A College Kids Guide to Life, Lessons and Poverty
It's a sick, sad world out there, but we have it covered
Tammi Verhoeff
Issue date: 10/10/05 Section: Op/Ed
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The college life isn't known for being a breeding ground for geniuses. That's where graduation comes in. No, college is known for regret, reform and recuperation. But at the end of the day, college kids will always be known for being the most resourceful in their environment. Here are a few examples of how resourceful a college student can be.
Mechanics - When a poor college student is driving along in their vintage classic (for example an '87 Chevy Celebrity) and begin to hear the classic rumblin' and rattlin' that seems to go on in old cars, they know precisely what to do. They turn up the radio until the clinks and clanks are drowned out by the sound of vintage classic music (for example Guns 'n' Roses). Now which would YOU prefer: the classic stylin's of an old beater car or the classic stylin's of Guns 'n' Roses?
Other cures to a college student's mechanical woes include using duct tape, drilling holes in the floorboards in order to connect speaker wires and having a Heinz 57 car composed of different makes and models (for example, Honda doors, Ford hood, Chevy trunk, etc.).
Culinary Arts - If you can chew it, you can do it. Sometimes, the art of cooking doesn't always come natural...or standard. This is especially true when the necessities are limited. For example, a simple pizza can be easily made by replacing most of the ingredients with the less expensive. To begin, the dough can be easily replaced with a slice of slightly moldy bread. Instead of pizza sauce, use jelly. Toppings may include types of meats and vegetables. These can be easily replaced with cheap tuna, chopped onion spice and/or any deli slices you might find. When adding the sacred topping of cheese, a college student may find it a little cheaper to put cottage cheese or cheap Veleveeta in place of the over-priced shredded cheddar. The World Food Organization could learn a lot.
Style - This is a crucial moment in any college student's life. When it comes to style and fashion, a college student is limited to whatever was popular back in the '80's. (That's probably why the '80's are back in style.) When a fashion statement does come out, most college students won't go buy fabric and make their own, they will simply take whatever clothing they own and twist and rip it until it fits whatever criteria is set for the season.
Mechanics - When a poor college student is driving along in their vintage classic (for example an '87 Chevy Celebrity) and begin to hear the classic rumblin' and rattlin' that seems to go on in old cars, they know precisely what to do. They turn up the radio until the clinks and clanks are drowned out by the sound of vintage classic music (for example Guns 'n' Roses). Now which would YOU prefer: the classic stylin's of an old beater car or the classic stylin's of Guns 'n' Roses?
Other cures to a college student's mechanical woes include using duct tape, drilling holes in the floorboards in order to connect speaker wires and having a Heinz 57 car composed of different makes and models (for example, Honda doors, Ford hood, Chevy trunk, etc.).
Culinary Arts - If you can chew it, you can do it. Sometimes, the art of cooking doesn't always come natural...or standard. This is especially true when the necessities are limited. For example, a simple pizza can be easily made by replacing most of the ingredients with the less expensive. To begin, the dough can be easily replaced with a slice of slightly moldy bread. Instead of pizza sauce, use jelly. Toppings may include types of meats and vegetables. These can be easily replaced with cheap tuna, chopped onion spice and/or any deli slices you might find. When adding the sacred topping of cheese, a college student may find it a little cheaper to put cottage cheese or cheap Veleveeta in place of the over-priced shredded cheddar. The World Food Organization could learn a lot.
Style - This is a crucial moment in any college student's life. When it comes to style and fashion, a college student is limited to whatever was popular back in the '80's. (That's probably why the '80's are back in style.) When a fashion statement does come out, most college students won't go buy fabric and make their own, they will simply take whatever clothing they own and twist and rip it until it fits whatever criteria is set for the season.