• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / College Loans / Loans Make Dreams Come True

Loans Make Dreams Come True

September 17, 2018 //  by Katherine Menendez

Shares129FacebookTweet

Movies show colleges clichés, like memories that you’ll make with friends and meeting the love of your life in class. They seem to leave out the elephant in the room: loans.

The mountain-sized pile that you get trapped under trying to pay for these “memorable moments” and gourmet food (which is not all it’s cracked up to be). I absolutely hate them. They are the evil little critters that creep into your mind when you realize you can’t keep your full paycheck because you need to pay your monthly interest.

Loans keep me up at night.

I grew up with my parents taking out loans here and there for different things. I always assumed that it counted as a normal thing to do. Oh, how I was so wrong.

As I got older I started to realize the strain that these loans put on my family. I decided that I would never take out a loan. I didn’t want to follow in my parent’s footsteps; I wanted to make money and save it. Simple as that.

When I started applying to colleges my senior year, I sat down with my counselor to discuss how I would pay for college. My family made too much money to be considered for a full ride. But we also didn’t make enough that my parents could actually afford to pay for my education.

That left me with one choice: I needed to take out *sigh* loans. I felt so sure that I would hate every second of the conversation with my counselor. He couldn’t tell me anything that I didn’t already know. Loans dig you into a hole that you will never escape out of debt free.

But despite my negativity, I listened. I took mental notes so I could tell my parents what my counselor said to me. He knew about my feelings towards loans and tried to show me the benefits of taking them. “It’s an investment for your future,” he said. “If you’re willing to take out loans on a car or a house, then you should be willing to do the same for your education.”

His words spoke volumes to me. I talked to my parents that night and continued applying to more colleges. Now I felt comfortable with the loans I would need to fall back on to pay for college.

Finals. Prom. Graduation. The rest of the year passed by in a blur and before I knew it, I started packing for my freshman year at Boston College.

I was in the process of applying for a loan one night with my parents when my father decided to blow a gasket about the $10,000 loan that I needed to take out (mind you, he’s known about this for quite some time now).

This outburst makes me start to second-guess myself. Am I making the right decision? Is this institution really worth it? So many questions flew around my head that I needed to go to my room and cry. I cried for my worries, my parents and their reservations about my choice. All-in-all, it was an intense night.

August 27, 2017 marked the first day of classes. I got off the bus to head to my first class. I felt completely mesmerized by the scenery and the gothic architecture of the buildings that surrounded me. The other students bustled around, rushing to get to class with their eyes half-open and a mug of coffee in one hand.

I followed the wave of students and rushed to my class and sat down. My knees constantly bobbed at 85 mph. Once class began, the nerves settled down. I was 100 percent focused. The professors’ intelligence awed me. I felt certain that I had chosen the right college. My certainty continued to grow throughout the day.

That’s when I realized that loans weren’t the villain in the story, but the fairy godmother. If not for the loans, I wouldn’t make it to this prestigious institution, learning like I am.

If I stayed home (AKA the only place I could truly afford), then I would go to class and straight home after. Boston College was my place. I am challenged here in ways that I wouldn’t have been back at home. I’m forced to meet new people and join clubs and activities so that I won’t feel lonely. None of this would be possible without loans.

But everything comes with a price. The interest rates for loans suck. And I needed to take out $10,000 for just freshman year. This year, it costs me almost twice that amount to go to school. Insane, right?

Trust me, I had an extremely hard time accepting this fact. And yes, I cried about it. I gave myself a few pity-party minutes.

Then I began to look at it positively and think to myself: If I attend a school that cost around $73,000 a year and I only need to pay a quarter of that amount, then I think I’m doing pretty good. These sacrifices make life worthwhile.

Loans put people into debt and that scares a lot of people, including me. But that doesn’t mean that they’re inherently bad. Loans present opportunities. They gave my parents a chance to buy a house and cars.

I used to be completely scared of loans and the dollar amounts they represent. Who knew that I only needed a caring counselor and the right tools to figure out the best path to take. Could you believe it? The thing that I hated and feared most actually saved me.

Shares129FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Boston College College Loans

About Katherine Menendez

I am a sophomore at Boston College in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. I am currently majoring in English and hoping to work in the publishing industry one day. I love to read, write and participate in community service such as Relay for Life.

You May Also Like

student loan forgiveness

Student Loan Forgiveness: Fact or Fiction?

Goodbye Debt, Hello Financial Stability: Tips on Debt Management

Loans Make Dreams Come True

how to get student loans forgiven key

How to Get Student Loans Forgiven in 5 Ways that Won’t Require Fleeing the Country

Why Adulting isn’t as Scary as Your Looming Student Loans

15 Writing Competitions to Make Your Student Loans Vanish into Thin Air

Financial Q’s You Didn’t Know to Ask: Expert Advice on College Loans & Savings

7 Ways to Keep Student Loans From Ruining Your Life

Breaking News: Obama talks college loans

New Education: Learning About Loans

7 Tips for Repaying Your Student Loans

Cents Sense: Loans R Us

Previous Post: « 10 Ways to Stay Safe(r) While Going out as a College Woman
Next Post: Recruitment Style 101: 10 Outfits Sure to Grab Everyone’s Attention »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

23

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

songs to belt out
14

21 Songs to Belt Out in the Shower

4

Top 10 Things To Keep in Mind When Asking for a Reference Letter

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.