Is college worth the debt?

Question

I am really torn about what to do.

I can go in debt $20,000 to finish a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the University of Utah (or just any degree really). I'll graduate sometime in 2010. OR, I can go get my divemaster in Honduras and pursue a career in scuba. Live in paradise. I already have my PADI Rescue diver so I'm already almost there. I wonder if I should listen to the constraining mores of society or just create my own path. I don't want an office job, commute, loads of debt. All the people living those lives tell me I should finish. Hmm. What do you think? I CAN always finish and then do get my divemaster, I'd graduate at age 22, but I just don't want to be in so much debt. What do you think?

Answer 1

If what you really want to do doesn't require spending time and money on going to college then I wouldn't bother with the college-

I would just go right into what you want to do!!

Just make sure it's what you really want....if you're not sure it might be better to stick with college and deal with the debt.

Answer 2

It's only worth the debt if you want what you're getting. If you want a college education, it's worth the debt. If you want training or a degree for career purposes, it's worth it.



If you want a career that doesn't require a bachelor's degree, then it's really not worth it. I'd say go for your divemaster and do scuba work, if that's what you want. Better to get that in while you're younger, anyway.



At some point, you may want a career out of the water. You can always go back to college at that point. You'll appreciate it more, and if you save some of your earnings, you won't need to go into debt just to finish a degree.



if you're earning a decent living and never want to go to college, there's no reason to. There are a lot of people with college degrees who don't have jobs right now, because there aren't enough office jobs to go around, and because corporations find it costs less to hire people in India and other third-world countries - so you may be more employable than they are.

Answer 3

Good thing you already have your scuba diving equipment, those things are insanely expensive.



However, what are the visa working laws in Honduras? Will they give you a visa with just a highschool degree? Think about that for a minute.



You may need to be able to speak spanish very well.



Can you get a degree in something related to what you want such as tourism or business? It would be easier if a hotel hires you as an employee and then does the visa process. If they see that you have a college degree, then they may take you more seriously.



You could always work in Florida, they do scuba diving too right? No visa issues there. At least you could save up more money that way. You're not going to earning millions of dollars in Honduras, just enough to get around. If you have a huge debt haunting you, you may want to just slice it with a temporary job in the US.

Answer 4

If you know you want a career in scuba diving and are content in the method of attaining that life, then more power to you. On one hand, you have college. On the other, you have a short training obligation and the profession you love. By reading your proposition, you're obviously committed to the latter. While I'm not trying to say that foregoing higher education is a wrong choice, it would be wrong to think that a college education automatically relegates one to a cubicle, perpetual traffic jams and insurmountable debt. Your aspirations of becoming a master diver can be well supplemented with a degree in oceanography, geography, or marine sciences. There are scholarships out there and many institutions willing to offer grants to those serious about their education. Just ask yourself which you would rather be, a diver with vast knowledge of his environment, or one without?



I would do some more research if I were you.



Best of luck and have a wonderful new year.

Answer 5

Of course it's worth it, you'll have a better career and if Scuba doesn't work out somehow, you'll always have a college degree that will help your salary in other careers.

Answer 6

no