Everyone knows that turning 18 is a rite of passage. A rite of passage to step foot into the adult world, make bigger decisions for yourself, and get a sweet taste of the independence that you have been craving for years. This is a time when students are just graduating high school and deciding what steps they want to take next in their life path. For many young adults, this next step is college.
As the end of my high school era approached, I remember the overwhelming feeling of researching colleges and trying to figure out where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life. A big factor when deciding where I wanted to go to school was how much it was going to cost and the hefty amount of loans I'd have to suffer through and take out. Let’s face it: college is expensive and a huge financial commitment for most people, myself included.
Although college isn't cheap, I knew right away I wanted to go and get an education to better myself. Getting a diploma and making it through the college experience has always been a dream for me to reach for; there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to simply figure out along the way of exactly how to pay for it. Never in my right mind have I ever even thought about having my parents pay for a cent of my valued college education, and it bothers me like no other when others choose this route.
My parents have financially supported me for the last 18 years of my life. They aren't awful people who threw me out to the curb and told me to figure it out and make it on my own. They, along with most others, simply cannot afford the huge financial burden college places on people. Now that I am an adult and made the decision to go to college, it is solely my responsibility to pay for it. From the start, I have used my good grades to fill out hundreds of scholarships and have saved up money from working weekend after weekend. Knowing that I am the one paying for my college education has proven to keep me grounded, striving for good grades, and focused on the next steps I need to take.
Absolutely nothing peeves me more than seeing other fellow college students rely on their parents' paycheck to get them through school. I'm not trying to shame you for choosing to do this, but I simply do not agree with this decision. I understand that it must be nice having parents who are able to support you and finance your education, but I cannot fathom why you would want them to. It just seems selfish to me. This does nothing but bring more financial burden to your parents, and it keeps them from making purchases or taking trips that they may actually want to enjoy now that they are celebrating successfully raising another child out of the household. I'm not saying you have to cut the umbilical cord for unconditional love and support that your parents provide, but you do need to stop reaching for dollar bills off of their money tree. This milestone of reaching adulthood and gaining freedom has its obvious perks, but you cannot say that you want to be independent, make your own choices, but then sit waiting idly for a check from your parents each week to pay off charges on your U-bill. That's a contradiction, and it just doesn't work that way.
Not only do I realize that it's not practical or fair to rely on my parents' money to get me through college, but there is a moral side in my brain that believes it's just plain wrong. I've always grown up feeling bad asking for anything while at the store, whether that be a sandwich, some new clothes, etc. I never wanted to ask for things unless I knew I really needed them. I would never in a million years feel right about having my parents dish out tens of thousands of dollars of tuition money each year for me to attend the school of my dreams or pursue my career. The guilt would eat me alive, which is why I'm baffled at how some young adults are able to do this without even sweating it or feeling selfish. I completely understand the decision of those who have the privilege of having their parents pay for their college, but they should have a plan to pay back their parents as soon as they can. Part of being an adult is being able to support myself and starting to get my feet wet in learning how to budget and make smart purchasing choices. Adulting is not conditional, and you cannot pick and choose which terms you want to abide by. You cannot choose to have the freedom without having to suck it up and deal with some of the real-life setbacks, also.
If in some other parallel universe my parents would send me a check each week while in college, I would never gain the experience I need to make it in the real world. I believe everyone should want to take the strides and figure out how to make ends meet and afford their education. Loans, although not everyone's favorite topic, are inevitable for most. Call me crazy, but I actually like having to work for my money. I actually like purchasing things and getting the feeling that they are completely mine. I actually like knowing that I worked hard to be able to put myself through college and still have some fun. I actually like trying to be financially independent.
It is not my parents' job to slave hours in at their workplace in order to afford my college education. It is no one's job but my own, and I like being able to take on this responsibility. College students everywhere: put on your big boy or girl panties and step into the real world with the mindset of being financially independent. There are going to be many challenges, but you will gain so much more satisfaction once you graduate knowing that you accomplished this hurdle. Growing up isn't such a bad thing.
