I want to share you with my personal experience. It might not help with your situation but you will see life is different for everyone - you just need to figure out what you want.
I went to university first when I came to Canada. I had to study very hard to get an 80 out of 100 average. I started working part time in my field since my second year and got an internship as a result. The internship paid well and I was able to pay back my student loan at the end of the internship. After graduation, I got a job offer from the company I had internship with. A few years later, we settled down, bought a house, then had a baby. Now she is two years old, I found a job in government, so that I could spend more time with my child and my family will have a more stable future. I have been more or less planning my life along the way. I want to make sure I am mentally and financially ready when I have a child. I want to have a career and I want to have a family - this is my life and this is my decision.