<prompt> Human: A couple days ago, my parents informed me that I was going to have to find a way to pay off my college tuition by myself, which Im sure many students have had to do in the past. But from what Ive heard about student loans, Id really like to minimize the amount of debt Ill have in the future. I have no allowance, job, or work experience. I currently take honors classes which swallow up all my time in the school year, so summer is the only time where I can really work. The college that Id really like to go to costs about 30k per year. My question is, where do I start? How do I get my first job? How do I eventually get to higher paying jobs? Thanks in advance.  <response>: Honestly youre not going to like this answer, but the secret to not being crippled by student loan debt is to pick a cheaper school. If you came on here asking how to afford a 120,000 car, people would treat it the same way. Is that car REALLY worth 120K? Can you really afford it? Are you okay going into debt for it? People who buy into the idea of dream schools end up hurting the most once they hit the professional world.Work your hardest, try to get scholarships, take AP classes so you dont have to spend too much on tuition, but try to calculate how much you can reasonably make at this age. Putting effort towards school is going to be a way better return on your investment. The stories you hear of people who worked their way through college usually involve people who picked cheaper schools and lived at home. 