You may be shocked to know that 70 percent of 2013’s graduating class had an average of $28,400 in student loan debt. However, the class of 2015 thinks that the class of 2013 has it easy. Debt is reaching new heights, and the class of 2015 will have to pay back about $35,000 per borrower, and the total of student debt rings the bell at $68 billion, which is a tenfold increase over the course of 20 years. That loan suddenly seems a whole lot bigger and heavier than it did during freshman year, and the higher employment rate for those who have attained a bachelor’s degree can sometimes be of little comfort.

WHAT YOU COULD DO IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE STUDENT LOAN DEBT?

There are a lot of different things that you could do with that money, if it weren’t tied up, and certainly the economy could use a healthy portion of it to further recover. It is estimated that student debt incurred by the millennial generation is one of the key factors in the sluggish and plodding upswing as nearly an entire generation of college graduates put off marriage, home buying, and having a family in order to service their debt. It is, however, very nice to dream about some of the things that you could do, and dreaming is at least free. Here are some of the things that you could do with all that money.

• A 10 percent down payment on this 2 bedroom courtyard and view condo in Colee Hammock or a renovated bungalow in Sailboat Bend.
• Accu II CNC Vertical Milling Machine from Penn Tools, this includes a year of tech support.
• You could splash for Chopard’s 36mm Happy Diamonds Sport Watch in stainless steel, diamonds, and 18k rose gold and still have enough for a lavish brunch.
• Stay for a week in an ocean view bungalow at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the Kohala coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.
• Purchase an antique mahogany sofa c. 1820 from Stanley Weiss, a purveyor of important Classical and Colonial era antique furnishings in Providence, Rhode Island.
• Season tickets for you and 15 of your friends to the Atlanta Falcons, Lower Prime rows 1-30.
• A pair of stock Harley Davidson Street Bob motorcycles. One for you, and one for a buddy.
• Two round-trip first-class tickets on Qantas Airways from Miami to Sydney, with enough left to see the sights.

While it’s great to imagine all the different things that you could do if only you had the money, it’s a far better idea to spend some of what you do have in retaining an attorney to help you manage your student debt. The law offices of Chad Van Horn are staffed with expert attorneys who can help you get a handle when your loans and life seem out of control.

Get in touch for a consultation, and maybe in a few years you’ll be able to make that down payment, take that vacation, or put that watch on your wrist.