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Honestly, I can't understand how people can sympathize with college students going into crippling debt any more than a proverbial Chinese teen who sold his kidn

Honestly, I can't understand how people can sympathize with college students going into crippling debt any more than a proverbial Chinese teen who sold his kidney to purchase an iPhone (this news story from a couple of years ago probably was fake anyway). Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

funduni 9y ago
Honestly, fuck you. If you can’t understand why impressionable 16/17-year-olds, who have been told their entire lives that they have to go to college or else they’ll just wind up flipping burgers, might make a financial mistake like this, then you clearly have your head planted firmly up your ass.
h0p3 9y ago
Try empathizing instead of merely sympathizing.
- scarface74 9y ago
  I was unable to "empathize" with people early in my career who were complaining about "crippling student loan debt" that were sitting right next to me, making the same amount I was when I went to an unknown state college and graduated with no debt. It especially makes no sense to me for a resident of GA to ever go to a private college when you can get free tuition via the HOPE scholarship to go to well known public schools like GA Tech. If you get accepted to GA Tech, more than likely your grades and test scores were high enough to qualify for HOPE. If they weren't, you shouldn't be spending money going to an expensive private college anyway.
  - tonyedgecombe 9y ago
    I don't know what it's like in the US but in the UK there is a relentless pressure on students to go to University and take on huge debts. There aren't many people at age 18 who have the ability to ignore what every adult around them is telling them and say no.
    - scarface74 9y ago
      I'm assuming an 18 year old has parents that should be guiding them.
      - tonyedgecombe 9y ago
        It's hard to blame an 18 year old for their parents advice.
- golergka 9y ago
  I can emphasize with anyone, up to Hitler. (Full disclosure, have several Holocaust survivors in my family). Doesn't mean I will sympathize with them.
bogomipz 9y ago
>"Honestly, I can't understand how people can sympathize with college students going into crippling debt ..." Because they are 18 years old and lack any life experience when they agree to take on this debt. And they are assured by smiling loan officers and their college's financial aid office that "everything is fine."
dang 9y ago
Would you please stop doing flamewars on HN? This isn't thoughtful discussion and it just leads to low-quality sniping.

funduni 9y ago

Honestly, fuck you. If you can’t understand why impressionable 16/17-year-olds, who have been told their entire lives that they have to go to college or else they’ll just wind up flipping burgers, might make a financial mistake like this, then you clearly have your head planted firmly up your ass.

h0p3 9y ago

Try empathizing instead of merely sympathizing.

scarface74 9y ago
I was unable to "empathize" with people early in my career who were complaining about "crippling student loan debt" that were sitting right next to me, making the same amount I was when I went to an unknown state college and graduated with no debt. It especially makes no sense to me for a resident of GA to ever go to a private college when you can get free tuition via the HOPE scholarship to go to well known public schools like GA Tech. If you get accepted to GA Tech, more than likely your grades and test scores were high enough to qualify for HOPE. If they weren't, you shouldn't be spending money going to an expensive private college anyway.
- tonyedgecombe 9y ago
  I don't know what it's like in the US but in the UK there is a relentless pressure on students to go to University and take on huge debts. There aren't many people at age 18 who have the ability to ignore what every adult around them is telling them and say no.
  - scarface74 9y ago
    I'm assuming an 18 year old has parents that should be guiding them.
    - tonyedgecombe 9y ago
      It's hard to blame an 18 year old for their parents advice.
golergka 9y ago
I can emphasize with anyone, up to Hitler. (Full disclosure, have several Holocaust survivors in my family). Doesn't mean I will sympathize with them.

bogomipz 9y ago

>"Honestly, I can't understand how people can sympathize with college students going into crippling debt ..." Because they are 18 years old and lack any life experience when they agree to take on this debt. And they are assured by smiling loan officers and their college's financial aid office that "everything is fine."

dang 9y ago

Would you please stop doing flamewars on HN? This isn't thoughtful discussion and it just leads to low-quality sniping.