With the drop/add period behind us, the unofficial college holiday has arrived. This is the day where students receive their refund check. This is the day where the normal everyday college students of West Georgia become overnight Wal-Mart millionaires. This means students can finally afford that tattoo they’ve always wanted to get. They can get that new 50-inch TV that they’ve always wanted. For a short period of time, they are the stars of their own reality show, “How I Blew My Refund.”
You’re winning right? You can believe that if you want to. The real winners are the local retailers, the local tattoo parlors and the club promoters, who will undoubtedly throw an event commemorating your new found wealth. Like vultures to a fresh kill, they will gladly line up and pick you apart for every dollar. As a senior, I’ve seen the same story too many times. I’m just waiting to see how this year’s freshmen burn it away.
So what happens after the hype dies down and that refund is nothing more than a blurry memory. You have your new tattoo, your new television and your temporary new “swag.” Give it a couple of weeks and I’m sure most students will be back to the same old struggle. Then you’ll probably wish you didn’t have your significant other’s name tattooed on your shoulder.
What am I going to do with my refund? I will do the same thing I do every semester, which is to put the money in my savings account. That way when I get that inevitable ticket form our friendly campus police officers, I’ll be able to deal with it. What I am advocating is to do something more worthwhile with your money. Put that money in your savings account, invest in something or donate some of it to a worthy cause. The new television isn’t going anywhere and a tattoo can always wait. Be responsible with your refund and prepare for the inevitable drought.
