4 ms·

My college has had a food pantry for the past 20+ years

IkmoIkmo 9y ago
I'm not surprised. Hell, even if tuition fees are free, college is still really expensive. The poverty line for a single person in the US is about $1k a month, for a 3y bachelor and 2y Master's program, without (average inevitable) delays, you're spending $50-60k just to live an ordinary life like you would've if you hadn't gone to school, only your ability to work is severely diminished. For example, in Europe I'm expected to get 60 study credits a year at 28 hours invested per credit. Given the academic year is about 42 weeks or so here, I'm looking at a 42 hour workweek. I either study less than the system we all made up tells me I'm supposed to study and get a job, or get a job regardless and burn out, fail classes, get delayed and exacerbate my predicament, or I don't work much and borrow a big portion of that $50-60k. And this is in a situation where tuition fees are free. Sometimes we forget that studying can be (and is at least supposed to be on paper) a full-time job equivalent in time invested, for year's on end, without remuneration but instead, costs. Some of us need a food pantry even if tuition fees were 'negative' $5k a year. What we find is that some students spend much of their college time working, taking easy courses just to get the paper while spending their time earning money to stay afloat. And that just makes the whole 'certification inflation' problem even worse.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > The poverty line for a single person in the US is about $1k a month, for a 3y bachelor and 2y Master's program, without (average inevitable) delays, you're spending $50-60k just to live an ordinary life like you would've if you hadn't gone to school, only your ability to work is severely diminished. That's the poverty lone for a single person household; i.e., living alone and not sharing housing, utility, and other costs. Many people of college age, whether in college or not, do not live that way. (Also, a bachelor's degree is a 4-year baseline.)

I'm not surprised. Hell, even if tuition fees are free, college is still really expensive. The poverty line for a single person in the US is about $1k a month, for a 3y bachelor and 2y Master's program, without (average inevitable) delays, you're spending $50-60k just to live an ordinary life like you would've if you hadn't gone to school, only your ability to work is severely diminished. For example, in Europe I'm expected to get 60 study credits a year at 28 hours invested per credit. Given the academic year is about 42 weeks or so here, I'm looking at a 42 hour workweek. I either study less than the system we all made up tells me I'm supposed to study and get a job, or get a job regardless and burn out, fail classes, get delayed and exacerbate my predicament, or I don't work much and borrow a big portion of that $50-60k. And this is in a situation where tuition fees are free. Sometimes we forget that studying can be (and is at least supposed to be on paper) a full-time job equivalent in time invested, for year's on end, without remuneration but instead, costs. Some of us need a food pantry even if tuition fees were 'negative' $5k a year. What we find is that some students spend much of their college time working, taking easy courses just to get the paper while spending their time earning money to stay afloat. And that just makes the whole 'certification inflation' problem even worse.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> The poverty line for a single person in the US is about $1k a month, for a 3y bachelor and 2y Master's program, without (average inevitable) delays, you're spending $50-60k just to live an ordinary life like you would've if you hadn't gone to school, only your ability to work is severely diminished. That's the poverty lone for a single person household; i.e., living alone and not sharing housing, utility, and other costs. Many people of college age, whether in college or not, do not live that way. (Also, a bachelor's degree is a 4-year baseline.)