Many adults look back fondly on their college days as the best four years of their life.
The years spent in college are supposed to be the foundation for the rest of our lives. College is a rite of passage into the real world.
The college “experience” varies by school, but there are some aspects that are consistent among them all. Classes, obscene prices for books, late-night food, parties and the catch-all excuse, “I’m poor. I’m a college student,” to name a few.
Collectively, these make up the “experience” that all post-graduates nostalgically remember. The absence of one of these elements is detrimental to the “experience.”
My mom and I talk pretty regularly and in each conversation, she usually asks some standard “mom” questions. In a recent phone call, she asked what I was having for dinner on a regular basis. I told her it was usually some combination of frozen meals, eggs, chicken or pasta.
A few disapproving seconds later, she asked me when I was finally going to learn to cook well-balanced meals for myself.
I told her that my meals were still “age-appropriate.” My frozen Stouffer’s dinner is acceptable given my age and occupation as a poor college student.
A lot of students seem to be ashamed to be “college poor,” but I think we should embrace it and wear our “college poor-ness” as a badge of honor. Being poor in college is one of those rites of passage that enhances the college experience.
Regardless of everyone’s family background, the majority of students would consider themselves “college poor.” Whether you’re trying to make summer’s paycheck last an entire year or you’re toiling away at a part-time job, making just more than minimum wage, most of us don’t have extra cash.
