Even though I borrowed large sums in student loans for graduate school, I couldn't afford not to work. At times I worked two jobs (in computer support) and always averaged at least 35 hours per week. I think my credit cards were maxed out around $3k at this time, and I started graduate school almost $20k in the hole from borrowing for my undergrad.
To make matters worse, I had to play "catch up" in Electrical Engineering. I took required undergraduate classes my first year while paying the graduate rate, of course. As I remember, graduate credits were about $100 more per credit than undergraduate credits. How nice of Generic University.
I began working on my Masters thesis, and subsequently I started to fall apart. The stress of trying to review undergraduate electrical engineering material, taking graduate classes, working almost full-time, trying to make progress on my thesis and money worries became overwhelming. I limped through 3.5 years of graduate school while suffering panic attacks and frequent illnesses. I went to the emergency room at least twice because I felt like I couldn't breathe. I believed if I could just finish my thesis, I would graduate. But I couldn't scrape together enough money for another semester, and I had a nervous breakdown. The hope and excitement I had as a naive high school graduate for my future education and career were distant and foggy memories. Fear and dread took their place. I packed it in and moved back home with my parents.
Back to where I started before graduate school, but this time with an additional $50k in student loan debt (which now totaled $70k) and $8k in credit card debt. I thought, "How could I ever pay back this much money?"
And that's how I guaranteed my enslavement for many years to come ... and which continues until this day.
Child Care Costs and 2018 Tax Changes
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