[ejb999]

People should feel free to pursue whatever interest they want - encouraging them to go into 6 figure debt for an 'interest' is not very wise however.

I studied business and computer science in college - that now pays the bills.

I study European History in my free time, and even with all the hundreds of books I have read and own, probably haven't spent $1000 on that 'interest'.

"You just spent 150 grand on an education you could have gotten for $1.50 in late fees at the public library." - quote from Good Will Hunting.

[SketchySeaBeast]

As others have pointed out - you could have not spent money on computer science as well - if anything that's a field that has no problem at all with the self taught.

I'd also like to propose that reading history novels isn't the same as a history education, in much the same way that reading those novels isn't the same as an English degree.