Here's the Situation



Student loan activist Cryn Johannsen recently had an article published in USA Today in which she examines some of the challenges facing recent college grads.  Student loan debt combined with an abysmal job market (the average ratio of qualified candidates for every new job is 4 to 1) are putting a significant percentage of our country's educated youth in a choke hold.  



Easy Breezy?  Not Fo Sheezy 
 


For recent grads who are lucky enough to secure the elusive full-time position right out of college, everything is not automatically rainbows and butterflies.  Johannsen points out that most entry level jobs don't pay enough to cover the cost of living AND student loan payments.  



That Sucking Noise You Hear is Thousands of Brains Fleeing the Country


Recent grads are responding to the lack of opportunities available in the country formerly known as the Land of Opportunity in a very logical way: getting the hell out.  Where are they headed?  Read the article to find out.

Borrower Profile #6

Helen

Age: 24

School Attended: Point Park University

Year Started: 2004

Year Graduated: 2008

Major: English Literature

Degree Obtained: BA

Describe your undergraduate experience in general:

A very rewarding time spent with like-minded classmates and challenging and enthusiastic professors.

Describe your school:

A liberal arts college with small class sizes (about 10 – 20 students a room) set in downtown Pittsburgh. The college is known for its award winning ballet program and journalism department.

“Kids these days are all lazy and entitled ...”

BS!  Everywhere I look I see hard-working, creative young people who are trying new things and finding exciting ways to earn income and gain life experience.

"Odd Jobs" will feature students and recent grads who are working unique and interesting jobs.  We'll find out how they got started, the pros and cons of their gig, and what they've learned along the way.

Odd Jobs #3

Erica started her own online business to make extra cash while she was in college.  Check it out:

Describe the products you were selling:

Hand-painted, wooden surfboards. Each board is 24” long by 8” wide. Each board had a slot with a removable fin. People could choose the name/words to go on the board.

Pictured below:

Where did you get the idea?

I’ve surfed since I was in 7th grade, lived at the beach, and liked surf-themed décor. I browsed around on eBay trying to come up with something I could make and realized that personalized wall signs sold well. So I decided to do them with the surf theme in mind since there were not many others doing that at the time. eBay has a feature where you can go into a category and sort items by “best sellers”.  All the wall décor signs sold very well.

One year ago today BSinDebt was born in a nondescript coffee shop.

Hard to believe it’s been a year already!

Thanks to everyone who has visited our site and to all our friends and family for their support.

Here’s to another year of BS!

I'm not going to mince words: I love getting gifts!  Who doesn’t?

When I was a kid, I was a simple-minded brat who totally missed the point of the getting/giving phenomenon.  Now that I'm older and wiser (ha!) I appreciate the gesture as well as the actual gift itself.  It's more than an object, it's a sign that someone cares enough about me to go out of their way to find an item, procure it, and present it to me.

When someone gives you something that you really, really need, it takes the concept of a gift to a whole new level.

Of course you're never going to say "No thanks, grandma," to a set of 50 scented shower gels and a decorative dream catcher that was made in China.  

But if you're a recent college grad with a measly income and gargantuan student loans that are slowly but surely giving you stomach ulcers, and Grandma swoops in from nowhere and helps you out with this month's payment, well, that might just move you to tears.

The perfect way to simplify the gifting process for you AND your loved ones is to set up a personal Fundraiser on EduLender.  

IT’S F-R-E-E.  

You make an account, personalize your page (add your story, post your goals, update your progress, etc.), and then get the word out.  There’s even a feature that lets you post thank you notes to the people who help you out with a donation.  

I know, I know, asking for money sometimes feels awkward.  But think of it this way:  Grams loves you and wants to demonstrate it, hence the gift.  But that doesn't mean she’s not thinking: "I don't know wtf to get this kid." 

She wants to get you something you need, not something that will collect dust in a closet for 10 years.  Make it easy for her, kiddo!