Swimming in Debt

FlickrCC/DonkeyHotey

I usually don’t buy things for myself, but scanning the shelves at American Apparel, I was seduced by a stylish watch. But as I reached to buy it, my hand froze as I remembered the $40,000 in college loans I’ll be taking out.

Even though I won’t be borrowing money until the fall, I already feel its weight crushing me. It’s not just fancy watches that I’m hesitant to buy, it’s everything, from lunch to clothes.

I should feel fortunate to go to college in the first place, but knowing that I’ll be living with massive debt completely changes my outlook on money. From the first day of senior year, I had been saving up money to attend prom and buy a yearbook during spring semester. Now, I’m looking at my future and reserving that money for my college tuition.

But instead of giving in to drowning in debt, I plan to swim in it. Taking out this money gives me motivation and a goal to work towards. I hope that working part-time jobs and applying to scholarships will help build the work ethic and time management skills that will carry me far.