By Zoe Farrell
Suddenly there are bills. The presses are empty and no one seems to be filling them. What’s going on? Learning to manage money takes skill. College is really expensive, with students effectively out of the workplace, and reliant on part-time work, parental help and grants or scholarships.
Rent is the single biggest ongoing cost. According to a survey by the Credit Union the national average is around 350 euro although if you’re living in Dublin then that average is skewed up. Therefore, unsurprisingly, most students who can stay at home, will stay at home. Some deliberately choose a college that’s close by, even if it isn’t their ideal choice. Others will make a long daily commute which in the end could add up to around 150 euros a month.
Not only do we have to worry about tuition fees and keeping a roof over our head we also have to think about food. Plenty of students are having to change their food shopping or eating habits due to a lack of funds. There’s a lot of pot noodle around everyone’s accommodation I’m 100% sure of that. Although there are great deals on food for students in the likes of Aldi and Lidl, some students are having to sacrifice a few days shopping just for one night out and as ridiculous as that sounds, sacrificing food for alcohol.. it’s college so unfortunately that’s happening all the time.
The only solution to money problems is to… GET A JOB!!
Consider an on-campus job. Working on campus will cut out potential transportation expenses and help you stay more focused academically . See if you can get a part time job if you are one of those people who likes to go home every weekend. If you had a job in secondary school and are going to college locally see if you can continue working while in school. When you have spent a hard days work earning your own money it might make you rethink how you spend it especially on a night out!
The Way We Live Today 