As I mentioned previously, I am a senior in college. I will walk in the May Graduation Ceremony and do my last two classes and my internship this summer. I am returning home to attend the community college I graduated from to do my classes and possibly my internship as well. If not there are several other internships in the area.
When I started college, I had great plans that when I was done I would end up in a big city. New York and Philly were both nearby (By nearby I mean within about 2.5 hours of my hometown). L.A. or Florida both sounded nice. Even trying out Dallas or Chicago didn’t seem like a bad idea. Then I did 2 months away for summer classes, and let me tell you 2 months without going home sucks. Then I got told I was graduating at the beginning of this semester. I was going to be done with school (for now). That’s when the cold reality of what was to come hit me.
I know that the pile of student loans will switch to repayment. They will be around $80,000 when all is said and done. Hopefully it was well spent cash
I know that I need a new car, as my little Stella Sophia is coming to her last limb. Hopefully my 2003 Ford Focus will survive until May at least.At least let me get home so I can borrow my parents’ cars.
I know that I screwed up my credit by misusing credit cards. That was a hard lesson to learn and I recently just paid them all off. Now I have to rebuild my credit. Take heed readers, they are not a toy and can not solve your problems.
I know that I have no set connections that I can definitely get a job in my field come August and September. I know people but I don’t have that foot in the door half way to the desk. I just want to work in the communication field. With enough money to survive.
I do know one more thing. The thought of returning home is no longer dreaded. It is actually comforting. Well I try to get on my feet my mom and dad will be there. I can ask for advice and if times fall hard ask for help. That may sound like a bit of a cop out asking for help. I learned to ask for it before you fall in deeper. This plan may not be the glamorous life was once wishing about, but it is real. I can get on my finances straight, credit and student loan wise. I can save money well living at home, let’s face mom and dad rent prices kill any place else, plus utilities are included. Hopefully after a few months a friend and I can afford a little place.
I still haven’t given up hopes of taking on a big city one day. I just know that for now I need to be realistic. I need to understand the realities of being an adult. I know many of my peers, even though some think they do, need to take a cold hard look. You know I once used to envy the kids who parents took care of everything. Their brand new cars, latest technology cell phones and computers, and the tabs for everything (shopping, food, gas, booze, vacations). Now I am starting to pity them. They don’t know how to take care of themselves.
My parents have been extremely helpful and have covered a good part. They paid of one of my credit cards for my birthday, I get 60$ every two weeks for groceries. My dad has been covering my interest payments on my student loans, they gave me my car and pay my phone bill. I haven’t worked during my semesters after community college but I did have a summer job. I cover my gas, shopping, vacations and anything after the $60 of groceries. I try to help pay for car repairs. I repaid them for a loan at the start of the semester. I did most minus 1 or 2 payments of my several thousand credit card debt. My student loans are in my name. I may not be fully aware but I have a better grip then many of my peers.
I hear many of them complain when there parents have not put their weekly check in yet. I heard a senior girl complain because her dad is now making her pay her credit card bill after 300$. She regularly talks about how she has everything covered (rent, phone etc) and I have yet to see her in the same outfit twice. I laughed the one day when a boy was complaining in the food court because his parents said he needed a job to cover his expenses. He then complained how hard it is to work well taking 12 credits.
I laughed because I did several semesters during my associate’s with 12-15 credits and worked 30-40 hours and stayed on dean’s list. I laughed because I know a woman who has 3 elementary age kids, she works 35 hours a week and is taking 15 credits. My problem is my schedule with 16 credits, 3 project groups to balance and home for regular doctor’s appointments kills my availability. I wish I could work and make a few hundred dollars every two weeks. Unfortunately when you only have about 10 hours available every week with the max being 25 the other week, they go for someone else. It sucks but that is life.
I try to not spend too much. I am only shopping this weekend for a dress to wear to my cousins wedding and maybe some outdoor running gear, if it is cheap. I am trying to use my meal plan more and my grocery money only. I am learning how to budget. Especially budget so I can buy people gifts at Christmas. I feel bad for the people who will enter the real world and the mistakes I made as a college student, they will be making in their twenties. When I am improving my score some will be bringing theirs down so low it will affect them for a long time. I hope when it is time for me to teach my kids, I treat them like my parents treated me. Sorry I am not paying their credit card bills all the time, not even the first $300.
Am I being harsh on my peers? Maybe a little. But those of us who are less dependent and those who are completely independent of our parents know how hard it is already. We were the ones instead of partying, we worked the closing shift. We slept less to get the our homework done after a full day of classes and an 8 hour shift at work. There was never a full day off from both work and school. We had to turn down doing stuff because our parents weren’t footing the bill and we were low on funds and bills needed to be paid. We know that instead of the latest cell phone or the designer shoes, our money has to go towards bills, rent, and savings for emergencies and the future. The parent ATM has shut down or is limited for us. Really limited for me, it is becoming the loan machine, I am having to pay it back more often. And I believe in the long run we are better off.
It is all life unknown right now
Katie
Life Unknown, Katie 