Very recently it seems like the more time I spend in school, the more time I spend defending myself against the 'college student' stereotype.

I am fully aware of how lucky I am to come from a family that would do anything to make sure I get a good education and I am thankful for that every day. So forgive me if I sound somewhat ignorant when I express how utterly sick I am of friends and family who are not currently attending school making the assumption that college students are on a seven-month long vacation.

1. College students are spoiled/ mommy and daddy pay for everything

Okay fine, some college students do have thousand dollar apartments and cars worth half a million along with a college fund, have the latest technology, don't work, and still buy everything in sight. Yes it happens, and yes it's very easy to write students off as 'spoiled' when you see this, I get it. But let's not forget that there are still students that work for every single thing they have. I currently have two jobs to pay for rent, gas, car insurance, my phone bill, utilities, etc - one of which I don't get home from until three - four in the morning on some nights and sometimes I still can't make ends meet. My mother helps me as best she can with tuition and I know I'd be screwed without mommy and daddy but I am a college student who is NOT spoiled and mommy and daddy do not pay for everything and I know plenty of people in the same or even harder situations than myself. Let's not undermine other people's struggles.

2. College students are always getting drunk and making poor decisions

One time, I saw an actual adult person get so wasted they started throwing chicken at passing cars and then tried to pay the cops not to arrest her. Should I assume she is a college student? Anyone is capable of getting drunk and making poor decisions, yes college students do so quite frequently, I'll be the first to admit it and proudly because some of my best memories come from nights that I still can't explain, but stop associating this with college students alone, we're just people who like to have fun. Do you honestly mean to tell me, when I graduate I'll stop making poor decisions and getting drunk? because I highly doubt it.

3. College students are not hard workers, they just come here to party

The entire reason kids go to college is because they want to do better, they want to work towards something concrete. Yes, there will be a semester or two (or in my case three) where they don't do so hot because they get caught up in the adventure of being away from home and being able to do whatever they want. But there are plenty of Friday and Saturday nights students will have to miss because they have a paper due or a test to study for. Last semester, I went out less than ten times because it was just too busy with work and homework. School will always come first, some people are just better at managing their life and have more time to go out. Don't mistake a good schedule for a lack of effort and caring.

4. I feel like that's a really easy/fun major, why are you so stressed all the time?

There's literally no such thing, I checked. If there was a major that let you coast through college making little to no effort and then would guarantee you a job, I would have found it. I think most students would have found it. Even what seems like the easiest major takes work. Every major comes with a requirement, even those who are currently undeclared majors have classes they are taking and need to pass in order to continue moving forward. Students work so hard on things they're never going to see again just to get a piece of paper that may or may not land them a job that will help them get by.

That's why we're so stressed all the time.