Where you go to college should be looked at, at least in part, as an economic decision with real and lasting economic consequences. As a student, you’re on campus for four years (or more), but as a student loan borrower you’re likely paying off those loans for 10-25 years. Choosing where you go to college is one of the largest purchases you’ll ever make in your life – up there with buying a house or car. Unfortunately, if you’re making that decision at 17 or 18 years old, you may not fully understand the consequences of your choice. A 2012 study by Young Invincibles found that many student loan borrowers don’t even understand how student loans really work. Read more at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.