Students hit hard by poor state, national economy
Horacio Padilla and Tamarra Thomas
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: News
UDM students are feeling the impact of the poor economy. Many are struggling to find jobs, contemplating whether to stay in school, worrying about their parents' employment and trying to cut costs to save money.
"I definitely have become more aware of what I buy and how much I go out," said Anthony Bernard, 22, a senior architecture major. "You never know, the next day one of my parents might be out of a job."
Bernard was forced to find an apartment off campus to reduce his costs.
"It's really expensive to stay on campus, and when they add the meal plan, watch out!" he said.
To save money, Mike Thomas takes a bus rather than drive to school. Doing so requires he get up almost three hours before class - "just to make sure that I am on time," he said.
And that's if the buses are running properly.
"The buses are terrible," he said.
A working father, Thomas, 26, is in school to improve his future and to provide for his son, Devon, 3. He said his daily schedule is so "crazy" that he feels as if he needs "two of him" just to be successful everyday.
Most students interviewed for this story said they are more closely watching their expenses.
Senior Paris Young used to get her hair and nails done every two weeks.
Now "it's every three weeks to a month until I do those things," she said.
Curtis Eatmon, a junior and member of the Titan basketball team, has trimmed his entertainment costs.
"Instead of renting Blockbuster movies and getting new releases," he said, "I simply just watch the free cable in the dorms."
Freshman theatre student Michelle Renaud has not been able to travel as much as she had hoped. High gas prices are to blame, she said.
But those adjustments are minor compared to the hardships faced by others.
One painful result of the recession has been the elimination of Promise scholarships by state officials last year. It left UDM students scrambling to come up with extra money.
"I definitely have become more aware of what I buy and how much I go out," said Anthony Bernard, 22, a senior architecture major. "You never know, the next day one of my parents might be out of a job."
Bernard was forced to find an apartment off campus to reduce his costs.
"It's really expensive to stay on campus, and when they add the meal plan, watch out!" he said.
To save money, Mike Thomas takes a bus rather than drive to school. Doing so requires he get up almost three hours before class - "just to make sure that I am on time," he said.
And that's if the buses are running properly.
"The buses are terrible," he said.
A working father, Thomas, 26, is in school to improve his future and to provide for his son, Devon, 3. He said his daily schedule is so "crazy" that he feels as if he needs "two of him" just to be successful everyday.
Most students interviewed for this story said they are more closely watching their expenses.
Senior Paris Young used to get her hair and nails done every two weeks.
Now "it's every three weeks to a month until I do those things," she said.
Curtis Eatmon, a junior and member of the Titan basketball team, has trimmed his entertainment costs.
"Instead of renting Blockbuster movies and getting new releases," he said, "I simply just watch the free cable in the dorms."
Freshman theatre student Michelle Renaud has not been able to travel as much as she had hoped. High gas prices are to blame, she said.
But those adjustments are minor compared to the hardships faced by others.
One painful result of the recession has been the elimination of Promise scholarships by state officials last year. It left UDM students scrambling to come up with extra money.
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