College students are notorious for being broke, thanks to heavy loans and long hours devoted to classes and studying that limit when someone can get a job.
Students are set up to have this broke lifestyle.
We eat our ramen and our macaroni and cheese cups.
We live on coffee and little sleep; sometimes that’s with a job and sometimes without.
But we endure. Because each step of the way, after each time we say we’re going to drop out, we focus on the goal, the finish line, whatever ending metaphor you prefer.
We work so hard and live broke for however long it takes hoping to make it big, or to at least make enough to survive and pay off the piles of student loan debt.
And there’s no doubt that that is one big challenge, a challenge that takes years to get through.
But that’s the second part of the battle.
More immediate is getting through that time in college.
Though it doesn’t seem as terrifying as student loans, paying for food and a social life is still daunting.
Having fun during college is essential to the experience.
While the goal is to get an education and to be prepared for the path after college, you still need to have fun along the way.
And sadly, while there are ways to have fun without spending money, you cannot get through all of college like that.
Like your college education, you need to spend money for the college experience.
It doesn’t need to be a lot, but it certainly adds up.
The other week I got groceries. I felt like I only got a handful of items and I watched the total climb — rather quickly — to over $40.
That may not seem like a lot, but it ate away at the paycheck I had just received.
My growing credit card bill is another concern. I originally only wanted to use it to build credit.
And while that is still something on my mind, I’ll sometimes swipe my credit card just because I don’t want to pay for something I need just yet.
I’ll wait until next paycheck, and it’ll be fine. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
My bank account has also dropped to lower than I’ve ever seen it. That hits hard.
I tell myself that I can’t spend anymore money until payday, but sometimes that’s over a week away.
It takes more self-control than I possess.
Instead of taking the obvious, though difficult, route of learning this self-control I look for other ways to make money.
There just aren’t enough shifts that I can pick up at work to work off some of my questionable purchases.
No, I didn’t need Sheetz, but I felt like I did.
As long as I can juggle credit card payments and paychecks, then I will be OK and avoid any large debt that rivals my student loans.
Sometimes, using that credit card is the only option, and sometimes it’s just the wrong time to use it.
Do as I say, not as I do, because I will always say I need that Sheetz.

ALEXA ROGERS
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