Never Ending Spending
"University." ... "College." What do these words mean to you? What do you picture in your head when you read these words? For me? Well I think about money, and hard work, and really fun times. As a graduating high school student though, my main focus is money. How much will I be having to pay? How much is this really going to cost me and my family?...too much.
Have you really thought about this? Because you need to. It is so common for people to underestimate the expenses that they are going to have to pay for post secondary. It's not only tuition, that is just the beginning. Are you living on your own? At home? Commuting? Transportation? Busing? Books? Food? Booze? How about paying off your debt? I calculated how much on average it will cost me to live in a house with roommates, for four years it will cost me $20,000. That is only including rent and utilities, and not including the increase of costs within that time. My tuition is going to cost me $35,000 for four years. My food alone is going to cost me $2,500/year, very similar to how much it would cost me to get a meal plan on residence. Now it all depends on where you are going and what you are taking, but I am an average student and I bet these numbers are not what you had in mind.
How the hell are you going to pay for this? If you are one of those people that come from a family where this kind of financial stress is not really existent, then this blog is not for you, but hey, get a job anyway it is worth it trust me! If money is an issue for you? Listen UP!
You need to figure your sh*t out. Do you have a job? Are you working enough? Where will you work when you're in school? Talk to your parents, sit down and really try and figure out as much as you can between your contribution and theirs. Do you need to loose sleep over this? No. Is this important? Yes! These next years of your life will be so life changing and full of learning lessons. Having an idea of the expenses that will be coming your way, and hopefully have some financial support under your belt will make a huge difference. Also, knowing the cost of university/college can help you create enough money through summer jobs so you can pay it out right and either have no or little debt.Of course there are options, maybe taking a year off before you start school and making money, maybe taking a year off in the middle of your degree, possibly moving back home to save money, finding roommates, etc.
It is not a live or die situation. But, if there is something you want to do, do not let money be a reason as to why you cannot do it. Do not allow yourself to be lazy or procrastinating when really what you should be doing is working. First year especially will be hard as it is adapting to this lifestyle, depending on the school and home you are living in. Don't Give Up! Don't Stress! Don't Slack!
This information was based on the high school class "Personal Finance" (IDC4UM) at Craig Kielburger High School, along with the website: https://lkueh.wordpress.com/.