How I Paid for College Without Drowning in Debt

Close-up of a person writing in a notebook on a table with a coffee cup.

College is expensive, especially if you are international like I was. Between housing, food, textbooks, and those surprise costs (looking at you, $90 textbook), affording college takes real strategy unless your parents pay for it.

As a first-generation college student, I knew early on that paying for college would be my responsibility. What followed was a mix of strategy, late nights, and some risky-but-worth-it moves. Here is what I did:

Budgeted Like My Life Depended on It

Before I started earning anything, I tracked everything. I created a simple budgeting system on Google Sheets where I broke down my weekly expenses, rent, groceries, transportation, and yes, the occasional 400% markup coffees.

This gave me visibility and control.

Pro tip: When splitting expenses with friends, use Splitwise; it’ll save you time, math, and arguments.

Working on Campus

My first breakthrough came with an on-campus job as a front desk monitor, making $800/month just to cover rent.

It didn’t pay for groceries, textbooks, or even weekend plans. But it gave me structure, work experience (where I learned so much more than my education), and most importantly, a start.

Hustling

With a steady paycheck in hand, I became eligible for a student credit card. I used that credit to buy limited-edition sneakers and vintage clothing products I could flip.

It does take some time and skill to identify these goods. There was a period when I was reselling anything I got my hands on, even baby strollers.

Yes, $1,500 baby strollers exist. And yes, I sold two of them.

Investments

Once the resale income stabilized, I began investing in stock and crypto markets, not in a reckless, get-rich-quick way but to learn.

I studied market trends, tested small bets, and learned to manage risk and reward.

The goal? Make my money work while I study.

Scholarships & Smart Choices

Throughout my college years, I applied for every scholarship I could find. Some I got, some I didn’t, but the wins added up.

If you are going to take a loan like I did, even a $1,000 scholarship can shrink decades of debt.

My biggest suggestion: If you are eligible for in-state tuition, take it. There’s no better discount on education.

If you do plan to go out of state or even abroad, like I did, I would recommend joining a community college for two years, then transferring to the university of your choice.

In my experience, the first two years of college in the U.S. are like a cash grab, filled with general education courses that don’t often dive into what you are there to study.

The Takeaway

None of this was easy. I balanced classes, jobs, a growing business, and constant financial pressure.

I didn’t graduate with just a degree. I graduated with real-world experience, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a deep understanding of how to build under pressure.

And that, I’d argue, is worth more than my GPA.