Someone is lying to people...

I remember someone telling me that college was fun, easy, "the time of your life." They lied.

In fact I had someone just the other day tell me that they wished they could go back to their college days because things were just so much easier. Well I have news for them...I don't know about things back in their day but I am somewhat of an expert on today...it is not easy!

People think that just because you are in college that is the only thing that you have to worry about. Well in my little corner of reality this is not the case. I have just as many worries and obligations as most adults that either have graduated or never went to college.

My responsibilities are vvery overwhelming sometimes. I am a college student and while I may not be typical of the average college population...most of my friends are facing the same things.

I am broke...AKA Having NO money. I have a mortgage, bills (I won't name them all), insurance, and various other things that have to be paid for and handled.

I work two jobs just to be able to get by. I am awake by 6 a.m. and work from 8 a.m. until almost 10 p.m. every night of the week. I try to fit classes in that time somehow. (Sometimes I feel like I am not so much as going to college as working my tail off to be able to say that I am going to college)

Social life?? HAHAHA what's that? My social life consists of actually making to class (when i am not working) and seeing the back of my friends head as I listen to a professor drone on while I think "Man I could be at work making some money to be able to pay for my electricity this month." Once in a while I have a group project to work on so I actually get to see my friends outside of class while we work on the project...but of course invariably I end up having to take off from work to be able to participate so that i don't flunk. Which cause an entire different set of problems.

Someone told me well when things get rough at least you can still go home and have your parents take care of you! Again I laugh hysterically. Not because mom and dad would not put me up and feed me but because you actually have to have money to be able to afford the trip home. 130 miles may not sound like a lot but let me assure you with the price of gas today it is about $20 do you know how many groceries I could buy with that? (When I say groceries I mean cup'o'noodles for $00.10 a piece and Tostino's pizza for $00.99 a piece. Forget buying things like hamburger meat or chicken.) Not to mention that to go home again I have to take of work and lose money in the process.

And don't even get me started on how people just think that all we have to worry about is school. Have you ever tried working a double shift, putting in 3-4 hours worth of work on a project, and then spending a couple of hours outlining and reading a 75 page chapter for a test that is tomorrow? Well I have and let me tell you books do not make comfortable pillows and the drool from where you passed out on them does not really improve them any. It is amazing to think that people actually get 8 hours worth of sleep a night. I think my body might shut down if I did that. Sometimes I am lucky to get 8 hours of sleep in a week. Trust me college students do not sleep all day like some people think we do.

I know that I have ranted on enough on the subject and poor pitiful Marcus who has it so bad....That is not what I want...I just want people to realize that this life is not exactly easy. In fact I would be willing to bet that I have more worries and resposibility than large numbers of your average adult population.

It is not fun, easy or any of the above...but it is something that I have to do. So the next time you see a college student out there and want to think wow I wish I could go back to those days....Instead of envying them or even pitying them, how about buying them dinner, or taking them to see a movie. Anything out of the ordinary to brighten their day because take it from me their day could always use some sunshine.