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I am a recent large public university grad. In my freshman year I lived in a very small dorm room with 4 folks in it and one bathroom on the whole floor. This w

I am a recent large public university grad. In my freshman year I lived in a very small dorm room with 4 folks in it and one bathroom on the whole floor. This was mandatory to attend the university. Everyone I knew worked part time during the school year and either worked full time to pursued REU (Research experience for undergrad) or others. Since my campus is only really manageable via driving, most people owned really, really cheap cars. I'm talking at least one person in my friend group getting in a car accident every winter because no one could afford winter tires type stuff. No one owned a TV and several couldn't afford the meal plan so they went without food and had to beg friends with meal plans to get them some food that day. All of them are heavily in debt. Several dropped out because they couldn't afford it anymore, even with loans. Whose anecdata is correct?

magduf 7y ago
It's been a while since I was in college, but I got through mostly with loans, and also some part-time and intern work, but college costs were also lower back then. The loans only went so far; it wasn't an unlimited source of funds, so I still had to be judicious in how I spent it, so I had roommates most of the time, for instance, even though I would have preferred not to. As for your public university, I really have to wonder why these poor students went there, as it sounds like a pretty terrible school. What kind of public university is only manageable via driving? I went to 2 different, very large, state universities, and both were quite manageable with walking or biking. I biked at both so I could get around faster. Even in America's car culture, both these schools were definitely not set up for driving to class; they had parking lots at the edges of campus, which were frequently overcrowded, and you still had to walk a long way to class, so it made more sense to avoid this unless you were a non-traditional student. Dorms were most certainly within walking distance of everything (though again, biking was faster, though not for everyone). The meal plans however were expensive and a rip-off, though at my freshman/sophomore school it was optional so I didn't bother, and got food from other places for less money. Anyway, maybe these kids should have chosen a better university, namely one that doesn't require a car. Cars are very expensive to own and maintain when you're poor, and college students don't usually have the tools or knowledge (or time!) to save money by doing their own work. That one thing alone probably would have made all the difference for your friends who dropped out due to finances.
- SolaceQuantum 7y ago
  "What kind of public university is only manageable via driving?" If you wanted groceries there was a 1/week bus that did it, and if you wanted to be exposed to anywhere off campus you'd have to drive. There were often arts, research, etc. events that would require driving. "I really have to wonder why these poor students went there" Because they could afford it(the tuition was low comparatively) and it's relatively well known with a good reputation. "That one thing alone probably would have made all the difference for your friends who dropped out due to finances." It wouldn't have, sorry, we were a super afforable school at around ~15k/semester. At that point owning a car is chump change.
  - vonmoltke 7y ago
    > It wouldn't have, sorry, we were a super afforable school at around ~15k/semester. What state has universities charging that much for residents?
    - SolaceQuantum 7y ago
      Many of them. It's the tuition + fees/books/supplies + mandatory dorms/meal plans, and if not dorms/meal plans then rent/food/car/etc.
      - vonmoltke 7y ago
        > tuition + fees/books/supplies This is normally what I consider the cost of a university. > mandatory dorms/meal plans, and if not dorms/meal plans then rent/food/car/etc That's not fair to lump in, because all of that needs to be paid for just to exist. While I don't like the trend towards mandatory on-campus housing and meals, you still have to live somewhere and eat something, so I don't really think tacking the entire cost of those into the cost of a university is fair.
        magduf 7y ago
        I don't think it's unfair at all. Not everyone needs a place to live: some college students just live at home for free. I had some friends like that when I went to a major state university; they just commuted from home. They certainly didn't need to pay for a dorm or a meal plan because they lived off-campus, and luckily that school had no requirement to do so. Personally, I think they missed out on some of the "college experience" doing so, but still, I can't deny it was a lot cheaper for them. On top of that, if living in a dorm and eating crappy cafeteria food is much more expensive than living off-campus in an apartment and getting your own food from a grocery store, I think it's fair to include those mandatory costs into the "cost of a university".
P_I_Staker 7y ago
People buy winter tires? I couldn't agree more strongly with the rest of your comment. There were a few people that made horrible financial decisions, and others that didn't work. In fairness, it almost makes sense not to in some cases, because minimum wage barely covers rent, so it wouldn't make a dent; better to avoid derailing your education. Also, everyone owns a TV now (even then usually). I have no idea what OPs talking about.

