Are you...

[Feneant2]

Got my bachelors at 23 but been working at the same hateful job since 22 when I bought my house.

 

[Cook1]

Yeah, that's the downside for those who have to pay their way through school...they get jobs that they just hate and thus become extremely bitter from them.

<---me

 

[CrazyDe1]

I support myself now but while I was in school I wasn't paying my own away and right after I graduated and for about 6 or 7 months after I was living at home.

I wouldn't be where i was now without my parents. THey've bailed me out of so many situations, cosigned on my home loan, enabled me to save a huge amount of money, my dad handles all the shipping, receiving and bookkeeping for my business while I work fulltime. I think a lot of it is the opportunities you're given and able to take advantage of.

 

[Rob9874]

My wife and I come from poor families, and our parents didn't give us any advantages starting out. We paid for (borrowed) our own way through college, didn't get cars at 16 (or any age for that matter), didn't get any help after college, no house down payment, no cosigners, nothing. We paid for our own wedding ($10K, if you do it cheaply enough), and still rent an apartment at 30 years old.


My wife has a friend whose parents paid her way through college, gave her $5K to pay off credit card debt, paid for her wedding, gave her a huge down payment to pay towards her house, and her mom quit her job recently to move to Florida to take care of her baby full time. It's hard not to resent people like that who have it so easy in life because they had parents to help them out. My wife and I have advanced degrees, make decent money, but are behind because instead of saving for a down payment on a home, we're paying off $100K in combined student loans. So treasure the advantages your parents provide, and don't take it for granted.

 

[boomdart]

I'm 19 (just turned 19) and I'm done with my first year of college, I'll be done by 21/22; I take 19hrs each semester. Then I'm going to DigiPen for a 2 year, so before I'm 25 I'll be done with two secondary schools :> Not to mention, I'm going to IIT Audio for five certifcations dealing with audio, fiberglass fab, and security in July.

 

[kyparrish]

22/married/employed w/ bachelor's degree

 

[abracadabra1]

nope...uncle sam is paying my way through college (i.e. all us taxpayers)

i pay taxes...does that count?

 

[hdeck]

no but i will be in 1-2 years.

 

[sonambulo]

i'm 21 and i dont even have a diploma. sh!tty, but sometimes having something to eat is more important than having a pretty paper to look at.

 

[CrazyDe1]

Originally posted by: Rob9874
My wife and I come from poor families, and our parents didn't give us any advantages starting out. We paid for (borrowed) our own way through college, didn't get cars at 16 (or any age for that matter), didn't get any help after college, no house down payment, no cosigners, nothing. We paid for our own wedding ($10K, if you do it cheaply enough), and still rent an apartment at 30 years old.


My wife has a friend whose parents paid her way through college, gave her $5K to pay off credit card debt, paid for her wedding, gave her a huge down payment to pay towards her house, and her mom quit her job recently to move to Florida to take care of her baby full time. It's hard not to resent people like that who have it so easy in life because they had parents to help them out. My wife and I have advanced degrees, make decent money, but are behind because instead of saving for a down payment on a home, we're paying off $100K in combined student loans. So treasure the advantages your parents provide, and don't take it for granted.

Agreed. There's so many advantages I have because of my parents. I can't imagine if I had to pay my own way through school or if I didn't have a computer in high school. I guess I was a good investment for them because my dad hasn't had a job in 6 years and I hired him now and pay him which gets my mom off his back about sitting at home all day and dabbling on the stock market while she pays the bills.

The funny thing is when I was a kid growing up all my mom's friends kids had 4.0's or were winning spelling bees. Or there'd be times when my mom would get off the phone with her friends crying because I refused to enter math competitions or play the piano while her friend's kids did. I'd always be like just watch, I'll be more successful than them with worse grades and have a lot more fun. Well, her friends still brag about their kids getting 4.0's at UCLA or going to MIT but my mom finally believes me when I tell her it won't matter I'll do better than all of them. They can go to MIT and be doctors like their parents want but I can actually socialize with normal people and I make more money now than they probably ever will while not having ridiculous amounts of debt.

 

[CanOWorms]

I'm 28 and my parents pay for everything. Why should I do anything when they're multi-millionaires? I'm going to inherit my dad's company so I don't need a random job, just need to understand the company. They give me a $20k/month allowance for most expensives, but they bought my home, cars, vacation home, and yacht. Last weekend I had a barbeque on my yacht. Life is grand.

 

[Aves]

I'm 24 with an A.S. and about to finish my B.S. in Computer Science. I've been paying my own way for a long time now.

 

[Squisher]

When I was under 25 I was moved out but with no college degree.

I guess I won't skew the poll.

 

[Turkish]

<- 21
<- Will graduate with dual degrees in May 2005: Finance and Business Administration
<- Company X is paying 50% of my tution, because my dad was the CEO. The rest comes from my parents.
<- I am not ashamed either. Parents have the money and want to pay my tution? Fine with me
<- I pay the rest of my expenses.

 

[MaxDSP]

graduated with BS in 2003 @ age 21
paid for school by myself, been working 40+ hours/week since age 19-20, been working since 16

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Taggart
Do people look down on grown children with trust funds?

I usually catch a lot of grief if I tell people that I have a trust fund. there's just a lot of assumptions that go along with it.

 

[jagec]

I'm under 25, in another year I'll have a college degree, and I pay my own way depending on your definition. I have scholarships and grants, no loans, and my personal expenses come from my job. However, some people would argue it's the government that's paying for me.

As long as I don't have debt, I don't really care what people say though.

 

[Whisper]

24 years old, graduated college with a BS in psych this past May (there's a reason it took an extra year, but I won't explain that here). I currently live at home with my mother while waiting to apply to grad school this fall. I don't want to move until I know where I'll be headed for the next five years. Scholarship paid for most of my undergrad, but my mother did help with rent and a few other things. Currently looking for a full-time job for the next year while I wait on my applications to go through. Finding research work is turning out to be a large PITA.

 

[Gooberlx2]

yep.
<--- under 25 (for another few months), graduated last spring, working and paying my way through life.

 

[Ameesh]

ive been paying my own way since my junior year in college. i have a degree and i am fairly successful

 

[KokomoGST]

I didn't want to incur big debt and the hardships of living alone in one of the most expensive areas in the nation. I see a lot of people in my shoes in my area.

I had the option of living alone when I had a decent job after college, but instead I opted to live with the folks to cut away at my massive college debt. Right now, I'm incurring more educational debt.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

<--- graduated @ 22, 100% financially independent since then

 

[vood0g]

i am 24, with an MBA. not only paying my own way, but have a wife in medschool and two girls to support. not the richest person in the world, but i have enough to get by.

 

[Ausm]

No ,Over 25 have no college degree and ALWAYS paid my own way through life


Sysadmin

 

[edro]

Yes, but I am only 21.