How to handle $73k in student and credit card debt at 21

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

1. 1
   living in a shared apartment renting a room as cheaply as possible
2. 2
   making a strict budget of incomings and outgoings and reducing expenses
3. 3
   tackling the highest interest debt (credit cards) first
4. 4
   utilizing income-based repayment options for student loans
5. 5
   Calling the university's bursar's office to see if payment can be made directly to them
6. 6
   Requesting debt validation from the collection agency before paying
7. 7
   Negotiating a lower settlement amount with the collection agency

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.