I don't understand...

What is the point of a college education anymore? I mean, really... I have my four-year degree and am currently working a job that does not require it. Why? Because I 'don't have enough experience for jobs that require me to have one'. Well, I have been out of school for a year and a half now, and I still don't understand how I don't have that experience. Let's be real, most places offer extensive trainings for the position anyway.

I am just completely disillusioned by the whole college thing now. Am I glad I got my degree? Yes. Should I have gone somewhere else? Maybe. I love my experience at a private college. It was where I met most of my close friends and also where I met my future husband. I traveled around Europe for 4 months and exerienced many great things. And I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world. Hindsight is 20-20, and I feel as thought I should have chosen to go somewhere cheaper, where I could have gotten a degree that means the same thing as my degree from a private college... if not more. I didn't do my research well enough before choosing a college.

I feel bad for my parents who have taken on some of the burden of paying for my college experience, though, when I apologized to my mother, she said it was all water under the bridge now, and they aren't hurting. But honestly, I should have gone to a community college and gotten my two-year degree. Most of the time, those degrees are so specific and give you hand-on training throughout your course work that you are ready to get the job in your field of study. And a lot of the times, those positions pay more!

I know education is one issue of great debate for the potential presidential candidates during this election, and I believe that, if someone is serious enough about furthering their education, almost everyone should go to college. But anymore, it's too expensive. Even with help form the government, people still have mounds and mounds of debt by the time they graduate. And that makes it even more difficult for them to make a decision to further their education even more by going to grad school and whatever else.

Student loan debt has surpassed the nation's average credit card debt. Is it worth it? Combined, with my student loans, Luke's student loans and the loan we just took out on our house... We are close to, if not over, $200,000 in debt right now. Those are some scary figures. It just really makes me wonder if I made the right choices. I know I will go back to school eventually, but not until I know I can afford it.

It's too late to go back and change everything now, but whenever I have kids and they are considereing going to college, I will MAKE them deeply consider what they want to go to college for and what that means as a lifetime commitment for them. Ugh...