Feeling The Pinch

When I started on my long journey to the school I would be calling home for the next four years， I had no idea of the challenges I would be facing. I was leaving my home， my siblings， and my parents， the people who had raised me and protected me for eighteen years. I was leaving a place where all my necessary needs were taken care of my food， clothing， and medical bills. The only hardships I encountered in high-school were paying for gasoline， the movies， or that new CD I wanted. I had it easy living at home， and I took that for granted.

　　The first day I arrived on campus I got a little tasted of what I would be experiencing for the next four years. I was told my tuition had not been paid， and I could not move into my dorm room until my balance was paid. For the first time in my life I had to handle a serious financial situation on my own，because my parents were no longer around to help me out. My parents did not fully support my decision to attend Marywood Collge because they knew they could not afford it. I had decided at the last minute to take my chances that the loans I had applied for would be approved， and that I could afford to come here. So after writing out a check that would almost completely delete all of my savings ， I moved into my dorm room. Being safely moved into my new home and having my tuition bill， for that moment， squared away， I felt relaxed. Nevertheless， that relaxation did not last very long， I soon realized that although I did not have to pay for heat， water， or electricity， I had to pay for almost everything else. By that I mean food， phone bills， car insurance， cable， and all my own necessities， and without a job that was almost impossible. Luckily， I was eligible for work-study， but seventy dollars every two weeks is not much to live on， I was desperate and falling more deeply into debt every day. I hated askign they really could not afford it， but I really had no other choice.

　　My father agreed to give me a small loan and promised he would send money whenever he could to help me out. So far he has stuck to his promise， which is a big help to me. My mother， on the other hand， has been a little more practical by sending me food，medicine， and other necessities. She even bought me brand new snow tires for Christmas， because she knew I could never afford them， My parentss' help has relieved a little of my financial burden， but it will be a long while before I can splurge and buy something ofr myself like I used to in high-school.

　　I have been here for almost htree months and every day has been a struggle for me. Even though my loans were approved， I still have to come up with money fix my car， which always seems to be breaking down， to pay my phone bill， which seems to get more expensive every month， and to buy food so I will not go hungry， if I miss a meal in my meal plan. Another struggle I have to look forward to in the future is paying off all the loans I have just to go to this school. Sometimes I wonder if all this money borrowing and penny-pinching is worth it， but then I realize that without a good education I would have no hope of ever making enough money to survive in the real world.

　　So in conclusion， I strongly believe that the financial pressures I have experienced here at college will eventually make me a person that is more capable of balancing a budget and supporting a family in the future.