Am I the only one?

[sompz]

I dunno about people here, but every other pre med I know at school seems to have it easy. By easy, I mean having only school and MCATs to worry about! Am I the only one who has to worry about money and paying for books/tuition/rent? A friend of mine wants to take TPR AND KAPLAND to prepare for her MCATs. What the F***???? Yeah, If I had mommy and daddy helping me out, I would buy the best books/prep course as well.

Another problem is doing volunteer work/ec activities. While everyone else is pumping up their resume's doing ec activities and volunteer work, Im trying to actually make some money to pay for books. Man F*** working for free...I need to get paid right now...

I truly believe that following a medical profession is intended for wealthy people. Im sitting here with a ****ty 3.34 GPA and minimal experience. I cant blame it all on work, but it definitely has a lot to do with it.
I've considered taking lones out, but I figure if I can pay it off now, it would be better (Maybe not?)


Am I Alone?

Is everyone else out there riding mommy and daddy till they finish med school?

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[Pinkertinkle]

What you should do is take all the loans out, do well in school, finish med school and pay them off when you're making 6 figures intead of 6 dollars an hour. Does that make sense?

 

[mmmkay121]

I'm poor as hell too. I took out loans for school and self-studied for the MCAT. Low-interest loans are available to everyone. This method worked very well for me. Just take out as much as you need and pay them back later.

 

[BucsFan813]

While I do believe that having a wealthy family helps out, it is manageable. Maybe you should consider taking time off after undergrad. I'm in the same boat: No financial support! I had to take a couple years off to work to be able to pay for the TPR course, MCAT, and these expensive applications. While it's not the traditional course, it demonstrates that it's something you really want to do and it may distinguish you from the 6000 other applications they read...

At the very least, talk about working to support yourself through undergrad on the secondaries that you can afford. A lot of the secondaries want to know this information.

However, I do agree that the cost of preparing for and applying to medical school is prohibitive for those who may be supporting themselves. I heard it's easier to find out who shot Kennedy than it is to get an AMCAS fee waiver.

 

[ordeliacay]

maybe you should think about taking a few years off between college and med school. i am doing that right now, working as a research assistant. it gave me time to work a lot during college because i didn't have to worry about MCAT prep or interviewing, my current fulltime job looks great on my apps plus it is reallly interesting, and because i'm making money i can afford to volunteer as well (and pay for secondaries). i also was able to stash away enough money for a MCAT prep course. it's worked really well for me, so maybe it is something to think about.

 

[Wackie]

You need to learn the time management and @ss busting skills.

I worked 40+hrs a week to pay a mortgage and bills (currently unemployeed my own choice-getting a weekend job that's still 36+ hrs), volunteer 4 hrs a week at the hospital, volunteer 6+ hrs a week with a fire department, and am a full time student with a new GPA of 3.7 (when all I had to do was go to school, my GPA was much lower )

There will always be some who have it harder and some who'll have it easier. Just remember that things could be a hell of a lot harder than they are. Those who have it harder are destined for greater things if they take the opportunity.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

i borrowed 20,000 during undergrad and now pay 112.00 per month and can defer while in med school get ye to the stafford loan

 

[asunshine]

i was in a similar boat. i took out loans in school and worked, but i still had to take time off after college to afford it. it's not that bad, and i feel much more confident knowing that a failed application cycle won't ruin me financially. but i must say, if work is giving you B's and C's in key courses, either don't take the class yet, or take the minimal number of credits. GPAs are hard to bring back up, but the admissions committees do look at trends.

 

[Pkboi24]

I dunno about people here, but every other pre med I know at school seems to have it easy. By easy, I mean having only school and MCATs to worry about! Am I the only one who has to worry about money and paying for books/tuition/rent? A friend of mine wants to take TPR AND KAPLAND to prepare for her MCATs. What the F***???? Yeah, If I had mommy and daddy helping me out, I would buy the best books/prep course as well.

Another problem is doing volunteer work/ec activities. While everyone else is pumping up their resume's doing ec activities and volunteer work, Im trying to actually make some money to pay for books. Man F*** working for free...I need to get paid right now...

I truly believe that following a medical profession is intended for wealthy people. Im sitting here with a ****ty 3.34 GPA and minimal experience. I cant blame it all on work, but it definitely has a lot to do with it.
I've considered taking lones out, but I figure if I can pay it off now, it would be better (Maybe not?)


Am I Alone?

Is everyone else out there riding mommy and daddy till they finish med school?

If your parents don't claim you as a dependent you could probably get a ton of grants from the government. I didn't pay a cent of my undergraduate tuition until I got over 190 hrs, then they took my money away

 

[PreMedMommy]

You aren't the only one. There are people who are managing the stress of all of the above with the added ball of a family, children, and a home of their own to worry about too. The road to med school is just as much, if not more about endurance and dedication, than being smart. Some people can hack it, others can't.

 

[63768]

yea it's tough and not fun, but you chose this path. take the crap now and it'll pay off later.

 

[JourneyRn-MD]

If your parents don't claim you as a dependent you could probably get a ton of grants from the government. I didn't pay a cent of my undergraduate tuition until I got over 190 hrs, then they took my money away

190 hours...wow that's alot of hours for undergrad
was this with a post-bacc or just alot of major changing?

 

[Natatiap]

You are NOT alone. I feel you on that one. I have to work also because I have a car payment, insurances and phone thats not going to pay for themselves. I still volunteer, participate in 4 organizations (2 exec positions) and more. NOT to mention filling out 12 medical school applications is a job in itself. People say you make time for what you want and I guess thats true.

 

[Natatiap]

190 hours...wow that's alot of hours for undergrad
was this with a post-bacc or just alot of major changing?

I cant talk about other schools but at VCU you need 120 hours minimum to graduate so I think that sounds about right.

 

[nekrogg]

I worked 40+hrs a week to pay a mortgage and bills (currently unemployeed my own choice-getting a weekend job that's still 36+ hrs), volunteer 4 hrs a week at the hospital, volunteer 6+ hrs a week with a fire department, and am a full time student with a new GPA of 3.7 (when all I had to do was go to school, my GPA was much lower )

is there that many hours in a day? 40 hours a week with full time studenting?

 

[premedicated]

I feel your pain.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

Is everyone else out there riding mommy and daddy till they finish med school?

Sorry, but grow up...

The average debt of people graduating medical school isn't close to 100,000 dollars because people "rode their parents" all the way through.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

You're not alone. I have gone through the same stuff. This process is very biased toward the well-to-do. And, although there are compensations for lower SEC and minority applicants, the middle class kind of get pooped on. It's kind of like business majors, where the real way to get connections is to do years of unpaid internships.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Is everyone else out there riding mommy and daddy till they finish med school?

She take my money, when I'm in need
Yeah she's a triflin friend indeed
Oh she's a gold digger way over time
That digs on me

[Chorus:]
(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she aint messin wit no broke, broke(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
but she aint messin wit no broke, broke(all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head


[Verse 1:]
[Ray Charles Lyrics Repeated across verse]
Cutie the bomb
Met her at a beauty salon
With a baby louis vuitton
Under her under arm
She said I can tell you rock
I can tell by ya charm
Far as girls you got a flock
I can tell by ya charm and ya arm
but I'm lookin for the one
have you seen her
My psychic told me she'll have a ass like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
An I gotta take all they bad ass to show-biz
Ok get ya kids but then they got their friends
I Pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
We all went to din and then I had to pay
If you fockin with this girl then you betta be paid
You know why
It take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend say she use to fock wit Usher

I dont care what none of ya'll say I still love her

[Chorus:]
(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she aint messin wit no broke, broke(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
but she aint messin wit no broke, broke(all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head


[Verse 2:]
[Ray Charles Lyrics Repeated across verse]
18 years, 18 years
She got one of yo kids got you for 18 years
I know somebody payin child support for one of his kids
His baby momma's car's crib is bigger than his
You will see him on TV Any Given Sunday
Win the Superbowl and drive off in a Hyundai
She was spose to buy ya shorty tyco with ya money
She went to the doctor got lipo with ya money
She walkin around lookin like Michael with ya money
Shoulda got that insured, GEICO for ya moneeey( your money)
If you aint no punk holla We Want Prenupt
WE WANT PRENUPT!, Yeaah
It's something that you need to have
Cause when she leave yo ass she gone leave with half
18 years, 18 years
And on the 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his

[Chorus:]
(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she aint messin wit no broke nigaz(she steal me money)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
but she aint messin wit no broke, broke(all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head get down (all yall need)
get down girl go head


[Verse 3:]
[Ray Charles Lyrics Repeated across verse]
Now I aint sayin you a gold digger you got needs
Y'all wanna do the smoke but he can't buy wead
You go out to eat and he cant pay yall cant leave
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
But while yall washin watch him
He gone make it into a Benz out of that Datsun
He got that ambition baby look in his eyes
This week he moppin floorz next week it's the frys
So, stick by his side
I know his dude's ballin and yea thats nice
And they gone keep callin and tryin
But you stay right girl
But when you get on he leave your ass for a white girl

Get down girl go head get down
Get down girl go head get down
get down girl go head get down
[she take my money]
Let me here that back

 

[ClockworkDoc]

Cry me a river...

 

[Hednej]

Let me start off by saying that I don't like complainers. When I came to this country during my high school years I knew no English, worked in Denny's 30 hours a week as a dishwasher, and still managed to get into a top university. If I had sat on my ass and watched all the rich kids riding their mustangs and cursed the times, then nothing would have happened.
Seriously, your situation can always get worse. So be grateful for what you have and I know that everybody goes through some rough times and college is rough in itself, but have a more positive atitude. There will always be someone who has it easy, so do your best instead of questioning why the times are like this. And yes, I work too and take out loans, so if you think you work too much, then just take out some loans.

 

[njcaldwell]

Your not alone dude, from what I hear MED schools will understand and look highly upon you having to pay your way through school.

Ive worked 35 hours a week in high school and college to pay for school and help out my family in finances with my sister....

You got it dude, just persever.

And pray

-njc-

 

[MinnyGophers]

Let me start off by saying that I don't like complainers. When I came to this country during my high school years I knew no English, worked in Denny's 30 hours a week as a dishwasher, and still managed to get into a top university. If I had sat on my ass and watched all the rich kids riding their mustangs and cursed the times, then nothing would have happened.
Seriously, your situation can always get worse. So be grateful for what you have and I know that everybody goes through some rough times and college is rough in itself, but have a more positive atitude. There will always be someone who has it easy, so do your best instead of questioning why the times are like this. And yes, I work too and take out loans, so if you think you work too much, then just take out some loans.

Amen to that.

I didn't speak any english before I moved to the US... my parents are not helping with my tuition, car payments, or anything else either. Not that they can't help, but that they believe in hard work.

I have had to work hard throughout high school and college, juggling sports, two jobs, extra-curriculars... it makes you a hard worker, gives you good time management habits, and builds character.
I live in a wealthy suburb, and all I see are high school kids driving Lexus/BMWs, and basically living the high life while not working a day in their life.
But that's not real life for most people, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I got to where I did by myself.
I've worked hard and got a scholarship from my university. In the end, you get what you earn.

 

[_ian]

So, a huge number of pre-meds are doctors' kids. A huge number of students at any university are rich. Deal with it, suck it up, and make as much as you can of your own situation.

It's also kind of stupid to blame your failings on work when, if you can't handle working that much, it's very easy to take out loans. You don't need a private loan, just a Stafford loan would be enough to take some of the burden off.

If your parents don't claim you as a dependent you could probably get a ton of grants from the government. I didn't pay a cent of my undergraduate tuition until I got over 190 hrs, then they took my money away

Your parents' money is taken into account until you're 24, whether you're considered a dependent or not... in fact, that's the case even if you haven't talked to your parents in ten years.

 

[jdawt]

My parents couldn't help me at all during school, so I did as a previous poster did and looked up grants and scholarships. In addition to having already qualified for a 100% tuition scholarship, I had numerous grants from the government just by filing FAFSA early (like January 1). Additionally, even if that didn't work out, I contacted my biology professor (class of like 700-800 where I go to school) and asked for a research position (or if he knew of any). He ended up giving me a job in his own lab, and I did work/study there for 2.5 years at 30 hours per week. Was I lucky? Very much so, but at the same time, those opportunities are available to many people and they didn't just fall into my lap. I worked at Domino's, did yardwork, babysat intermittently all throughout and also still had time to do extracurriculars (and get good grades). It just took some good planning and ambition. As for MCAT prep, yeah, those courses are great, but if you need to you can do it on your own. All I needed were a few solid books, AAMC practice tests that I borrowed from friends, and motivation to get the job done.

