It's simply "work first, fun later" on a larger scale.
It is possible that you are leaving out an important piece of the equation?
Debt first, work second, fun much later if, and only if, you are able to avoid the hedonic inflation that so often infects those who pursue careers for prestige.
Here's my article in Lifehack, one of the most prominent self-improvement websites, bringing rationality-style ideas to a broad audience, specifically long-term orientation, mere-exposure effect, consider-the-alternative, and agency :-)
P.S. Based on feedback from the LessWrong community, I made sure to avoid mentioning LessWrong or rationality in the article.