The sun is shining, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and many college students are preparing themselves for an exotic trip where the beer flows like water and the term "bedtime" does not exist. It is called "Spring Break." .
Students from around the globe make plans to do anything from sunbathing in Cancun, Mexico to backpacking through Europe. My question is this: "How do students pay for such an adventure?" .
The typical college student is portrayed as poor. Poor meaning that breakfast, lunch, and dinner may all include a 10-cent package of Ramen Noodles. This also means sleeping in long johns and a tossle cap to avoid turning up the heat. Freezing does seem more sensible than paying the gas bill and where else can you find $1.00 drinks other than a college bar? Some students work full or part-time jobs while in school, whereas others call mom and dad for funding. But how far do these funds go?.
Jamie Weaver, a student from West Virginia University, explained that her father pays for her expensive trips to Jamaica and Cancun. "He wasn't really there for me as a kid so now he tries to win me over by buying me things. I"m not going to tell him no, but I do need the cash more than I need a vacation." Weaver works part-time while in school and said she makes just enough money to pay her bills and eat while her mother pays her rent each month. "I've been saving my money from waitressing to take on my trip to Acapulco, but I know my dad will give me spending money so I"m not really that worried about it." Weaver has been on Spring Break every year since she started college and she said every year has been better than the last. "Spring Break is just one sleepless party, the real break is needed when you come back.".
Not every student is as lucky as Jamie Weaver. Adam Doyle has not been able to afford a Spring Break trip in the two years he has attended the University of Pittsburgh.