BY GREG STAMPER
Do you leave things to the last minute and then complain when you have no time to do them, or spend money on things you don’t need and then notice your bank account is bone dry once it’s time to pay the bills?
Of course you do, it’s an unwritten code for college students.
Students’ priorities, especially for students living away from home, are for the most part, completely backward.
Instead of buying groceries, paying bills or simply saving their excess money to help pay off student loans, most students spend their money on alcohol, restaurant food and anything else that brings them entertainment in the short term.
“I buy alcohol four times a week, it costs me about $80 to $90,” said first-year fitness and health promotion student Greg Dawkins.
Despite the high costs associated with partying and eating out, most college students are not worried; with ease of use usually outweighing the smart choice.
“It is more convenient and easier (to buy alcohol or restaurant food), you don’t have to do prep work or plan anything,” said first-year office executive student Megan Ziegler.
With the number of choices life presents to students on a daily basis, it is easy to be tempted to do the wrong thing; however, as students progress through school and get used to living away from home, priorities do start to improve.
“Education is above fun and friends for me, it is my second time around (in school), but it was not my priority the first time,” Ziegler said.
Not all students are as eager to spend as some of their schoolmates either. First-year health science foundations student Jenn Woods admits to going out for sushi “a lot,” but also keeps a certain level-headedness that younger students should think about.
“It is important to stay focused and get an education, (however) it is also good to be social and interact with people.”
Don’t fret, college students, you will grow out of this mindset at some point and start to see your bank account steady itself, hopefully.
In the meantime start thinking about the right choices, and enjoy the free spending while you can.
