Cerritos College
Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

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The struggle is real

In the world today, just being able to stay in school is an accomplishment.

There are so many hurdles and hoops to jump through. Such as, paying for classes, buying books, and paying for miscellaneous bills.

According to thoughtcatalog.com, Chrissy Stockton expresses how college is supposed to be the best time of your life, but in reality you’re broke, and stressed.

Students who work may actually be juggling their college lifestyle by working, attending classes on their off days, and trying to fit homework, studying, and sleep in their spare time.

Students either work at a minimum wage job where they have to work strenuous hours just to try and make ends meet, or they work at a job that pays above minimum wage level and financially their stable enough to handle it all.

The problem with working while being a full time student is the fact that they typically don’t have enough time to dedicate to their studies.

Carolina Hernandez, undecided major, expressed “I just recently got a new job […] It has become really hard for me to study. Right now I have a report that was due yesterday and I haven’t done it because I’ve been studying all weekend and working all weekend.”

Www.donaldasher.com, research shows that students who work a ton of hours, and go to school usually have lower grades, can’t always take the right classes when there offered, miss out on the college experience or take longer to graduate.

Students who choose to rely solely on financial assistance from the government may have to manage their money wisely to last them a whole semester.

Bria Palmer, track and field, acknowledged that for money, she worked before she came to college, so she saved up. She also relied on her parents, and financial aid.

Palmer said, “Balancing it all is hard because I’m a student athlete.”

The unfortunate reality is, going to school and being able to survive isn’t an easy thing to do.

Hernandez admitted, “I ask my parents for like gas money every once in a while […] and for food sometimes or I like leave myself $10 just for the week. It’s a little bit difficult trying to balance my money for work and then this, and then trying to eat lunch at work and trying to eat lunch here.”

Being a college student is glamorized by the media, but it doesn’t show the real struggle of actual college students across America.

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About the Contributor
Briana Hicks
Briana Hicks, Staff Writer
If you want to get an idea of who I am, look at some of my stories. You can find out a little bit about me in my the way I write. Growing into the role of a college student, I'm beginning to find out who I am in this life. Back when I first began coming to Cerritos, I never would've imagined that I'd find my connection to the school on the college newspaper. Let alone, find people who actually understand me as well as I understand them. My path in life is unfolding itself before, and I am so excited to see where it takes me.
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The struggle is real