Financial deadlines

Paying for college is stressful. Especially when it may involve taking out loans in order to pay for the education.

It is looking like, financially, I'll have to take out loans to pay for my continued education on my quest to get a Bachelor's degree in something relevant to media. Journalism is my primary degree, but I may switch to Communications, since most job applications I look at will take both, and I think I might prefer Grand Valley State University's Communications program better. (Both degrees are under the same house, so there is plenty of overlap between the two degrees.)

Would that loan be worth it? I think it probably would. Getting another degree, in theory, can only help. But in a career where portfolios, not degrees, are king, it almost is not worth it. Most companies are looking for experience and knowledge, not whether or not you have a Bachelor's. (Thankfully, at this point in time, Masters degrees are not required, except to teach!) So taking the loan would be worth it, in so much that I would be continuing my education and getting a degree. But without a great, current portfolio, the degree is completely worthless.

Plus, student loans are a pain to pay back. And I only have about two weeks to decide before I lose the option of getting that aid money. Is not life terrific?