6 Stages Of College Debt

Because there's nothing better than being $100,000 deep in debt.

Stage 1: Ignorance

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When you started college, you were so excited

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You’re FREE!

You applied for all the loans

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Because graduation is 4 years away and you didn’t know any better.

And ignored all the small text on your loan conditions

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What’s interest rate anyway?

Stage 2: Apathy

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You go through your year and forget that your loans exist

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Because you're too busy living to think about that nonsense.

Until you come home for the summer and your parents keep reminding you to reapply

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And even then, it was more annoying than concerning.

You eventually do it

But only because you want them to stop bugging you about it, and after, you promptly forget about them once more.

Stage 3: Denial

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Then somehow, 4 years flew by and you’re done with college

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You don’t even know how you finished or where it went.

It’s time to graduate

Congratulations – you are now an educated human being.

But then you realize that you’re a grownup now

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With great power comes great responsibility (aka all those loans you forgot about until now).

Stag 4: Panic

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You see your bills for the first time

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What are all those 0s doing after that number?? That can’t be right.

You didn’t even realize you had all these loans

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Cue the anxiety attacks.

Where are you going to get the money?

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It’s not like money grows on trees.

Stage 5: Rage

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You start getting angry

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At who? At EVERYONE.

Just looking at your bill fills you with rage

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And you start wishing you were a Starbucks barista

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Because even though you’ll hate your job after dealing with angry people claiming that you messed up their venti skinny caramel macchiato order, at least Starbucks will pay for college.

Stage 6: Acceptance

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Eventually, you calm down

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Because you can’t avoid taxes, death, and your student loans.

You organize your finances

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You create a dozen financial spreadsheets, planning out every single dollar you spend and calculating how long it will actually take to pay off all your loans.

And even though your soul dies a little every time you make a loan payment, it’s okay

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Because college is worth it. And realistically, it’s the only way you’ll get a job in this economy.