Deep down, I always knew it was going to be that high. I had a sense of the ballpark figure from the yearly loan paperwork. In fact, my looming debt load has been one of my best punchlines for years. But it still knocked the air from my lungs. I will be in debt for the rest of my natural life, paying for four years of a private education. I am comforted by the fact that I am not alone: 37% of 18-29 year olds have student loan debt. I’m not sure if all of them are going to be on payment plans until they die, like I will, but my generation has. It’s terrifying to imagine securing any sort of financial stability. I daydream about some modern-day Robin Hood hacking into the system and wiping student loan records. But going into debt to finance my future is a choice that I made and one I will have to live with — and hopefully I’ll make it worth it.