magduf 7y ago

It's been a while since I was in college, but I got through mostly with loans, and also some part-time and intern work, but college costs were also lower back then. The loans only went so far; it wasn't an unlimited source of funds, so I still had to be judicious in how I spent it, so I had roommates most of the time, for instance, even though I would have preferred not to. As for your public university, I really have to wonder why these poor students went there, as it sounds like a pretty terrible school. What kind of public university is only manageable via driving? I went to 2 different, very large, state universities, and both were quite manageable with walking or biking. I biked at both so I could get around faster. Even in America's car culture, both these schools were definitely not set up for driving to class; they had parking lots at the edges of campus, which were frequently overcrowded, and you still had to walk a long way to class, so it made more sense to avoid this unless you were a non-traditional student. Dorms were most certainly within walking distance of everything (though again, biking was faster, though not for everyone). The meal plans however were expensive and a rip-off, though at my freshman/sophomore school it was optional so I didn't bother, and got food from other places for less money. Anyway, maybe these kids should have chosen a better university, namely one that doesn't require a car. Cars are very expensive to own and maintain when you're poor, and college students don't usually have the tools or knowledge (or time!) to save money by doing their own work. That one thing alone probably would have made all the difference for your friends who dropped out due to finances.

SolaceQuantum 7y ago
"What kind of public university is only manageable via driving?" If you wanted groceries there was a 1/week bus that did it, and if you wanted to be exposed to anywhere off campus you'd have to drive. There were often arts, research, etc. events that would require driving. "I really have to wonder why these poor students went there" Because they could afford it(the tuition was low comparatively) and it's relatively well known with a good reputation. "That one thing alone probably would have made all the difference for your friends who dropped out due to finances." It wouldn't have, sorry, we were a super afforable school at around ~15k/semester. At that point owning a car is chump change.
- vonmoltke 7y ago
  > It wouldn't have, sorry, we were a super afforable school at around ~15k/semester. What state has universities charging that much for residents?
  - SolaceQuantum 7y ago
    Many of them. It's the tuition + fees/books/supplies + mandatory dorms/meal plans, and if not dorms/meal plans then rent/food/car/etc.
    - vonmoltke 7y ago
      > tuition + fees/books/supplies This is normally what I consider the cost of a university. > mandatory dorms/meal plans, and if not dorms/meal plans then rent/food/car/etc That's not fair to lump in, because all of that needs to be paid for just to exist. While I don't like the trend towards mandatory on-campus housing and meals, you still have to live somewhere and eat something, so I don't really think tacking the entire cost of those into the cost of a university is fair.
      - magduf 7y ago
        I don't think it's unfair at all. Not everyone needs a place to live: some college students just live at home for free. I had some friends like that when I went to a major state university; they just commuted from home. They certainly didn't need to pay for a dorm or a meal plan because they lived off-campus, and luckily that school had no requirement to do so. Personally, I think they missed out on some of the "college experience" doing so, but still, I can't deny it was a lot cheaper for them. On top of that, if living in a dorm and eating crappy cafeteria food is much more expensive than living off-campus in an apartment and getting your own food from a grocery store, I think it's fair to include those mandatory costs into the "cost of a university".

P_I_Staker 7y ago

People buy winter tires? I couldn't agree more strongly with the rest of your comment. There were a few people that made horrible financial decisions, and others that didn't work. In fairness, it almost makes sense not to in some cases, because minimum wage barely covers rent, so it wouldn't make a dent; better to avoid derailing your education. Also, everyone owns a TV now (even then usually). I have no idea what OPs talking about.