Baraka_Guru

I could be wrong, but I tend to think that the exceptionally wealthy aren't nearly as interested in an active participation in the arts as they have been in the past. I was exaggerating, I suppose. But I do think it would die off and be reserved for those institutions where the study of the arts has a bit of recognition and esteem—the major well-established universities, for example.

I'm sure the education system varies between U.S. and Canada. But the reality is, it's been getting really expensive. I just read a headline this morning: "25 percent tuition hikes considered." This after tuition has already increased several-fold since the '70s. I think the problem is in the difference between a university degree (and arts vs. other studies, even), a college degree, and some other formal vocational programs. There has been a bit of an ongoing fragmentation. "Higher education" used to mean "university." Now it means: "What you do after high school." I guess university and college are getting more expensive to remain competitive internationally and also vs. vocational programs that seem to be cropping up everywhere and for good reason.

But as for me: I had brought my educational costs down by a few thousand dollars using scholarships, grants, and bursaries. Much of my loan helped cover living expenses too. I had no support from anyone else; the only support I received other than student loans, bursaries, and such was from my part-time job. Did it bring it down to a reasonable level? Well, this is subjective, of course. It's reasonable to me because the alternative would have been to not go to post-secondary studies at all, and I'd hate to know what would have happened then. (It wasn't until after I graduated high school that I determined whether I was going to continue my education at all.) My loans will be paid off after 10 years, which is actually quite common for people in my position (a lot of graduates, generally). I currently pay $300/month to service the debt, and it will stay that way until it's done after the 10 years. I say that's reasonable, considering. And it's been fairly manageable. I haven't found it to be too much of a burden so far (again, considering the alternatives).

And, yes, I am using my degree and diploma every day. They taught me skills in reading, writing, editing, critical analysis (both literary and business-related), computers, working in groups, working alone, business, literary critique, presentations, math, finance, managing people, etc., and the list goes on—all of which I use regularly in my career.

I have a certain level of distaste for debt as well. But with all the financial knowledge I've picked up in business school and in publishing, I know there is a clear distinction between good debt and bad debt. The bottom line: without debt, I would not be the person I am today; I would not have the earning potential I have and will have. Once the 10 years is up, that frees up $300/month that I will use to pay off other debts. If I have none by that time, it will go into investments or lump sums to pay down a mortgage when I get one (which should be soon).

Fiscal responsibility also means using debt to your advantage, and managing it in an efficient manner. We all know about leverage, right? Well, I look at this as a kind of leverage.

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot