Do you find that young people have a sense of entitlement?

@kaypow (68)
Canada
November 12, 2011 2:43pm CST
Recently, my province has had a lot of student strikes. This is because the government plans to raise tuition fees over the next few years. This hike basically amounts to an extra $20 per month each month (i.e. Month 1: $20, Month 2: $40, etc.). While I understand that rising fees will make it more difficult for students who have to pay their own way through school to afford it, I have noticed a few things about the general young population that dampen my empathy somewhat, namely that many students are living an indulgent lifestyle and then complaining that the school is making them pay too much. Walking into the cafeteria at my school, I see at least half of the people there sitting in front of Apple computers, and I know that all of those people cannot possibly be in fine arts, photography, or music programs, which are the only programs that would really require a student to have such a computer. Then, I look at all of the girls wearing name-brand Ugg boots and the boys wearing Nikes, which cost hundreds of dollars. These same boys and girls are wearing Gucci sunglasses and Calvin Klein clothes, drinking Starbucks coffee, and, in the case of the girls, carrying expensive purses. Plus, a few minutes of listening to their conversations reveals that the majority of them are going out to bars every Friday, spending large amounts of money on alcohol and eating out at restaurants. The thing that bothers me about these people is that they feel that it is okay for them to spend a great deal of money on superfluous things that they want but do not need, but then they turn around and complain because the government wants to charge a little more for something as important as education, in a province where tuition fees are already ridiculously low compared to the rest of Canada and the United States. The obvious solution to their financial problems seems simple: go to Wal-Mart to buy your clothes like the rest of us and stop going drinking every weekend, and you should have no problem affording your tuition. I am not saying that young people should have to give up everything fun and not enjoy their youth, but there are other ways of enjoying oneself than partying and buying expensive clothes. Am I just being a prematurely old fogey, or have you had similar experiences with the young people around you?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
13 Nov 11
What you are talking about we had years ago too. Students were way more busy with going out, drinking a lot as studying. So many studies took 2 times longer or more to finish as necessary. If it works like that there has something to change. Since this all will cost society a lot of money, also a lack of student homes etc. So next came the time students had to finish their study within a certain time and also many need a job next to it. Now we are that far that probably in a few years only the very rich can study over here and perhaps foreigners who's fees will be payed by??? So no matter if your kid deserves it or not, is a hard working student, can do it's study in less time (2 years in one) if you don't have money you can't study anymore (or go to highschool).
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
13 Nov 11
A very good topic. In our country, there is severe competition in government institutions where education is relatively cheap; but here too we have premium business schools , when it comes to Post graduate level. Regarding the undergraduate and Bachelor's [both are same in our country] level, this sense of entitlement creeps in when the students are not given a proper sense of values .THey should not be given money at their will ;herein they do not realise the value of money.In our country , parents educate their children and many of them sacrtifice a lot for this sake. THis was true in the olden days and I think it is a common practice even now. Some children do justice to the money spent while others do not.It is rather sad. Much depends on upbringing and the parrents have a lot to answer for.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
12 Nov 11
Right to Tertiary Education is not an entitlement in my book, it is important for every youngsters in any country especially advance nation to get a chance to fulfill their goal of entering the highest academic institution like university or college to develop their full pontential interllectually, their highest academic achievement is a vital test to present formal education system in placed in many developed countries, if these countries want to remain the leadership role in present world order, these leaders have to make sure no student should be left behind if they are qualified for higher education enrollment. Raising the cost of tuition may not seem much to students with wealthy parent, but can means a lot to a poor and low income family that need to provide for their dependents. A raise of less than hundred dollar a month can make a different between having three meals a day and only one meal a day for a poor or low income family student; but will not raise a tiny hair brown in a high income family. Sometimes it can result in a student drop out of college or university due to the rising cost pressure in every day life.
• United States
13 Nov 11
Huh. I actually hadn't thought of that side of it, but I guess it's because I'm one of the students that actually can't really afford all that. I sure wish I could. But in my case, the tuition hikes around my area have risen quite a bit. In the last 3 years that I've been going to my university, the tuition has actually increased 50%. I don't mind too much because it's going to a good cause, namely my education, but it's incredibly stressful when I think about the loans that I'm going to have to pay off later. Many students are supposedly in financial slumps, but I think I'm going to start taking a closer look around me. Because you really do have a point. If a student can afford to buy expensive clothes and go out drinking every other night, then they don't really have much to complain about.