<p>I don’t think you should be too worried about taking out loans (subsidized govt loans). I have friends at private colleges who have the pleasure of waiting for that $250,000 bill when they graduate, but they aren’t really worried.
I have a lot of friends who work at UCSC’s dining halls and they have no issues with it interfering in their college life. It’s an easy way to get work study money and their schedules are created specifically for them. They just work 4 hours, 2-3x a week, and they are still able to hang out with friends, do well in their studies, go to parties, participate in clubs/sports, and basically get the whole college experience.</p>