I'm aware that's not what you said. It's the natural outcome of the perpetuation of your view, though. People can't pursue their interests because they have to be practical instead. Instead they find something that they hope allows them to pay down their student loans and subsequently pursue their interests. They have to do something they would rather not in order to have a shot at doing what they want. I don't think that holds up to much scrutiny. It's not about expectations. It's about the right to do what you want without being coerced into something else to pay for it.And people who take large student loans are rarely the sorts of people who have made extraordinarily rational choices about their schooling to begin with, in my experience.
And above all that, not expecting to be poor if you do make the choice to pursue your particular interests at great cost ... that's delusional.