Today, I read somewhere that a lot of colleges’ housing situation are becoming more posh. Now I don’t find that hard to believe.
Most students see this as the norm. I’d have to say, I do too. And when the older generations complain about how they had to live with just a room to share with another person & also have a community bathroom (which I still cringe at & thank god that I never had to deal with a community bathroom & only had to share with 3 or 4 other girls).
I don’t blame them for complaining. They say spoiled, and kids say it’s normal. I’m halfway in between. Just because when I watch super sweet sixteen on MTV & i say those girls are SPOILED, the people who attend those parties are spoiled.
But at the same time, parents work hard to give their kids everything they want, and need. And so they don’t have to have the same childhood they did. Now, that makes it seem like every one of our parents had a crappy childhood, which I don’t think is true. I think they just want their children to have better & more. And of course, they want better & more. They want to achieve what they never thought possible.
I’m certain that my parents never thought it’d be possible to retire in their 50’s. I know they worked hard to get where they are now. They worked hard to make sure it was possible to give their kids what they needed in order to achieve in life. But at the same time my parents made sure we worked in order to get what we deserve.
Now back to the point, colleges are definitely stepping it up & making sure kids want to go there & by doing that, they’re including amenities & luxuries that we never dreamed possible. However, the price tag for college just keeps getting steeper.
I think it goes both ways, pay more money for comfort (and still be paying off your loans for the next 20 or so years) or pay reasonable prices for school & just et through it & not be paying off your loans for 20 or so years.
Sometimes I do think my generation, and those who are younger are spoiled, but it’s only because we have everything within our reach.
But I know I’m not lazy about it. If I want something, I’m going to work hard to get it. & I’m definitely grateful for all I’ve gotten & I thank my parents for teaching me that hard work = a handsome reward.
© Copyrighted material. This article cannot be copied, reproduced or redistributed without the express written consent of the author. As with every blog on this website, this blog does not reflect the opinion of DeafDC.com.
To get what we want…. And Fall Comes Rolling Around Online TV shows and IM at work
2 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
This is very old news! We have to embrace the current trends of college students’ daily comforts due to the recent emergence of American affluency in past 10 years.
Back in the mid-80s, some people were horrifed about me having my own car during my freshman years. Ever same thing with the VCR and other luxury comforts in the dorm room. That was very middle-class stuff.
One Gally student regularly flew down to Brazil and other countries during his Gallaudet studies. That was his own affluence.
The higher education institution(s) have to impress the new generation of college students and bring them aboard.
I second you about many “Gen Y” are unnecessary spoiled which they could not fend off any arising problems on their own. Whose faults? The baby boomers and the Gen Xers!
There will be the severe economic recession on the way. I wonder how the Gen Yers will handle the economic doldrum or any cutbacks. Look at the recent Gallaudet protest(s), the Gen Y’s have no clue about the sweats and brimes of the ongoing protest.
Erin, earlier this week, I had the opportunity to stay in an NTID/RIT visitor apartment and experience college life in the dorms nearly 15 years (gasp) after having been there.
The only thing that’s really different is the availability of WIFI in the dorm rooms The furniture is pretty much the same and the popcorn smelling lounges are all still there. NTID does have a spankin’ new and really cool building that is pretty much owned by the students themselves (Thanks to CSD’s very generous donation).
Personally, given this recent experience, I wouldn’t say that today’s students are spoiled. Instead, I’d say that money has been well spent to make the college experience more worthwhile - and to give students greater opportunities to learn.
I’ll be posting a blog soon (hopefully) about the recent experience. It was truly wonderful! (Imagine, there’s a Quiznos in Dining Commons now! Shaking head in disbelief)