With six dollars left in my savings account, at least I can finally realize the value of money. Whether tuition, housing or the inevitable late-night overspending at bars, my expenditures have now became more than just a billing statement; they are the reminder of the limited resources that I rely on.

Like many other college students, I've contemplated the inescapable, lurking and crippling expense of a college education, and like every college student faced with anxiety, I reverted to television for comfort.

Coincidentally, the first program I flipped to was The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore in which Wilmore discussed the rising price of a college education.

Of the statistics used in Wilmore's report, most astoundingly, I discovered that “over the last 30 years, college tuition has skyrocketed. Since 1978, tuition and fees increased 1,120 percent."

You can watch Wilmore's rant on college tuition here (skip to 6:08).

College Branding is no different than vodka's.

Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, former president of George Washington University, describes in The New York Times this ceaseless demand for a college degree in a metaphor college students can easily relate to. Writer Kevin Carey sums up Trachtenberg's point "College is like vodka... It all tastes the same. But people will spend $30 for a bottle of Absolut because of the brand."

These rising tuition rates do not result from the free market at work, rather, unrivaled demand has enabled surge pricing.

It's not that I don't see my well-spent money at work here at UMD; there is plenty of construction throughout campus. Most recently, the university declared plans to refurbish Byrd Stadium into a more modern, luxurious training center for our booming athletics. But to the average student who rarely uses the stadium, and is fairly complacent with its current condition, I question if this extravagant spending was aimed to satisfy Terps or just investors.

I see construction all around me, but my investment isn't constructing anything groundbreaking that will benefit my experience. Even investments in research for graduate students won't impact my undergraduate pursuit short term. I do acknowledge that some of my tuition goes towards maintaining necessities for all students: lectures, deadlines and the occasional intellectual breakthrough one of our hardworking professors incepted in us. But aren't these are all characteristics that any school can offer?

Rather than drive groundbreaking architecture for illustrious and superficial appeal, why not invest it into the professors who are shaping the minds of the next generation or make college a pragmatic and realistic opportunity, rather than a paper degree and $200,000 of debt?

So why am I even here?

What makes UMD's brand, my degree and most importantly, my choice of investment distinct from the less selective, expensive or noteworthy universities?

I enrolled at Maryland because I considered it to be one of the best universities I was accepted to. Its selectiveness, educational reputation and accredited programs assured me it was the logical choice. However, the momentI knew I chose the right university was outside of the classroom: the unforgettable, meaningful experiences with friends, loved ones and even with strangers in College Park. I am grateful for my friends, my newfound knowledge and the experiences I have acquired in my time here. I just don't think my rising tuition costs contributed to these experiences.

I cannot help but feel the discomfort that much of my time and money has either been wasted or ineffective in creating the “fearless ideas"—other than boldly using millions of dollars to refurbish an old stadium lacking any value to the majority of its students.

Rather than aiming at appealing investors, appeal to the students. The students who, like me, love this place we live in, but resent the unrealistic price we must pay to be here.