You sound like my mother. She has always pressure me to do very well in school and had me believe all my life that going to college will mean I will be successful when I get out, debt does not matter. I always believe her, until now...I don't think it's true. People go to graduate school b/c 1) their interest and/or 2) they think it is guarantee money.
Reason 1) is good. Reason 2) is very bad b/c it's just not true.
Because of how I was raised, I have always done perfectly in school and I still have perfect grades. I was taught to value education and grades etc. I use to think high school grads that didn't go to college must all be losers with no lifes etc. I use to think that my college education and going to grad school will mean that my life will somehow be MUCH better. Well, now that I am much older and looking backing/thinking and comparing myself to my friend. I really do not think so.
My best friend from high school and I still keep in contact. She did NOT go to college. Her family own two Japanese restaurants and she worked there as a manager since high school. She has dated a guy since senior year of high school, they dated for 7 years and now she is married to him for a year. She is pregnant now and will have her first daugther in June. Her husband is a patent examiner, he makes good money. I would say around 140K a year. He treats her like a queen though. She works at her parent's restaurant 30 to 40 hrs a week. She has many friends and is always going out to parties with them etc. Her husband takes her out on vacations. They live in a 400K house, they both drive very nice NEW cars. She goes shopping pretty often, I use to go with her when I lived in my hometown. She is working by choice, her husband told her she doesn't have to work if she does not want to. I don't think they are extremely wealthy or anything, but OVERALL, I think her life is GREAT. Does the fact that she didn't go to college and pharmacy school make her life any worst than MINE? HELL NO!

In fact I would argue her life is much better than mine. I have been in school my entire life. Yes, I have good grades, I did many great research projects, I know my chemistry and math very well etc. but how does that make my life better? I am broke, I drive a 7 year old car, I don't own a home, I have no husband, no kids etc. I am getting older and I still haven't started my life yet. I don't get to relax most of the time when I am in school. I don't think my life is bad, but it is certainly boring and tiring at times!
🙄 So again, someone PLEASE TELL ME how my life just b/c I went to college and pharmacy school is SUPERIOR to my friend's???? Everytime I think back about all the dates that I turn down, all the parties I didn't go to, all the vacations I missed out, all the weekends I don't get to relax b/c I have an exam to study for (trust me second year of pharmacy school ain't easy!), all the friends I didn't get to hangout with, all the friends I couldn't have made, all the time I wasted when I could have started a family and LIFE...ALL THAT is gone b/c I was in school that entire time. Now, I am old...when I graduate I will be almost 29 yo. I might never be able to have any children b/c I am so damn old.
🙄 I will be over 30 when I can finally start my life, while my friend who is only 1 year older than me HAD HER ENTIRE YOUTH to start her life. She is still enjoying her life, while I am studying my ass off for exams.
So again, someone tell me HOW did me going to college and pharmacy school help me improve my life? I really want to know. Right now I have nothing.
Unlike the OP, (some of his comments I do not agree with), I am not on here to tell people to stay away from pharmacy school. In fact I think I have already mention SEVERAL times that if you truely enjoy pharmacy and LOVE IT more than anything in the world, and you are young and able to get into a public school to come out with little debt.
I say GO FOR IT!!! If you LOVE pharmacy GO FOR IT! I am not here to tell you to not do what you LOVE to do. I am just saying...please do not be foolish like me and think that college/pharmacy school OR any school for that manner is suppose to improve your life OR help you become rich or anything like that. B/c it won't!
I don't think college is bad, it's a gamble like opening a new restaurant, opening a new business, buying stocks, gambling, playing the lottery, etc. it's all a gamble. You might get lucky, you might not. The attitude of people think college=success and money is just not true. It's like me saying opening a restaurant=success and money, again...it COULD but it also could NOT. That is all that I am saying.
If only I could have KNOWN all this when I was 18 years old I would have gone a totally different route. I don't know what I love to do, but I never had a chance to explore it either. I would give ANYTHING in the world to go back in time and be young again. I want a do over!