Many people wonder if college is a worthy investment -- especially if they have to take out a large sum of student loans. Student loan debt can be scary and can take a long time to fully repay if not handled properly. 

Are you struggling to figure out whether you should take out student loans to finance your education? Here are three ‘is college worth it’ reddit posts that we think you should read. All of these posts are written by real people with real student loan experiences. These stories may help you in deciding whether to take out student loans or not, but in the end, make the decision that’s best for your financial future.

1. “Every job I've had since college required a degree just to get in the door, so yes it was worth it.”

Not all jobs require college degrees, but in this ‘is college worth it’ reddit comment thread, user Just_A_Dogsbody said a college degree was essential for their particular job market. The user majored in physics. 

“Every job I've had since college required a degree just to get in the door, so yes it was worth it. I guess I'm successful. I don't much like my current job, but it pays well. Good benefits. Lots of time off.”

The user added that they minimized their expenses by working other jobs, not related to their physics degree: “I didn't want debt so I worked full-time or nearly full-time all the way through. I could only afford to take one or two classes a quarter, and a few times I had to sit out a quarter due to lack of funds. Took my 9-1/2 years to get my BS.”

While college is not necessary for certain job markets, having a degree opens the door to higher-paying jobs. In fields like finance, medicine, and law, getting a college degree (and sometimes additional graduate degrees) is a necessary step to take. 

As user kiltandghillies added in the ‘is college worth it’ reddit comment thread, “I have a very career-specific degree, so as soon as I graduated, I could find a job I really enjoy and make good money! I majored in Health Sciences, pre-occupational therapy track Grad school in Occupational Therapy Now I'm an OT making far more than I thought I would. Graduated with some loans, but am quickly paying them off now.”

If you’re interested in a field where a college degree is necessary, college is most likely a worthy investment. 

2. “I have conflicting feelings about my debt.”

Going to college can be a great investment as it opens doors to higher paying jobs, but student debt can still be a large burden to bear. In this college debt reddit comment thread, user tatsuyame explains how they feel conflicted about their student debt -- taking out loans and going to college did help them get a better paying job, but they regret some of the steps they took to get there. 

“I had no concept for how much money 150k was, especially for a bachelor's. I feel very conflicted about it though; I have the (relatively well-paying) job I do because of the school I went to, and it was a wonderful experience, but I pay 18k a year in student loans. What complicated things was untreated mental illness. I know that at the time, I needed to live on campus at a small school, and could not handle working much, and that's a recipe for big expenses.”

“Knowing what I know now, I would have:

1. Gotten professional psychological help before college
2. Seriously considered 2 years of community college first to avoid spending small private liberal arts tuition on core requirements
3. OR if going 4 years at the school would still be the best situation, at least work way more than I did and spend it all on interest payments on my loans.”

If you decide to go to college and have to take out a large sum of student loans to pay for it, make sure you know how you’ll repay these loans. Here’s a list of tips, from reddit, on how to manage your student loans. These tips include considering your options (e.g. community college, scholarships, grants) and picking up a part-time job to help pay off your expenses. These tips will help you avoid falling into debt that you can’t pay off. 

3. “I still hesitate to say that the 115K in loans was 'worth it', but I'm also not certain if I would be in the same financial situation I am in today otherwise.”

Along with helping you secure a higher paying job, user Phillip_Jae_Fry said college also helped them form good habits regarding work-ethic in this ‘is college worth it’ reddit comment thread. 

“The biggest thing for me, coming out of high school having done barely any schoolwork and still graduating near the top of my class was that I was NOT special. Surrounded by hundreds of HS valedictorians I had to grind out those 4 years to make it out. I formed lifelong habits that I probably never would've acquired if I went to my state school with the full scholarship they offered me.”

“If you stick with the broke college student mentality and keep your costs down, student loans don't stay with you forever. I still hesitate to say that the 115K in loans was ‘worth it’, but I'm also not certain if I would be in the same financial situation I am in today otherwise - due to the habits formed both in school and the desperation in the depths of debt afterwards. Certainly it wouldn't have been if I had chosen a worthless major and/or failed to stick to a strict financial plan.”

Make the best financial decision for yourself

Going to a 4-year college is a good decision for many people, but not for everyone. Depending on your career goals and financial situation, it may be better to look into other options like community college, trade school programs, or other careers. 

Make sure to explore all of your options before deciding to apply for student loans to finance your education. Student loan debt is a big burden to bear. If you do decide to go down the college route, consider watching our guide to financing your education here. You can also find more articles related to student loans here.

Juno can help you to find a student loan or refinance a loan at the most competitive possible rate. We get groups of buyers together and negotiate on their behalf with lenders to save them money on private student loans and private student loan refinance loans. 

Join Juno today to find out more about your options for affordable private student loans to help fund your degree.