Oh, and as posted above as well... worst case, there are always loans. If you do become a doctor, I would say a salary of $150,000 a year isn't out of reach, and that should be plenty to pay off your loans in time.

So while I'm not going to trash the OPs circumstance because I don't feel that it is constructive, I do feel that there are ways to kill 2 birds with one stone, if you will... mommy and daddy commend me, but trust me, they keep, and kept, their money in their own pockets (and I don't blame them at all)

in any case, good luck

 

[Hednej]

Amen to that.

I didn't speak any english before I moved to the US... my parents are not helping with my tuition, car payments, or anything else either. Not that they can't help, but that they believe in hard work.

I have had to work hard throughout high school and college, juggling sports, two jobs, extra-curriculars... it makes you a hard worker, gives you good time management habits, and builds character.
I live in a wealthy suburb, and all I see are high school kids driving Lexus/BMWs, and basically living the high life while not working a day in their life.
But that's not real life for most people, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I got to where I did by myself.
I've worked hard and got a scholarship from my university. In the end, you get what you earn.

Would it be too cheesy if I amened yours? It seems like we have the same life story

 

[allthaticanbe]

^ Actually there a process that you can go through to not be considered a dependent. Talk to someone at your school about it. My cousin in Florida is trying to do this.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

So, a huge number of pre-meds are doctors' kids. A huge number of students at any university are rich. Deal with it, suck it up, and make as much as you can of your own situation.

It's also kind of stupid to blame your failings on work when, if you can't handle working that much, it's very easy to take out loans. You don't need a private loan, just a Stafford loan would be enough to take some of the burden off.

Your parents' money is taken into account until you're 24, whether you're considered a dependent or not... in fact, that's the case even if you haven't talked to your parents in ten years.

Doctor's child DNE easy road. I'm a doctor's child and I've paid for a significant portion of my undergraduate education, have worked to cover all of my personal expenses since high school, and I will pay for my medical school applications and medical school on my own.

 

[KornKobs]

You are not alone! I'm in the same boat.
there are many in your situation, and some are trying to balance even more than that..
I understand what it's like to be jealous of others who have family/money/etc. I am that person! But, I'm really trying to steer away from that and realize that it's not helping me get anything accomplished. Just try to focus on what you will have later on.

 

[CptCrunch]

Yes, you are the only one that has to work hard in life.

 

[Wackie]

is there that many hours in a day? 40 hours a week with full time studenting?

Yes. You have to work longer shifts on fewer days in order to fit it all in. And Monster's energy drink is my friend.
I don't know what I'm going to do when it comes time for the MCAT

 

[MinnyGophers]

Would it be too cheesy if I amened yours? It seems like we have the same life story

Not at all, we need all the support we can get

 

[Anastasis]

You need to learn the time management and @ss busting skills.

I worked 40+hrs a week to pay a mortgage and bills (currently unemployeed my own choice-getting a weekend job that's still 36+ hrs), volunteer 4 hrs a week at the hospital, volunteer 6+ hrs a week with a fire department, and am a full time student with a new GPA of 3.7 (when all I had to do was go to school, my GPA was much lower )

There will always be some who have it harder and some who'll have it easier. Just remember that things could be a hell of a lot harder than they are. Those who have it harder are destined for greater things if they take the opportunity.

I had that experience too. When I went back and had much more crap to deal with, my grades improved signifcantly. Go figure

 

[dopaminesurge]

Sure, but then you get to write a bitching diversity essay about how you're not privileged and had to work for your success, right?

Those of us living off mommy and daddy get to squirm when it comes to that stuff!

 

[montessori2md]

Remember how much being poor sucks when you're thinking about taking some sissy private practice job where all you do is lipo or "breast augmentation" : ) And when you can't understand why that woman in clinic keeps taking her obese kids to McDonald's for dinner on the nights they dont eat ramen noodles. And then maybe you'll take all your medical knowledge and do something like, I dunno, improve the lives of the working poor.

