So you mean...college kids. I went to a school that didn't have a huge Greek system, but I had plenty of friends who were involved. I personally was not, I had other activities that too the place of Greek life, but I would have been happy to be involved given different circumstances. But there was little difference between Greeks and non-Greeks in many of the aspects in the bolded.
Exactly!! None of us are full-grown adults at age 18 (or 19 or 20) and college is for exactly that, growing up and figuring out who you are. I promise there are some self-centered, binge drinking, materialistic kids in French club or on the soccer team too. Judging these groups that happen to be much more high-profile than other organizations in colleges definitely happens a lot. I don't disagree that the hazing and racist incidents you read about in the news are serious problems, but I hate that people think that they reflect all of Greek life!
Well, it's clear that we didn't attend the same college because the distinction between Greek and non-Greek was strong at my school; and, no, it wasn't about hazing and other extreme incidents. Rather, my opinions are based upon living in the dorms and sharing classes with a variety of people.
To me this is a happy medium between going to school without worry of debt and having skin in the game. It's really prompted me to get my own jobs, work hard for my degree, and really get after what I want. I give credit to it getting into MMM too.
I agree that a happy medium is the best option. I knew people whose parents were providing a "free ride" who were extremely grateful for their parents' sacrifices and efforts, and I knew people in the same financial situation who were drinking away their four years while majoring in Exercise Science. I knew people who were working every minute and succeeding academically, and I knew people who were working every minute and were unable to focus on their academics because of it.
Now that we've been out of school for years, I see that the people who "had it together" and worked hard in college have found more success in the work world, but I don't see that it's connected to whether their parents paid or not.
+1. I'd add that money skills should start far before your child goes away to college; many people advocate that you can teach your children simple lessons about money as young as age 3. By the time they are 16 or 17 they should know about the power of compound interest, how much something bought on credit and paid off over a year will actually cost and other similar lessons.
My parents had this arrangement - they paid for my tuition, basic meal plan and required school supplies (books, lab equipment and one computer), while I had to cover my rent, fuel and 'going out' expenses (which totaled ~$5k/year). I had to maintain a course-load that would have me graduate within 4 years. During the summer I was able to live at home rent-free if I had a job and was contributing at least 25% of my paycheck to my IRA. I already understood that, with compounding, fully funding my IRA was the one single thing I could do to comfortably retire before age 60, and the fact that it was 'my money' made me much more motivated to live with roommates, find cheap/free activities and avoid debt traps.
I graduated with no debt and some very healthy attitudes towards money.
+1 to the idea of teaching your kids about money from a young age. I became serious about this about the time my kids started school. One of their first "lessons" was being given money to buy their own school supplies -- I always gave them enough to buy everything they needed, but not so much that they could afford to buy the puppy dog folder AND the SpongeBob notebook; they learned to choose. Later on they were responsible for buying their own clothes, even doing my grocery shopping for me (and, wow, can my two ever find bargains at the grocery store). When they became high school seniors, I helped them open their first checking accounts/debit cards -- and I supervised them as they learned to use them.
Yet I see it constantly: Kids who are spoiled in high school, don't learn to manage money or time ... go away to college, and they are still spoiled kids who haven't learned to manage money or their own time. And in spite of the fact that their parents have known them for 18 years, they're surprised! News flash: The kid you send away to college is the same kid who's been living in your house for 18 years. He will not suddenly become responsible simply because he's a high school graduate.
One thing my parents did that I thought was cool was had my sister and I quit our menial after-school and summer jobs that we had worked in high school a couple years and paid us a little over minimum wage to volunteer/participate with various groups at school. In order to get into a good college, they usually want to see some extra curriculars, and my parents didn't want us to be handicapped by working menial jobs instead of doing things that would help build our resumes for college and beyond. I think everyone should have some taste of working while they're in high school, but on the other hand I never want my kid to not do sports or school activities because they're flipping burgers. Hard work and dedication are important, and you can learn them on the soccer field or band practice room just as well as you can behind the cash register.
Yes, my kids both worked -- some -- during high school, but we made it clear that paid work came second to academics and extracurriculars. After all, high school is the last time in your life you can reasonably expect to be able to make the basketball team and to spend an afternoon every week in video game club. They were both heavily involved in club and community activities. We gave our kids the use of an old, beat-up car so that they weren't working for wheels.
The result: Both graduated as honors students, both are now in college on full tuition scholarships.
My point was not to say I am better or worse or more successful than anyone else, my point was that even with plenty of advantages one can develop a strong work ethic and drive. There's a tendency to think anyone born into privilege is lazy and skates by, and that's clearly not always the case. My wife and I have been given a lot and that contributes to our having a lot, but we also bust our asses like crazy.
I agree with that. I came from a family with too many kids and too few resources, and I had to scrabble for everything I earned, especially early on. My own kids are "born on third base" types, but they are fully aware that they've been blessed. They're still in college now, but I genuinely think they'll go farther than my husband and I BECAUSE they have our work ethic AND more support and guidance than we had.
Tboth have stable jobs where they are at the top of their respective fields and are working constantly. They own property and multiple cars and when they can get away from work long enough, they go on vacations. My parents are rich, and I don’t think that’s something to be ashamed of.
My take is that the author shows a complete lack of empathy for the parents.
Parents are not rich, more like wage slaves for daughter ( or their own desire for a lifestyle)
And yes, people are probably judging you [author] on your choice of suitable profile photo, which makes me wonder about other choices in how you talk and present yourself, but find it easier to lash out at your facile 'pride' in parents choosing to work hard and give a large portion of it to you.
I don't know -- while she doesn't show much actual gratitude or understanding of her parents' life-revolves-around-work lifestyle, she SAYS that she expects to work hard and follow in their footsteps after she graduates. Will she? You and I will probably never know.
I think of people like her parents as the "working rich". It sounds like they're earning a high salary, but since they're still working this hard /this many hours (what'd she say in the comments? 60 or 80 hours per week?), it sounds like they haven't amassed wealth. I'm thinking they're the work-hard-spend-hard type.
Her comment about knowing the value of a dollar -- it's a dollar -- shows that she doesn't understand anything except how to spend the dollar. She doesn't grasp that it can be stretched farther by frugal living, or it can be made into two dollars by investing.