Social anxiety and depression had other plans, leaving me in an ugly cycle of self-isolation and rumination. Terrified of rejection, I'd meet someone interesting during one of my English lectures and invite them out for frozen yogurt in my head.
MIT ranked No. 1 for best graduate engineering program in the 2026 rankings, leading the country and excelling in six engineering specialties, including computer and electrical engineering.
Growing up with limited money, I always viewed college as a safety net, an investment that would set me up for immediate success. I started saving for tuition in high school, worked full-time in college to avoid student loans, earned straight A's, and did all I could think of to guarantee financial success. I felt financially secure for a short time, but everything changed when I graduated.
I was like, 'What do you mean, I can actually work and take some classes?' I didn't even know there were apprenticeships out there, because I thought it was something of the past. That was my dream-to go into some field of engineering-so it was great to find something like AT&T, which has an apprenticeship program where you can jump into it, which later becomes software engineering.
I always expected life after college would fall seamlessly into place, that all of my involvement in campus media, internships, and good grades would pay off immediately. So, when I learned that my childhood friend was planning to move to New York City, it was the perfect opportunity to take the leap together. I'd always dreamed of moving there, and as the home of many big-name publications, it seemed like the right city to be in to kick-start my career.
It can be scary to borrow large student loans to finance an expensive college degree. There is a market failure, however, every time a student does not attend their preferred college, study their preferred major, or pursue their preferred career because they are afraid of student loans. Students should be free to pursue their passions - not forced into second-best choices because of the cost of the degree or the prospect of a lower income in the future.
