phone screen. The educational part of my degree was great fun, and I enjoyed the content. However, given that actual online degrees are typically cheaper, I didn't get value for money.
I'd previously toyed with the idea of completing an online degree while living abroad. In the end, my mom and I decided against it, questioning whether a remotely obtained degree would be as respected.
Little did we know that, like so many others, my actual degree would transform into online learning anyway. It just goes to show that sometimes, a bit of risk-taking can pay off; I wish I'd been bolder. I'd encourage anyone in a similar position to weigh the pros and cons carefully.
Another path that, looking back now, could have been interesting to consider was a working apprenticeship. My sister's boyfriend took an apprenticeship opportunity with a prestigious company and loved the experience. With a job offer, he eventually emerged debt-free and fully-fledged to embark on his already-blossoming corporate career.
I liked the experience, but I'd be wary of recommending university
In hindsight, I could have dropped out, potentially finished my higher education online, and hugely reduced my current debt without impacting my current career trajectory.
However, you can't go backward. I'll definitely chalk up my university experience as "You live, and you learn" territory; I still really enjoyed aspects of my college experience.
I'd just be wary of blindly recommending the higher education route to every young person; it really isn't for everybody. It's worth weighing whether it's truly a smart financial decision in the long run.
For me, the jury's still out.