Dear America,

Our education system is broken; obviously problems with our education system vary throughout each stage of a person’s education. What a kindergartner is dealing with is very different than problems a graduate student might face. President Obama once said, “if we want America to lead in the 21st century, nothing is more important than giving everyone the best education possible – from the day they start preschool to the day they start their career.” Never have I agreed with him so completely.

I am a college student. The problems I am dealing with at this point in my life are finances and decreasing job prospects upon graduation. Maybe if I go to graduate school, I will get a better job. That, however, means more student loans and more debt. I get good grades, have decent scholarships, had a good high school education, and did well on the SAT. I am still struggling to pay for school. I work hard at a grocery store during the summer making minimum wage. During the school year, I squeeze in whatever hours I can to work on campus while doing what I can to maintain my G.P.A. I do that in order to keep my scholarships so that I can get a college education. This degree and these experiences will hopefully help me pursue what I love and benefit others down the line through whatever job I procure.

I'm not the only one.

I just took out a loan for the upcoming year and hated every second of it. If you were to look at my recent Google search history, you would find research on what body parts I can legally sell. The ones that stood out to me were bone marrow donation (too much time commitment, time I need to spend working or studying), blood plasma (maybe, but it really is illegal for you to sell your blood), and hair. The hair is the most promising, with selling prices ranging from $200 to $3,000. I guess I should start researching how to grow healthy hair fast. Maybe lots of coconut oil?

If only I could legally sell my kidney. I'm only half joking.

I am one of the lucky ones. I can get a decent education, even if I have to take out a loan. I will be able to pay it off at some point. I can still buy my coffee and do activities that cost me a little pocket change with my friends. Too many people are not that fortunate.

America, this is ridiculous. Our nation needs to be educated, and if being educated costs an arm and a leg, it becomes very difficult for our generation to obtain this. Hardships are good because they build character. When a hard-working, middle-class person starts researching what body parts she can sell to pay for that education, that signifies a problem.

Sincerely,

A Stereotypical "Broke" College Student