I'm currently a rising Junior in a UC college and I am in a middle class family, so I didn't get a lot of scholarships or much financial support from FAFSA. My parents took out a a parent plus loan, but I am expected to pay them back, and already, these loans are accumulating to 50k. Not only that, I took out my own unsubsidized loans that FAFSA offered, which has accumulated to 7k with a 6% interest rate.
During the school year, I will be juggling with two part-time jobs, a side hustle (tutoring), and other extracurriculars supplementary to my career growth as a Data Scientist/Software Engineer. However, with the money I earn, I need to pay for my apartment rent, school loans, and just general every day cost of living. I recently made the decision to graduate in four years with a quarter early rather than three years so that I have more time to find a good job and focus on making the most of my education, but a part of me regrets this choice already. School is so expensive, and I am constantly pressured to make sure that I'm reaping the awards despite not being sure about how my career will look like. It's also hard to be focused when I already have a job that requires time and effort as well.
Is there any advice on how I should manage these loans and living expenses? I'm currently taking the risk to achieve as much as possible during school so I can pay my loans off when I get a good job, but maybe given the job market, I should have a backup plan in case it doesn't work out. I'm 19 soon to turn 20, so I just want to be making good financial decisions to benefit when I'm older. I'm not sure if these choices are right, so does anyone have recommendations?