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College loans PAID! +other things I wish I knew in college
15 years ago
Ah, I can't believe it. The last of the student loans are paid in full. I finally made it. There was a big push I had this spring to be rid of them, and finally next month I'll be on the road to having a (Slightly) more free budget. Through this though I'd like to share a few things I wish I had known in college or found out afterward.
1. Private loans -these loans are different from the federal loans and are usually used for room and board. They're smaller loans by private vendors, usually referred to as SELF loans. These loans usually demand interest payment right away, and can't be consolidated with ANYTHING. Avoid at all costs consolidating your student loans with a SELF lender. They can have a higher interest rate, and are ruthless about getting their money back.
2. "you'll be making more money so don't worry about the cost college" bullshit. If you want to study something go for it, don't wait for college professors to teach you. I've met so many talented people that haven't set foot in a school and were hired simply because of their initiative and drive to learn on their own.
3. Networking. This was something of a surprise to me that while in college it's a good time to contact businesses and just start talking to them, asking questions and just getting your name out there. Also try and have work available online for people to see and let it be known that you'll be looking for a job eventually. I had asked my last year more about this and the professor's answer was something along the lines of "By the way this is something you should have been doing all along while you were here."
4. Your professors are usually professionals in their field that teach and can share some pretty important knowledge. It's good to know them outside of classes and really ask them for advice and feedback. Your classes will only teach you the basics, it's up to you to get the rest out of your education as you can.
5. Weigh your options. Is college really for you? Again if you think that' its just a natural progression then that you move onto a college be sure you get as much out of it as you can. You can get good grades in all your classes, but if you don't network or take advantage of it beyond the day to day affair of going to classes, you'll be in for a surprise when you graduate. You may get the polite equivalent of "Thanks for the money, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. We don't want ass marks on our new door."
6. College is a business. They don't care about you -your professors may, talk to them! Remember that if a college looks impressive it's supposed to in order to get more students to attend. I heard all the time about budget cuts while I was in school yet a new library, parking garage, and computer labs were all built after I graduated. This is to bring in investor dollars, not for you. It's only a fringe benefit you're allowed to be there. The college is more interested in looking up to date, advanced, and have good facilities.
1. Private loans -these loans are different from the federal loans and are usually used for room and board. They're smaller loans by private vendors, usually referred to as SELF loans. These loans usually demand interest payment right away, and can't be consolidated with ANYTHING. Avoid at all costs consolidating your student loans with a SELF lender. They can have a higher interest rate, and are ruthless about getting their money back.
2. "you'll be making more money so don't worry about the cost college" bullshit. If you want to study something go for it, don't wait for college professors to teach you. I've met so many talented people that haven't set foot in a school and were hired simply because of their initiative and drive to learn on their own.
3. Networking. This was something of a surprise to me that while in college it's a good time to contact businesses and just start talking to them, asking questions and just getting your name out there. Also try and have work available online for people to see and let it be known that you'll be looking for a job eventually. I had asked my last year more about this and the professor's answer was something along the lines of "By the way this is something you should have been doing all along while you were here."
4. Your professors are usually professionals in their field that teach and can share some pretty important knowledge. It's good to know them outside of classes and really ask them for advice and feedback. Your classes will only teach you the basics, it's up to you to get the rest out of your education as you can.
5. Weigh your options. Is college really for you? Again if you think that' its just a natural progression then that you move onto a college be sure you get as much out of it as you can. You can get good grades in all your classes, but if you don't network or take advantage of it beyond the day to day affair of going to classes, you'll be in for a surprise when you graduate. You may get the polite equivalent of "Thanks for the money, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. We don't want ass marks on our new door."
6. College is a business. They don't care about you -your professors may, talk to them! Remember that if a college looks impressive it's supposed to in order to get more students to attend. I heard all the time about budget cuts while I was in school yet a new library, parking garage, and computer labs were all built after I graduated. This is to bring in investor dollars, not for you. It's only a fringe benefit you're allowed to be there. The college is more interested in looking up to date, advanced, and have good facilities.
My mother is 63 and still paying off her $9000 loan from the 80's that the fed was giving out to people, each new "president" that went in kept upping the charges on everyone to where she at one point owed over $60,000 plus interest.
I congratulate you and applaud you for paying off your debts!!!
Teachers: 1/3 of teachers in the USA are now unemployed while they import foreign teachers from places like the philipines since they do not form unions or sue the school due to breach of contract by the administration.
Be ready to cap knees when it comes time for contracts to be handed out, your competition for that one job is going to skyrocket.
And congrats on paying off your loans man its a huge thing you don't have to deal with anymore.
My loans are currently up to 120,000 and probably 160,000 when I graduate.
I'll be paying them off when I'm 70 haha
My parents' first reaction to hearing this was "I suppose you're going to get a new car now that you can afford the payments?" But no, I've also learned to not be so quick to close those financial 'gaps' they tend to fill themselves in like lines drawn in the sand.
On a lighter note, did you say your animation professor (one of them) worked on Slappy the Squirrel on Animaniacs? I think he may have been one of the featured animators when That Guy With the Glasses did a tribute to them last week:
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vi.....aniacs-tribute
yes I saw the tribute, I'm not sure how he was able to contact some of the people who worked on the show. Awesome nonetheless. Yes one of my professors worked on Slappy. No that is not him on TGWTG haha. Would have been cool though.