Juan Ulate: How will or have the economic troubles affected you?
Viet Nghiem: The economic downturn has affected me in that it makes it difficult to gain footing in financial responsibility. Finding a job becomes more and more difficult as employers slash employee count, and at the same time we have to pay more for goods and services. Most people want to have a sense of financial independence, I certainly want to hold up my end of the bargain in not having my parents pay for my needs (boarding, food, etcetera), all the while they have to pay more and more for it.
JU: Does the idea of rising tuition costs frighten you, why?
VN:The idea of rising tuition is quite possibly the most frightening part of higher education – am I going to be able to make the most of the two, three thousand dollars that the university demands? If I don’t, how will I ‘cut it’ in the real world? By definition, rising tuition usually means that universities are receiving less and less money from the government – signs that they don’t have the funds to support each and every academic activity on campus. Rising tuition, to me, signals that I have to work that much harder to squeeze out the value of my time here while simultaneously try to find a way to simply pay for that time.
JU: Would you or do you feel more stressed if you have to worry about paying off your classes while attending classes?
VN: It is a prevalent worry about paying for classes while attending them. Some situations exist where you can save up for college and then pay off, maybe supplementing it with some part-time work on weekends or the off months. Paying as you go is a theme that is stressing in college because, frankly, you don’t know how long you’re gonna be there – you just keep on paying until you’re finished, and keep on working until you’re finished. That sense of… endlessness is a serious stress in college while trying to study.
No comments:
Post a Comment