Azzara: ‘Poor students’ aren’t

It seems like people are always talking about poor college kids. Students are constantly… It seems like people are always talking about poor college kids. Students are constantly complaining about how broke they are, and others seem to take pity on them because of it. It’s a widely acknowledged fact that if you are in college, you basically have no money to spend.

And who would expect you to? College is a time when a constant stream of money is being sucked away from each student. Even those of us who are lucky enough to have most of our expenses covered by our parents still feel the pressure to budget for food, shopping and, of course, fun.

It’s safe to say that I’d never been as concerned about money issues as I have been in college. But I’ve come to realize that the reason for this is that college has coincided with the first time in my life that I’ve actually had to cover my expenses with my own money.

And the fact that I, like most college students, actually have my own money to spend, leads me to conclude that the expression about poor college students isn’t exactly accurate. The way I see it, as college students, we are actually better off than we may think. The old phrase is just an excuse for us to gain sympathy and feel sorry for ourselves.

For example, I had never had a job until the summer before I went away to school, and even then I only worked three days per week making minimum wage. And although I, like many of my peers, had absolutely no money of my own in high school, I was somehow never concerned about it, since my parents covered almost all my expenses. I have a feeling that the same is true for many of my peers.

So now, as a junior, I believe what people are thinking of when they talk about poor college students can actually be understood as the financial shift that occurs when someone moves out of her parents’ house. The change in a person’s spending habits and overall perspective on money when she makes the transition from high school to college is pretty drastic.

When you live in your parents’ house, it’s often quite easy to be clueless about money. Not only do your parents provide you with food and other basic necessities, but many times they are even willing to take you shopping or pay for you to go out with friends. I even recall times when my parents would hand me a wad of cash before I left the house, “just in case.” I think it’s safe to say that those days are now over.

And remember getting an allowance? Free money every week, often in exchange for chores, but more often for no reason whatsoever. Since starting college, I don’t even bother asking my parents for money, because I know they will simply remind me that I have my own job and my own income.

And thus, when it comes to spending our own money, we begin to make sacrifices for the sake of saving. We start to become more careful with our money, picking and choosing what we will spend it on. I know that I have forgone a haircut for several months at a time, leaving me looking like a mess, in order to save a few bucks. I know fellow students who are willing to go without food to avoid spending.

Most high school students have no idea what they’re in for when they start to become a little more financially independent and stop living off their parents. Making spending sacrifices, budgeting and feeling stressed about money are things that come along with the territory.

Of course, Mom and Dad will always be there if you’re ever truly in trouble. When I went to Florida for spring break with a group of friends my sophomore year, my parents told me that I could go — provided that I cover all of the expenses myself. Not wanting to be left out, I used a large percentage of the money in my bank account to buy plane tickets and rent a condo. To my surprise, realizing that I would have no spending money once I arrived, my parents each handed me a fistful of cash before dropping me off at the airport.

So, perhaps it’s time to retire the phrase “poor college student.” We may have to learn how to handle our money for the first time, but we are by no means destitute. When you think about it, the fact that you’re in college does not necessarily mean that you’re poor, especially when you compare it financially to other periods in your life.

It’s very likely that high school students have way less money than those who are attending universities. And just think about recent graduates, who go from having to try to save the little money that they have to being in debt with student loans while trying to find a job and a place to live. If you ask me, they are the ones who truly deserve the adjective “poor.”

E-mail Katie at kna6@pitt.edu