Me: *looks at my bank account*
My Bank Account: Boo.
So, not only am I in a pandemic, but I'm also in a money shortage. Now before you get concerned, trust me when I say that there are so many other things I would have done besides blogging if I was in a state of crisis or emergency. I'm broke enough, however, to be frustrated that I can't comfortable order food once a week, or decide to buy some extra clothes because I feel like I need some. Yes, I am very privileged to be in this situation where restaurant food or an extra pair of pants are my only concerns, but I'm still not happy about it. I've been watching countless YouTube videos on how to acquire different side hustles, I've brainstormed my own business plans, and I've shot farther for remote internships and part-time positions that I'm unqualified for than Baron Davis. On the plus side, though, my budgeting skills are improving by the day.
I wish that I was writing this with a solution already finalized, but along with a lot of people whose plans were rudely disrupted by the virus I don't have any specific plans. Now, I'm not worried right now; since I'm sitting in a college dorm, right now my main focus should be either on my schoolwork or taking care of myself. But sitting here while the United States tries its best not to crash-and-burn is really scary for someone who has barely been out of the world. Being here just made me realize how little I actually don't know about the outside world, and how hard it actually is to survive out here with everything going on. How am I supposed to worry about midterm week when I'm trying to plan out how I can save money for an apartment in the future with no job?
Sitting inside all day with my schoolwork also has gotten me increasingly frustrated at the school system as a whole, as well. I mean, I've already been kind of fed up, which is why my major is currently educational psychology (and hopefully educational policy after undergrad). I'm tired of the education system not giving a damn about students when they only service students. We don't get taught anything relevant to.... well, surviving, outside of basic math and grammar/language skills. As far as college goes, in order to learn something relevant, such as social justice issues, tax/money management skills, or human development/home economics, you have to major in the course or else you're stuck in your chosen niche. And while I understand the reasoning between major-specific courses, why does the education system have such a narrowed perspective on education? Why do I have to pay so much money just to stick to one topic, presumably for the rest of my life? And why don't college institutions understand that I have to have other skills outside of school, otherwise they're really setting me up for failure?
The crappy education system of the United States can be saved for another post, but right now let's shift back to money.
I've been keeping hope alive by limiting my job application search (for now, since I'll be picking up the pace closer to winter break) and instead looking for experience-based opportunities. I know that I have interests in subjects outside of EdPsych like writing, for example, so I've been trying to find small resume-boosters that could keep me busy in a different way than my schoolwork can. I definitely understand the college student's plight with free/credit-based/experience-based internships (because in reality, we definitely should get paid for all of the multitasking that institutions force us to do), but I think that I might have a good shot at having options outside of school if I were to stack up some skills while I can. Plus, with a working economy that might change completely once this COVID thing has settled, I might need all of the adaptability that I can get.
The Economy is honestly a big, scary word for a young adult like me, especially since I haven't been out here for very long. And I know that experience may help those who are much older than me, but the reality is that things will be different once the pandemic blows over, and things will be weird or complicated at first. I just wonder how the U.S. is going to adjust to its new reality.