Comments on: Dear college students: Wake up and smell the coffee. Then drink it.

By: Valerie M

Valerie M — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:32:43 +0000

@ JD: LOL, I can relate to the ‘budgeting.’ Not only do unexpected expenses pop up (health insurance, taxes, etc)… we often don’t account for our own personal spending habits and other external pressures to spend (a night on the town with the buds, a new outfit to keep up with people at work/at the clubs, etc). We automatically assume that once we get out there, we’ll be financially responsible although nothing we’ve done up to that point proves it. I’m definitely no financial angel myself, as I’ve discovered once I looked at how much I’ve made in 2009 and how much I have left.

By: JD

JD — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:19:40 +0000

Cost of living is a very good point. I remember during senior year in college my friends and I would sit around and talk about how we’d “budget” our salaries (this was several years ago before the massive recession). It would be like, “I’m going to be making $X and rent will be this much, food this much, drinking this much, etc. etc. And it would seem like we’d have enough money to do everything. The reality of life hits you quickly when you realize how many costs there are that you never expected. I think people coming out of college now are in the weirdest predicament. The job market is bad and this group of people are also well-known as being the most ‘pampered’ generation ever.

By: Valerie M

Valerie M — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:14:26 +0000

Jeremy, there are definitely some things I would change about some of the decisions I made in college and afterwards, but I’m slowly starting to gain control of my life (I realize I wasn’t really in control before …. just going with the motions). You’re right though: better late than never! Really can’t argue with that one.

By: Jeremy Johnson

Jeremy Johnson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:23:54 +0000

You hit some good points right on. When I went to college it was because my dad said education was a good thing. But I didn’t give it a second thought. Here I am at 32 years of age, wishing at age 21 I would have used my brain to think a little more. But still, I learned a lot at college and gained some skills. But I believe if I had taken your mindset somehow earlier in my life I would be pursuing my own path. But better late than never I say
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