Short-term addiction

If I had my own college, or was in charge of writing curriculum, I would definitely make two classes mandatory: Committing To Something For More Than Four Months 101 and Life Is Expensive 102. Okay, so the names need a little work but these are honestly two topics that college students have no clue about--and when they enter the "real world" the shock is enough to make them crawl back into their academic shelters where loans are dispersed like candy and nothing lasts longer than a semester.

Just think about it: no matter how bad a class is, it will be over in a few months. Your internship? Just push through the summer. Then you graduate and continue the same cycle: part-time jobs, traveling, teaching English abroad, Peace Corps, Americorps, grad school, etc. Sure, a lot of times this occurs out of necessity; you cannot find a full-time gig. But all too often it occurs out of pure terror of the real deal. Personally, I am the type of post-grad wanderer who always needs something to look forward to. I need change (big change) to keep me motivated. Something to work for. I see a steady job as a flat line, I need bends and dips to make me feel alive and important. So I guess I have two options: I can be a life-long vagabond with no stability or I can find a profession that is stimulating. Lets go with option B.

Next up, finances. I have worked since I was sixteen years old. I have definitely had the support and help of my family, but I consider myself to be somewhat of a self-made waitress  individual. But despite my facade of being an independent woman, in college I had absolutely no idea what it costs to support myself. I mean, I knew how much gas costs...and my cell phone. Beer is cheaper than liquor. Walmart is cheaper than Whole Foods. But I knew nothing about insurance (health or auto), filing taxes, or savings...it all seemed so very far away. The important thing is that I am learning all of this, even if it's a bit late in the game. College students shouldn't choose their profession based on income, but they need to have an accurate picture of what type of life they will have with the amount of money that they will make.