Considering Dropping Out

I really need some advice. Any input would be appreciated.

I always wanted to be a horse trainer. Ever since I was 11 years old, it has been my dream to go to college and be a horse trainer. But now, the last semester of my junior year and over 150k in debt...im not so sure.

The truth is, I am terrified beyond belief to graduate. I do not think I can afford another year and another 50k more in debt. What horse training job right off the batt will pay for 200k loans AND living? It absolutely breaks my heart that I don't think my dream of being a horse trainer will come true, atleast for a while. I really don't want to push my 150k loan up to 200k.

Do I really need this degree to be a horse trainer? No.

So I have been thinking, besides horses I love trucks. I love to talk about them mostly. So I have been in contact with a few truck dealerships all over the nation. They have been giving me advise on what is expected of a saleswoman and how to be better prepared if I do eventually go for a sales job. Obviously working for a truck dealership right away would be a little unrealistic, I would work for a regular dealership first. Then hopefully specialize after a few years. Being a saleswoman would give me enough to pay off my monthly loan payments and cost of living. If I become successful I could save and maybe have my own horses some day.

If I dropped out of Findlay I could knock down my loans some and after a few years maybe (with the campus classes I already have) finish it out with a marketing or business bachelors.

Another point, my father would be devastated. Its been his dream to see me graduate from college. I cannot even fathom how upset he would be with me.

What should I do? Stick it out and add on another 50k on something I wont even get a job in when I graduate? Or drop out and start my career and start paying off my loans.

This is for you and you alone, your decision, your life. I understand you're concerned about disappointing your father... but he isn't living with your debts, needs, and struggles. Please don't take that wrong..

Live your life how you want to live it. If that's working for a dealership, go for it! I can imagine it'd be fun! I love working on cars and what not, but I don't have the demeanor to be a saleswoman at an auto dealer.

I understand why people don't go to college, you get in debt trying to make a better living for yourself in an economy that a college degree (pending on where) isn't as important as it used to be. My husband never went to college, but he now works for the Government and pulls in just as much as a graduate would.

Do this for you; no one else. You're looking out for yourself and your future.

Good luck! :)

Since you don't need the college degree for a career in horses, I find it unwise to stay & rack up more big debt.

Your dad, I'm sure, if presented with these facts, would want you to drop out. You can always return to college & get a degree in a field for which the degree will make a difference, in a job search afterwards.

And that is probably the worst advice you could receive.

Set aside your emotions and invoke some logic. You are finishing your junior year, and have $150K in student debt. You only have one more year to go. Would you rather have $150K in debt and no degree or $200K in debt and a degree? That should be a no brainer.

Don't think about your father - think about yourself. A degree is worth far more than $50K, which is all you have left to go. Stuff happens, and you may or may not be able to finish school down the line, and you will be much more secure if you have a degree to fall back on. What if you get married and then find yourself divorced with 2 kids and no degree? There are just too many things that can happen in life that may make you regret leaving school.

If you were just finishing your freshman year I might offer different advice, but you are too far along to throw it all away.

Just my opinion, of course...you are your own person and should be able to determine what is best for you, but try to make your decision from a cold, logical perspective - not from an emotional perspective. Good luck, whatever you do...

I've heard from many who are professionals in some aspect of horse industry, & they say unequivocally that a career in Equine Studies is worthless to them when they want to hire someone, because you can't feed/care for/ride (!) a horse from 'book learning"; that it's experience alone that counts. These professionals don't hire based upon someone's Equine Studies degree. This is why I gave the advice that I did. Good luck, OP!

That may be true BUT other careers require a degree in *something*, doesn't matter what in though so that seemingly worthless degree becomes very valuable.

My BIL works in the insurance industries and the folks that work for them as re-insurance agents all have to have a degree..... they don't care in what (they have an equine degree, a history degree, a psychology degree and a few other oddball ones amongst their current staff) and it's a good job with good pay/benefits.

A degree is never worthless.

Holy moly are you saying that you are going to end up paying $200K for a degree in equine studies? Holy heck! Where are you studying, the moon?!

The time to back out would've been your freshman year, not now. How on earth are you going to end up paying off your loans? That is a doctorate sized debt and I'm going to guess your salary isn't going to be anywhere near doctor sized.

I don't mean to be a downer but WOW. I can't believe a school would set someone up for such hardship.
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Youd been better off buying 200,000 dollars of land and a 50 k barn, and ordering the clinton anderson DVD series. The time to research jobs is BEFORE you spend years and rack up all the debt. Id look at a much cheaper school, transfer what credits you can and work towards a more marketable degree.

Just out of curiosity, what are you studying right now (major)? And why are you at such an expensive school? I mean, if it was just any college degree you wanted, you could get that at a state school for much less. If you are at a high level private school, that requires a really good GPA to enter and good SAT's score, then you must have had some kind of idea of what you wanted out of THIS college, as compared to just any college.

Think back to those reasons and see if they arent' still valid.

Delfina said:

A degree is never worthless.

Haven't you heard for decades now, how college grads ended up washing dishes, etc. or had to go into fields not requiring degrees? That's what I've heard.