Frustrated & Broke College Student

As a once frustrated and broke college student myself, I feel you. At the time I was in college, I had to pay for my rent in the dormitory, and had to shoulder all my school expenses (daily meals, books, school supplies) since my mom could only pay for my tuition. While people my age went to Starbucks to drink fancy coffee and then parties in clubs on Fridays, I worked at a fast food restaurant. While they ate yummy meals in the various restaurants (both fast food and fancy) around the university, I usually cooked instant noodles in my room! While they went around with their cool clothes and gadgets, I was with an old cell phone and a bag I had used since high school! Whenever a professor would talk about a certain "project" that would require money, I would feel like crying. It was totally like that, and it was a difficult time. However, I worked very very hard and got good grades, so that was one thing that actually made me feel good. My thought was "This is one area where I am better than all of you!" I was also the editor of the school paper and enjoyed a certain kind of celebrity as a columnist. Also, I was working and everything I owned, I bought with the money I worked for. So even if my cell phone was not fancy, I was happy with the fact that it was something my parents didn't buy for me---I bought it myself. Now I'm turning twenty-seven and I have a job I love, and I'm living in my own place (while many of the people I knew in college still lived with their parents.) Aside from that, I have already bought my own house in the countryside, where I plan to retire. My life is not luxurious, but it is such a big difference from my life in college. Because things were tough then, I learned to endure and persevere. Do not be envious of how other students live. What do they learn about life from drinking, partying, and having fun? You are facing the realities of life at a young age and wouldn't be culture-shocked. Most of the people I knew in college at that time didn't even know how to write a proper resume or apply for a job, whereas I had been working for years~! WHen I think about it, it's good that I didn't live like them. I learned to stand on my own two feet, and until now I am still standing strong. Good luck!

Yes, all your efforts will be worthwhile so just be determined and keep the fire burning:)

I have just finished a degree, so I completely understand just how hard it can be to be able to find the amount of money that you need to be able to get yourself through your years at University. I took three years to do my degree, and now I know that I can get a good job to be able to get rid of some of the debt that I got myself into. I am going to start paying it off very soon and I can't wait for the day that I can officially say that I am not in any more debt. That is something that I will look forward to for at least the next couple of years.

I hope your efforts pay. In my country, students can get loans and pay them as they would a mortgage, only the interests are a bit lower. When I studied, we had lots of ways of cutting out expenses. some of us worked part time, we used the library instead of buying books and we learned the best place to eat for a small amount of money. I hope this helps. Now I work part time here online and earn about $100 a month, even if I don´t live in the US. There are better sites for US residents.

Usually when parents send their children to College, they really become broke. Some would have lots of debts just to be able to send them to school. That's just but natural because college costs so much.

Just do your best to get as grades as high as possible and to really enjoy what you are doing in order to compensate the efforts your parents are putting into it!