I can't tell you how many times I've used the phrase "I'm a broke college student," and it only gets more true the more I say it. However, as a college student you have to learn to be a survivor in order to handle those harsh times when the bank account is crying. You become well-versed in the art form of trade. So here are five things college students use for trading:

1. Food

Food is important to us all and at times it takes some real haggling in order to get some. If anything makes you believe my statement it'll be the fact that I've traded hot pockets for ramen. However, it isn't always food for food. It could be drinks for drinks, drinks for food, or food for any of the other topics that are on this list.

2. Time

We do a lot of trading this in our normal lives, but in college time is very precious. In college, time is tracked as much as a bank account. By senior year, we become time masters who can take a nap for exactly 37 minutes before we need to go to our next class or calculate how much sleep to get in order to wake up early to finish the five page paper that is due at 10 am. So when we trade our time, it's a big deal because in college there's always something else you can do, like sleep. When you have to trade the time you could be making money to not be a broke college student, with the time it takes you to write a six page paper, it makes you think that the system is fixed.

3. Sleep

Like time, sleep is very important, but at times we have to trade our sleep. We may trade sleep for time, in order to finish a paper or finish a Netflix series. The problem with time and sleep is that you can never gain them both. If you need more time you lose sleep and visa versa. It's a sad truth.

4. Meal Swipes

We do it. Carlow students for sure trade blocks and flex all time. "Can you go get me some food from franks? Sure, if I can get something too." We trade our meal money for the time of others, more food, or my next point friendship.

5. Friendship

Yes we trade our friendship for things. Think about it. When our friend texts us a 2 am with a problem they are trading their friendship for your sleep. If you choose to reply to the text you are accepting the trade. When you ask your friend for a slice of pizza that you didn't have a part in buying you are trying to trade your friendship for their food.

The lives of college students are strongly based on trading in order to stay afloat. To soothe our hunger, insure our future and gain and maintain friends, we trade and sacrifice both items and ourselves.

Do you trade anything on this list?