Nationally, seven in 10 go into debt to reach graduation day.

Star Tribune reports.

College graduates cope with the debt that follows

Some are consumed with regrets.

Some say they would do it again in a heartbeat.

For this generation of college graduates, it’s the norm to finish school with nearly $30,000 in student loans.

Nationally, seven in 10 go into debt to reach graduation day. In Minnesota, half borrow more than $31,000, according to a study released last week. For some, it’s a lot more.

Typically, the day of reckoning arrives six months after graduation, when the first loan payments come due. Often, it’s tougher than they imagined when they signed on the dotted line as freshmen.

“I went to school thinking, when I was 18, that I was going to be a lawyer when I was 25,” said Courtney Downing, 24, of Anoka. “I guess I never had the full picture of what it’s going to look like with student debt.”