Rough Draft #2

Ricki Herrera

Professor Kufs

English 114B

March 17, 2016

Essay #2

                       If you are a college student, then you know that almost everything cost money. Sometimes it can be very stressful trying to juggle your finances with things you want and with everything that needs to be paid for. In an article from Ohio State University, it states, “Nearly 60 percent of college students said they worry about not having enough money to pay for school, while half are concerned about paying for their monthly expenses.” This represents just how stressed out college students are. Some students work their way through college and spend all their time working to make money to spend on their necessities. Money controls everything. Take a second to think, if you did not have money, what would you eat, what would you wear, where would you live, or would you even be in college? The little green paper plays a big role in life and it influences us greatly. Money strongly impacts a college students lifestyle, it controls what we do, what we eat, and how we use our transportation.

                  When you eat, think about how that food got in your hands, and no, I’m not referring to how it was made, I’m referring to what you had to do to get that food. The only way to get food is to buy your food, and food is a necessity that we need to live. College students in particular try to spread out their cash to make it last. When you are in college it’s not always so easy to buy healthy food because the healthy food is the most expensive, so we go to our next resort, junk food. I’m sure everyone has heard of the “freshman 15”, and it makes sense that this happens because getting fresh food is so expensive. According to WebMD.com, “1 in 4 college freshman gain about 10 pounds in the first semester.” This statistic presents an effect on students due to their eating habits. At the end of the day it all comes down to the money, and what one can afford. Your eating habits in college can really affect your health wise: it might be important to spend a little bit more money on the healthier foods.

                  When it comes to college, you think of them as the best years of your life. You want to experience fun, exciting new things with your friends. Sometimes you may want new clothes, or the newest phone. For some, its achievable, but for others that is not always the plan. The finances can stop you from getting the things you want. As much as one may want to go out and do fun activities, college is when you really have to learn to budget your money wisely. A very wise statement is stated on Investopedia.com, “While there are some people who consider “budget” to be a dirty word, it can actually be a saving grace. Much like sticking to your educational plan, you can stick to a spending plan.” This quote describes how big of a deal money is in college. It is so important to spend it wisely, even if you are not able to do everything you want. It can be extremely helpful for the future.

                  Everything cost money, even when it comes down to transportation. First, having your own car, comes with paying for car insurance every month or say and paying for gas roughly about every two weeks. To save money students might use other forms like riding a bike or a skateboard. If students do not have a car and they need to travel somewhere far they will most likely use Uber or Lyft. Uber and Lyft also cost money based on the distance you will be traveling. Money effects transportation because the more you travel the more you spend money and the less money you will have. Using other options like public transportation might help save money, it just depends how far one is willing to go to save their money. When driving your own car not only are you paying for your own gas, but sometimes you have to pay for parking too. Whatever you can go to save money Is the best option.

                  Money impacts a college student’s lifestyle tremendously. No matter where you go or what you do, it is going to cost you. From my experience I have learned to budget in college because there is so much that needs to paid for that I need to learn how to save my money and how to budget it so I can still spend it on things that I want.