I'll Always Spit Out The Silver Spoon

College is something that doesn't come easy.  You learn that the Summer between Graduation and the start of Freshman Year if you haven't already.  There's forms to fill out, housing and dining to apply for, classes to register for, and at the end of the day, you still owe your college money if you're an out of state student.

This blog post isn't about college though.  Well, maybe in a sense it is, but it's not the main focus.  Instead, I'd like to draw a line between two parts of the college population, and they're rather distinct. It's the difference between your run of the mill still-immature young adult who ends up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning the first night away from home, and the long since mature young adult who is punching the clock multiple times a week in order to make ends meet for their basic living expenses.  Or you could say the difference between the college student taking a selfie every week at the football game and the college student who can't make that game because he won't have enough to pay rent or will run out of paid time off at his job if he does go.

A 2015 article published in The Atlantic, found here, states that seven in ten college students work while enrolled at a university.  Over the past thirty to forty years, the number of hours in a week the student works has been increasing.  The article quotes that nearly 40% of undergraduate students and 76% of graduate students work approximately 30 hours per week, or 60 hours per 2 week pay cycle.  Out of these people, many already have families to support, and approximately 20% have children.  This means that students with families must work longer in order to support their families.  We have a lot of students close to full time hours while also taking a full time or greater course load.   But it's still not enough.  The majority of students are working full time while also taking on full time coursework, and still not making near enough to cover tuition by the semester, per the article.

I reason with this situation quite well.  When I first came to NDSU, I struggled to keep up.  Finding out I had to pay the college before I could register for the next semester was a stressor, and so I took on more hours at my job and later decided to transfer across to MSUM to take advantage of MN State Grants and Aid, and though I didn't use all of my financial aid this semester, it's still not enough to keep up with my living expenses.  It's a challenge to keep my head above water financially somedays, and there's times where I panic worrying about a financial deadline. You really have to put yourself in damage control mode and try your best to find the solution that works for you.

While I go through these processes, I can't help but look at these college students that seem to have everything handed to them.  Their parents or grandparents ended up well off in life and so they can afford to pay to get their children through college, or there was a college savings fund somewhere.  And that's all fine and dandy, but it just comes off as lazy honestly.  They do work, but a lot of them seem to disappear, or just up and quitting when they feel the time is right.  Or, they shop their shifts around to co-workers like me who need the money more so they can go do homework and/or party.  I don't know why this annoys me so much, but I feel it has something to do with the fact that they seem to have life so blasted easy.

You see, some college kids have been fed "The Silver Spoon" as a man I spoke to Saturday called it.  They've had it easy their entire lives, and that's looking to continue through college.  The adulting part of life that we all must begin to do at this stage is avoided or seen as "too hard".  Instead, they're focused on things like getting a fake ID or finding a significant other, or (preferably) on their actual classes.  They think that golden opportunities will just fall into their laps and stick around for them forever.  They just don't know the value of hard work, and I don't mean that in an arrogant or rude way, but I feel it's quite the truth.  Their adult life is going to be extremely difficult, and they'll find it hard to succeed in the adult world.

One thing this group is, is they are very lucky.  They are so lucky to be able to attend to their coursework 100% of the time because of the fact that they don't have to go and punch the time clock to make ends meet.  Everything is paid, and sometimes there's money left over to give back to the student to help them with their living expenses.  It sounds so great to have this free ride through all of college, and if you're a high school student reading this, keep up your grades so you can take advantage of this free ride.  But if you're already out of high school and missed the bus on that, you have to put your true grit to the test.  Let no stone go unturned and keep up your bills, and take every chance you get to get further ahead in life.  Don't let your wheels keep spinning at the same level all the time.

The last five years, I've worked hard for everything that has been bestowed upon me.  Never did I just have an opportunity fall into my lap, rather I had to practice, practice, and practice some more.  Or I had to interview.  There have been opportunities that have come up that I practiced hard for, dressed up for, and didn't get.  But I can't let those fall by the wayside or use that as an excuse to just give up. I have to keep going, and I am bound and determined to meet my end goal of graduating.

I'm not the only one in this boat.  Other people are working three jobs and still keeping up a full time course load.  And they're probably doing better than me, and that doesn't bother me. They probably dressed up and showed up and got that golden opportunity after they worked for it. But it still doesn't compare to the college student that probably woke up this morning and decided that having a mimosa with breakfast and then spending the day at home was more worth it than going to class.

So long story short, I'm not a fan of this entitled generation of folks who thinks that college/life in general is easy and that they'll just get the long end of the stick all the time.  What's going to happen the first time they are dealt a s**t hand?  Just hunker down and cry because they're too scared that something else will happen?  NO you can't do that.  You have to get off the couch and do something when faced with those situations, and work your darnedest because it's almost never enough.

I wouldn't trade a single moment of the last few years to just go sit in my dorm everyday instead.  I have to keep going and not give up.  I cannot stop at all costs.  And I'm hoping that the rest of the college students in this boat who are reading this post will do the same thing with me.  Don't let someone feed you "The Silver Spoon".  Spit it out by working hard every day, and realize that with hard work, your dreams can truly be accomplished.