FYI, I work, I have a two year old, no financial aid, and a husband who someday will qualify for sainthood if my say counts for anything. I work (and play, cuz mom's gotta do what mom's gotta do) my a** off, and the last thing I want is for anyone to feel sorry for me, because my life rocks!

 

[45408]

Yes, you are the only one that has to work hard in life.

.

 

[Noeljan]

just hang in there. I do agree 100% with you as far as things being much easier if you come from money. I do think you should take out loans though, a lot of people have to do it. It sucks the most when your parent doesnt give you a penny ever and claims you!!!!
good luck, but really consider taking out loans to focus.

 

[agr285]

Sure, but then you get to write a bitching diversity essay about how you're not privileged and had to work for your success, right?

Those of us living off mommy and daddy get to squirm when it comes to that stuff!

Hey, I know how you feel cause I am in the same boat, but come on! Squirming through a few interviews is a million times better than being poor and having to put yourself through college. I really don't think being able to write a great essay is any kind of compensation for the kind of hardships that OP or anyone else in a similar situation have to put up with. Besides, the majority of premed probably don't come from poor backgrounds, so being somewhat privileged isn't going to realistically be held against you that much.

 

[dopaminesurge]

Squirming through a few interviews is a million times better than being poor and having to put yourself through college.

Heh. Yeah, I never even pretended that wasn't the case. I'm quite thankful for my situation.

 

[stinastina]

I dunno about people here, but every other pre med I know at school seems to have it easy. By easy, I mean having only school and MCATs to worry about! Am I the only one who has to worry about money and paying for books/tuition/rent? A friend of mine wants to take TPR AND KAPLAND to prepare for her MCATs. What the F***???? Yeah, If I had mommy and daddy helping me out, I would buy the best books/prep course as well.

Another problem is doing volunteer work/ec activities. While everyone else is pumping up their resume's doing ec activities and volunteer work, Im trying to actually make some money to pay for books. Man F*** working for free...I need to get paid right now...

I truly believe that following a medical profession is intended for wealthy people. Im sitting here with a ****ty 3.34 GPA and minimal experience. I cant blame it all on work, but it definitely has a lot to do with it.
I've considered taking lones out, but I figure if I can pay it off now, it would be better (Maybe not?)


Am I Alone?

Is everyone else out there riding mommy and daddy till they finish med school?

As you can read from all the posts, you are not alone. I'm already up to $40K in loans for undergrad, had to take a year off because I had no money and I'm raising a 9 year old boy who needs activities (soccer, tae kwon do, etc.) all without the benefit of child support (I haven't received a drop since I got divorced 7 years ago). It's hard but every semester I'm in class, I thank my higher power that I have the opportunity to use my brain and do something with my life instead of being stuck behind a desk somewhere, working like a hebrew slave in order to make someone else happy.
Hold onto your dream ! Keep plugging and don't let go !

 

[chaeymaey]

While I do believe that having a wealthy family helps out, it is manageable. Maybe you should consider taking time off after undergrad. I'm in the same boat: No financial support! I had to take a couple years off to work to be able to pay for the TPR course, MCAT, and these expensive applications. While it's not the traditional course, it demonstrates that it's something you really want to do and it may distinguish you from the 6000 other applications they read...

At the very least, talk about working to support yourself through undergrad on the secondaries that you can afford. A lot of the secondaries want to know this information.

However, I do agree that the cost of preparing for and applying to medical school is prohibitive for those who may be supporting themselves. I heard it's easier to find out who shot Kennedy than it is to get an AMCAS fee waiver.

Actually, the AMCAS fee waiver isn't that difficult to get. I got it, and I live in an affluent suburb. It's a very easy process because they just need one line from your 1040 and your parents 1040.

 

[acrobat]

taking Kaplan and Princeton is somewhat phychotic. Taking just one of those will give you an endless pit of stuff to go over, and you can dig as deep as you want and still never make it to the bottom of it.

I don't think either is a good substitute for good biochem and physiology courses tho.

