The Expenses of Education
One thing we all can say about education is that although it is important, it isn't cheap. Attending a university has many expenses including, housing, living costs, and tuition. According to Forbes there is around 1.75 trillion dollars owed in student debt, and 55% of public university students are paying via loans. Student loans are something that a person can deal with for decades, and in this post I will talk about reducing expenses and dealing with loans.
First and foremost, the best way to avoid loan buildup and excess costs is to get a job. This can be a lot because for many people, being a student is often a full time job. With a schedule packed with classes, homework, projects, and tests, adding another item to the plate seems a bit stressful. Not to mention having enough free time to do the things we love. Nonetheless, having some extra cash on hand while in school is crucial. I myself work a few days a week, nothing too overwhelming, but just enough for me to save towards repaying my loans as well as have a little extra cash in case I want to do something fun. If you need help finding a job Indeed is a great site that offers various jobs to college students. There are a plethora of part-time jobs that students can work while in school, which will not only provide a student with money, but with work experience as well.
Cutting down unnecessary expenses is also a key part of saving money in school. The "college meal" consisting of instant noodles and frozen food is a joke that contains a lot of truth. This year I noticed myself eating out very frequently and it definitely took a toll on my finances. I decided to grocery shop more and cook my own food more often and I saved loads of money. I definitely recommend avoiding eating out as much as you can, it is a lot more expensive than cooking at home. Another common cost college students fall victim to is going out frequently. While I myself enjoy going out with friends these nights are often expensive. Paying for ubers, food, and drinks add up, and finding an alternative way to have fun without spending as much money is crucial.
This being the final post in this blog I would like to thank all of you who have read my posts. I hope that I have helped make someones life as a student easier, and I wish you all the best of luck on this educational journey.
I could not relate to this more! Every minute of every day the idea of my student loans and how I will manage to pay them off is hanging over my head. The stress that it has caused me to break out in hives and have mental breakdowns because it's no joke. Universities are taking advantage of young adults who are trying to get an education so that they can make enough money to support themselves and a family in the future. The fact that colleges are not willing to lower the prices and instead are rebuilding 100 million dollar athletic facilities makes me sick to my stomach. Having a part time job helps a little bit but it has so many cons that come with it. Me personally, I'm a biology major with a psych minor and I'm taking classes to prepare for medical school so every semester I am taking 21 units of classes, which is nearly double the recommended amount, and because of this my job causes me to not live a healthy life style. However, if I didn't have a job I would be in debt for nearly the rest of my life since I pay out of state tuition. I wish schools would realize how harmful the elevated prices are and try to make a better situation for us students to manage. I 100% agree with you that jobs and cooking at home help so much with making and saving money that will help pay off student loans sooner! Such a great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Enzo!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you brought this up. So many poeple suffer from college debt and it can ruin peoples lives. I agree that indeed is a great platform to find usefull careers, but personally, I have had more success with linked in. Don't even get me started on the "college meal." For the past week, I have been eating nothing but grapes and mac and cheese that my mom bought me from costco! I have gotten better at shopping for grocieries though and I have also saved a lot of money by doing so.