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Over $100,000 loan, no job despite master’s degree, working at McDonald’s: Student says he's ‘exhausted, broke’
The student spoke about his present condition and his field of study. He said he is “making barely enough to survive, let alone pay off my loans”.
A student, who completed his Master’s degree in Philosophy in 2024, has shared his situation now--"exhausted, broke, and completely burned out on school". Taking to Reddit, the person said that he is in a student loan debt of over $100,000 ( ₹85.3 lakh approx), but he is barely making enough money working at McDonald’s to survive himself. He said that despite applying for job interviews, he hasn't landed anything which is close to what he is interested in or what he studied. (Also Read | After ₹40 lakh loan for US studies, Indian techie returns home jobless and ‘drowning in debt’)
Student talks about working at McDonald's, having massive loan debt
The student spoke about his present condition and his field of study. "I’m over $100,000 in student loan debt after earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in philosophy. I studied it because I found the subject meaningful, and my professors encouraged me. They said it was a versatile, respected field—that it would open doors and prepare me for a wide range of careers," wrote the person.
Person says he ‘barely' earns to support himself
The person talked about working at a McDonald's outlet. “After undergrad, I wasn’t sure what direction to take. I didn’t feel ready for the job market, so I doubled down and went for a master’s. I thought it would make me more employable. I thought I was doing the responsible thing. Now I’m working at McDonald’s for minimum wage, making barely enough to survive, let alone pay off my loans.”
Student says he hasn't been able to crack jobs either
He also said, "I graduated last year and have been applying to jobs constantly—anything even remotely related to my background. I’m not interested in law (and I’m tired of people assuming that’s the only path for philosophy grads), but I’ve looked into research, writing, nonprofit work, education—whatever I can find," he added.
The student shared that despite applying for jobs many times, he still doesn't even get a revert. “Most of the time, I don’t even get a response. When I do get an interview, I’m almost always asked about technical skills I don’t have—coding, data analysis, software I’ve never used. Skills no one in my program ever told me I’d need.”
He added he won't study further. “I’m not going back for a PhD. I’m exhausted, broke, and completely burned out on school. I’ve already invested years of my life into higher education and tens of thousands of dollars I may never be able to repay. And for what? It’s hard not to feel ashamed. Like I trusted the wrong people. Like I made every ‘right’ choice and still ended up here. If anyone else has gone through something like this—or has any advice—I’d really appreciate it. Even just knowing I’m not alone helps,” ended his note.
Reddit reacts to student's post
Reacting to the post, a person advised, “Try to get into an administrative assistant and then move into an executive assistant. A master's degree will be good enough to get in the door. Even if it is in philosophy.” A comment read, “What about teaching at a high school or community college?” A Reddit user said, “Having a tangible skill is what’s most important at the end of the day. It might take 2-3 years, but you need to develop a tangible skill.”
