We’re all familiar with the phrase “broke college student.” We’ve probably all used it once or twice. And before I jump into this argument, I will admit that yes, I used that phrase before carelessly and yes, I at one point would’ve identified as a “broke college student.” But I want to give everyone a very stark reality check. Because the fact is you probably aren’t actually a broke college student.
I realized that this phrase was being flippantly used by students that I wouldn’t exactly describe as broke. These were students who said that they were “broke” and complained about eating ramen, but were booking spring break destination vacations without a thought. I’m not saying that people who are legitimately broke do not get to save up for spring break vacations or luxury items; I am saying that the key factor is that they do save up. Most people I heard using the phrase did not work jobs, nor did they take out loans or need additional scholarships. I realized when they said they were “broke,” they were waiting for their parents to deposit more money into their checking account.
And you know what? I have said that phrase while waiting for my allowance. I realize now how wrong it is. I am not broke. I am fortunate enough not to have to take out loans, to only work a job to have extra spending money, to not have to worry about who pays my bills. If I want to save my money instead of going out with friends, I no longer give the “broke college student” excuse; I say I’m saving my money, which is, in fact, what I’m actually doing. I’m not broke. I know this. I think a lot of us need to realize this.
There are college students who are legitimately broke, who work jobs to pay rent and tuition, who have to take out a lot of loans and grants and apply for numerous scholarships. I know a lot of people who fall into that category, and you know what? I have never once heard them talk about being “broke college students.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the only people who ever used that phrase were the ones who were waiting for their parents to drop money into their bank accounts, knowing that their rent was already paid for and their tuition wasn’t anything to worry about.
College is expensive. We’ve all cringed at the thought of spending over three-hundred dollars in textbooks that we will only use for one semester. But for some people, the money for textbooks is the money that they would need for rent. And for some of us—myself included—the money for textbooks just means I’ll be eating out less during the semester.
So as non-broke college students, what can we say instead? I usually use the phrase “saving money.” I’ll use the phrase “too expensive for me right now,” since yes, I can’t afford a new MacBook Pro or to get totally new tires on my car—but I’m not broke. If you’re like me and fall in the middle class and have carelessly used the phrase before, it’s time to retire that statement out of our vocabularies. To use it trivializes the challenges that people who are “broke college students” do face. We can be “cheap college kids” or “saving money” or “not looking to spend that money,” but we shouldn’t claim that our financial situation is desperate when our tuition and rent are paid for.
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