I Have $80k in Student Debt, and the Plumber Making $120k is My Hero.
Growing up, parents and teachers fed me the same lie on repeat: "Study hard, go to a good university, and you'll get a cushy office job and a high salary." So I listened. I took out $80,000 in student loans to get a respectable four-year degree.
And now? I sit in a cubicle doing a mid-level admin job that AI could probably do next year, making $50k a year. After taxes, rent, and loan payments, I can barely afford to eat out.
Last week, my kitchen sink leaked, and I called a plumber. He was my age. He didn't go to college. He has zero debt. He fixed the leak in 45 minutes and charged me $300. We chatted for a bit. He told me he's on track to make over $120,000 this year. He owns a house with a big yard and has two trucks.
In that moment, I felt like a total clown. The American university system has become a massive Debt Trap. They sell you a "dream" but deliver financial shackles. If you ask me now, I’d tell any high school kid: Skip the liberal arts degree. Go to trade school. In this economy, the guy holding the wrench has more freedom than the guy holding the mouse.
#CollegeScam #StudentLoans #BlueCollar #TradeSchool #CareerRegret #SystemIsBroken
