collegecandy.com: We are used to hearing about the “Freshman 15” when students start college, which refers to the pounds that students gain when they are unrestrained from the control of their parents’ homes. But lately, we are hearing about a threatening food-related problem on college campuses. Temple University and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab have discovered that 36 percent of college students are undernourished — and a similar percentage do not have a secure living situation.
4 comments:
Being a rising senior and having the chance to go to a pre-college program prior to college I can see how this eating issue can get out of hand. Recently I've noticed that when you're living by yourself for the first time and have the ability to control what you eat I can see how the iconic "freshman 15" can happen. However I can also see how people will not eat because for various different reasons. Theres also the point from the article that college is too expensive, which I absolutly agree on. By being a rising senior I have to look at colleges and how much they cost which could be easily 50,000, 60,000 or even 70,000 dollars which is crazy to think about once it all adds us after four years of college. In doing so, college students will try to cut down the final paycheack by spending less money on food and more on paying for college. Overall, I think this is a big issue that more people should be aware of.
As someone who is a rising senior, I find these conclusions not only believable, but a serious issue that needs to be dealt with. At my school, even upper level administration has become aware of the fact that student stress is the main contributor to issues like this. And as someone who lives in an affluent area, I begin to wonder how my peers who are not as well off survive and thrive in a world where everything is expensive. The outcome of the study revealed that 36 percent of students at universities had experience food insecurity in the past. The study suggests that since universities are enrolling students coming from lower income backgrounds, they often come to school with little-no money to spare for themselves after having to set aside money to pay admission fees to the school. Personally, I think that colleges and universities should have programs in place for individuals with financial difficulties so that they can survive and thrive as students of a higher ed program, and focus on their studies, not where there next meal is coming from.
We've all heard of the freshman 15 but to think of that construct being flipped around is strange. To hear that a student is juggling college and three jobs to make ends meet is concerning. I think over the past 10 years there have been some real discussions about the cost of colleges and universities. Although most of these discussions and changes have been to lower the cost of public institutions and offer scholarships for struggling students people are now realizing that is not enough. Higher education comes with higher costs and it doesn't stop after the tuition. The main concern with costs that come with a higher education, as talked about in this article, is food. To think that holding three jobs are not enough to supply you with something to eat is ridiculous. the cost of books, office supplies, clothing, and food are just too much to handle for an underprivileged college student. There has to be some solution to this issue. I see where institutions are starting to make a change by providing food pantries but what is the next step so these adults can focus on their studies instead of having to consider whether their well being should be jeopardized.
It is sad and worrisome to know that classmates, and college mates all around us struggle to find food, a basic human need, and might not find it. “Will I have something to eat tonight?” is not a question that should be worrying a college student’s mind, but it does, and it is a real problem. College debt has risen to alarming rates, and students still don’t have enough money to cover all their expenses and EAT. I’ve known a bunch of people who had to get food stamps, or who chose to live in their cars, to reduce their expenses, and not have a huge debt upon graduation. While creating student pantries, and writing books compiling cheap and nutritious recipes, are good initiatives and might aid students struggling with this matter, it is placing a band-aid on a bullet wound. This is a systematic problem, not an individual issue, and sadly people who struggle with this, are most of the time ashamed to voice out their concerns.
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