It’s that time of the year where college bills start accumulating and emails notifying you of your impending balance fill up your inbox. School starts in a month which means housing bills, expensive textbooks, tuition payments, and a bunch of other things that cost money.

How can going to school be this expensive?

They tell you school is essential, that you need it to succeed, but they neglect to mention rising tuition rates and the amount of money it takes to obtain a degree. People from older generations like to pretend going to school is the same as it was three decades ago, when the truth is, that’s just not the case. Tuition rates have raised a substantial $20,000 since 1987, so how can we, as students, be expected to go through school and not leave with thousands of dollars of debt?

The heart stopping moment when you see the amount due without deducting your scholarship/grants/aid

HOW MUCH?!?! Is it really possible for people to pay the whole amount or do they just put that number on there to relish in our horror? The thought of being expected to pay that whole amount can actually send a student into cardiac arrest.

Then you see the loan/scholarship amount taken off the original amount

You’re on top of the world looking at the money your school and government give you to go to school and get a degree. While all that is dependent on outside factors, it is nice to get some help with the financial part of college.

Realizing you still have a lot of money to pay

How do people do this? How do people survive four years of this? I’m lucky enough to have parents who help me wade through financial lingo, but even with their help, I still struggle. The amount of money we are expected to pay can be ridiculous, even with scholarships and grants.

Biting the bullet and finally paying the bill

It’s a stomach dropping moment when you hit that payment submit button or put that large check in the mail, but in the end, it’s worth it. Being able to say you’re ready to start your next semester of school and putting the financial part behind you is worth it. Getting your degree and finishing your undergraduate education is worth it. It may not seem like it now, but in the long run it all has to be worth it.