I see your point, although I don't think I would recommend this strategy to a good friend. there's also an emotional side to it. even if you made the "optimal"

I see your point, although I don't think I would recommend this strategy to a good friend. there's also an emotional side to it. even if you made the "optimal" economic decision at the time, it would still feel pretty bad to pay off your loans in full over the first 5-10 years of your careeronly to see your peers' debt get wiped out at the end.