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College Debt: A Political Approach to a Standard Issue

This morning I'm in a semi-good mood, despite the chirping noise from my smoke detector waking me up grumpily. I walked to center campus, bought a cup of joe at Kangaroo (its addictive and tastes so good) with my refill up (saving $$), find a table on the 2nd floor in Belk library to start studying/homework/prepping for the upcoming week and then I go online to check out what's going on in the world/country today. I came across this article "College Costs, Battled a Paycheck at a Time" via NYTimes (Click HERE for link).

The article discusses a few students who each have different situations both financially and personally. The main argument I found was in three parts: 1. you don't have to be enslaved to your parent's decision for you to go to college, 2. additionally you don't have to be enslaved to your parent's financially for college or otherwise, and 3. if you decide to pay your own way through college you do NOT have to contract debt.

Another interesting perspective addressed in the article was the idea that us as student or soon-to-be students do have the power over our own lives even in high school. I remember being one of the few out of my groups of friends that had a job throughout my high school career. It wasn't working because I necessarily needed it or was "being forced" to get a job based on my mom's reasons to do so. I wanted to start to have control over my own life. I wanted to have something other than grades and educational achievements to be proud of. I wanted engage in something that would help develop professional skills, embark on my own learning experience that may or may not strengthen my qualifications for future jobs.

Of course in my situation I did not think like most of my H.S. colleagues in suburbia. I wasn't anxious about the rest of my life. I was trying each day to live and enjoy my high school years. I was involved in a number of extracurriculars because I have a TON of PASSIONS :) That's my personality. I put my time, patience, energy and determination to activities/causes/professions I felt reflected my own ideas/perspective/opinions/passions. I'm not saying that my colleagues or everyone in H.S. needs to do that but I think its important to start learning about yourself and what makes you happy/what makes you you instead of living a life that isn't yours.

I had a very IN-DEPTH convo with my mom over "fake" break about this very subject. I am not only passionate but enraged at how the leaders/teachers/people in charge of the education system from middle school onwards are SO narrow-minded. I remember the day we had a general assembly the first week I started classes at Mt. Hebron middle school. These people were telling me in short: who I was right now isn't important, its what you are in the future that matters. (Now in college, I find that to be a lie too.)  They told us that college is where we need to focus, thats the goal. All of my education from that point on was intended preparation for the college process (i.e. SATs/ACTs, college application, visiting, etc). I empathize with middle school & H.S. students who feel so lost, so misunderstood, so rejected from all the people and places they should feel the three S's: safe, secure, and supported.

*Soapbox moment but its an interesting perspective I promise :) 

So what about students? Actually they are not JUST STUDENTS, they are people, unique individuals with a variety of talents and skills. So what about those people who don't fit into the small scope - those who are "meant" or "better suited" or encouraged to go to college based on their passions - i.e. doctors, lawyer, engineers, etc. However, even the individuals who have a remote interest/passion in those areas what is so wrong with letting them choose for themselves? See if that's what you really want to do BEFORE you go crazy, going through the HELL of the college process, spending all that money (initially, college app fees, transcript fees, a whole ton of fees) to see if you qualify for college? Why can't we encourage people to investigate their passions with action - internships while working or not working throughout H.S.? What so wrong about saying its okay if you choose not to go to college? What is wrong with that? 

I remember the college jargon used over, and over, and over again throughout grades school. I was constantly hearing college, college, college and never anything else. I often thought, being a person who didn't see college as the OBVIOUS option after H.S., what about me? I know people who become successful and are happy and never went to college so if I follow them I'm nothing??

Basically, if you don't jump onto the college-track you automatically are an outcast. You are discarded, you simply don't matter. WHAT??? The arts is one professional track that doesn't require secondary education. I know with absolute certainty that education in the arts is one thing but EXPERIENCE is the far more superior. Can't that be encouraged in grade school in tandem to the "traditional" college crap? 

Example: Ironically enough even big-star rappers like Jay-Z remark the fact that he dropped out of H.S., skipped college and still made it big ("NYMP" album Vol. 3... Life And Times Of S. Carter). 

The same is the case when you are IN COLLEGE! They continue to shove the graduate/doctorate/law school rhetoric down our throats. HELLO?!?! If most of the students in college are coming from the years of hearing you are nothing until you GET to college doesn't it sounds CRAZY to continue to promote that attitude to students in college: "you're still nothing until you get more education and oh, by the way you need experience too so fit that in somewhere."

Relating back to the article's argument, these are students/individuals that took responsibilities and basically their life, their future in their own hands. Steve and Zach understand that in order to get to where they wanted to be, without debt, they needed to be uncomfortable, not overindulge or over-expend on already limited resources, make compromises in order to have a better future for themselves (and their families - Steve's wife and children). And in reality, they have better relationships with their parents because there is no resentment or expectations (for the most part). I see too many college students that are in debt of their parent on top of their financial burden of college-debt. 

I would love for those of you who read this to please comment a response. Its important for me to hear different arguments, have a civil debate on this topic, get it out in the open. I believe its one of the only ways we'll make real changes.