Man, even in the 15 years since I was a student, parental involvement is OFF THE FUCKING CHARTS now.

I work at a college, and the people in my office call their children's college all the time. My boss is constantly calling/setting up apartments/getting car repairs for her 21 year old daughter and 24 year old son, both still in college. Right now she has no money because she is paying for 2 apartments in addition to her own, one of which her son is not even living in! I keep telling her that she is craxy! She says she does it because her parents were so uninvolved with her life (was on her own the minute she turned 18) and she thinks it ruined her young life. Maybe that is the impetus?

It's amazing what people do for their kids now. I was talking to my uncle today, my cousin is a freshman here, and I took her to the grocery store the other day. Cause I'm cool, I paid for her stuff. Her dad called to thank me, and he was shocked to find that my college allowance was $100 a month. And most kids I knew didn't get an allowance, they had to work during breaks and save their money!

My sister's bridal shower is going to be held in late October. She really wants it to be costumes. I keep telling her we should do Joan Crawford and Bette Davis from "Baby Jane". How fun would that be?

I, of course, would be Bette Davis, even though my sister has better eyes.

heh. I think my allowance after rent and bills was about that. Like, my rent was $350 and they'd send me a check for $500, or something like that.

But, if I trekked home I'd get a grocery trip and a $20 bill slipped to me as I was saying goodbye.

But, if I trekked home I'd get a grocery trip and a $20 bill slipped to me as I was saying goodbye.

oh, yes. And if they visited, a trip to the grocery store, mall and dinner were de rigeur.

I've always been on my own as far as expenses and stuff, which is good, since it's going to have taken me 15 years to get my degree!

UMB is very different, though. Most of the people I go to school with work and have their own loans and stuff. Many of them get nothing from their parents, even if their parents are very proud of them.

Huh, I've never got an allowance. I got a paper route at age 11 and I've been employed ever since.

My parents gave me something like $700 at the beginning of the year and that was it. Of course, I had worked every summer since 14, so I made a lot of my own spending money. But it sort of sucked when my roommates all had Visa cards for which their parents paid the bills.

Not only did I get no allowance in college, including I paid for my own books, I had to contribute to my tuition annually (I think it was $1500 a year, in those halcyon days of $20K private college tuitions) and when I went home for vacations, I had to buy my own train ticket.

Possibly relatedly, our student paper had an editorial by an undergrad whose parents are a Cracker Barrel manager and school gym teacher, and who noted that according to admissions, 3700 (of 6200) of our students don't qualify for financial aid. AND all students with family income under $200K pretty much qualify. Which means that 3700 of the undergrads here come from families that are making in the top 5% of incomes nationwide. It is to sigh, for lil' ol' progressive me.

{{{Cashmere}}}

{{{Kristin}}}

Ah. This is The Knife vid I thought would appeal to Jilli [link]

Ooooh, you're right. I like that a lot.