It's true that it's kind of crappy to start your career-life off with a debt. However, many (well paying) jobs do require that you have a certain college education, before you're even considered for the job.

I would suggest building up as little debt as possible, but getting a good education nonetheless. After that, pay off the debt asap and enjoy your education (which makes it easier to get good jobs) for the rest of your life.

Here in the Netherlands, we also build up a student debt, but you can decide for yourself how much you need (maybe parents chip in). After that, you pay it back over a course of... 10 or 30 years (I really can't remember), but you're also able to pay off sooner, if you want. I payed it all off last year, so at the age of 28, I'm student debt-free.