 

[solitude]

I feel like people are being extremely vindictive here. I respect you for doing the pre-med and med thing with little financial support. I think it would have a huge effect on my qualifications to get into med school, and I respect those who can pull it off. At the same time, we all need to remember that those who are "riding mommy and daddy" are not necessarily doing any less work, just that they have more liberty to focus on academics and other activities rather than making money.

 

[solitude]

Doctor's child DNE easy road. I'm a doctor's child and I've paid for a significant portion of my undergraduate education, have worked to cover all of my personal expenses since high school, and I will pay for my medical school applications and medical school on my own.

Although it definitely depends on how generous are one's parents, I have to disagree with you for the majority of doctor's children. My anecdotal evidence (at least 20 high school friends/acquaintences, and me-all with parents that are academic physicians and therefore make far less money than those in private practice) all lead a relatively posh college life, without needing to work or pay for MCAT prep courses on their own, etc. Maybe our parents are just more generous than yours, I don't know. But it's at least my experience that doctor's children have it pretty easy with regards to finances. That isn't to say that children of well-earning parents in other professions have it any more or less easy, although they usually have fewer connections that can help build a med school application (e.g. friends for shadowing, research, or whatnot).

 

[MinnyGophers]

I feel like people are being extremely vindictive here. I respect you for doing the pre-med and med thing with little financial support. I think it would have a huge effect on my qualifications to get into med school, and I respect those who can pull it off. At the same time, we all need to remember that those who are "riding mommy and daddy" are not necessarily doing any less work, just that they have more liberty to focus on academics and other activities rather than making money.

I think that is what some are frustrated about: not having the time to focus more on academics and ECs, which in turn also means a not so slight disadvantage on one's applications.

The thing is that some are privileged enough to be able to do "all of it."
But some are not privileged and have to work harder to be able to do "all of it."
In this case, i guess it's more of a matter of a feeling of "unfairness", because if those who aren't privileged aren't able to do "all of it", and by "all of it" i mean balance out Work + school + ECs, they would be less "qualified" during the application process.

I guess my point is that some people have to work harder to be on equal grounds with others.

 

[solitude]

I think that is what some are frustrated about: not having the time to focus more on academics and ECs, which in turn also means a not so slight disadvantage on one's applications.

The thing is that some are privileged enough to be able to do "all of it."
But some are not privileged and have to work harder to be able to do "all of it."
In this case, i guess it's more of a matter of a feeling of "unfairness", because if those who aren't privileged aren't able to do "all of it", and by "all of it" i mean balance out Work + school + ECs, they would be less "qualified" during the application process.

I guess my point is that some people have to work harder to be on equal grounds with others.

Sure, I definitely agree. My point of including that sentence was to remind SDNers (who often forget or choose to ignore) that rich people do just as much work as the poor; in fact, on average they work more.

 

[MinnyGophers]

Sure, I definitely agree. My point of including that sentence was to remind SDNers (who often forget or choose to ignore) that rich people do just as much work as the poor; in fact, on average they work more.

Could you elaborate on that?
The way I see it, rich STUDENTS do not work more than poor students. But if you're comparing businessmen/professionals to welfare candidates, then obviously...

 

[sentry]

I think that is what some are frustrated about: not having the time to focus more on academics and ECs, which in turn also means a not so slight disadvantage on one's applications.

The thing is that some are privileged enough to be able to do "all of it."
But some are not privileged and have to work harder to be able to do "all of it."
In this case, i guess it's more of a matter of a feeling of "unfairness", because if those who aren't privileged aren't able to do "all of it", and by "all of it" i mean balance out Work + school + ECs, they would be less "qualified" during the application process.

I guess my point is that some people have to work harder to be on equal grounds with others.

When most of us have kids and have the money to support them, I doubt we will tell them "It wouldn't be fair for me to give you money, so fend for yourself." Its easy to think of people who get financial support from their parents as being ungrateful brats, but many people in this situation do realize how fortunate they are, and their parents are simply trying to give them the best chance to succeed. Do I wish my family had had the money to send me to a top-tier private school? Well yeah, but they didn't so I ended up at the state school -- I hate to use this cliche, but lifes not fair. Sometimes you just have to be stoic, and hope that what you've overcome makes you a better person in the end.

 

[sentry]

Could you elaborate on that?
The way I see it, rich STUDENTS do not work more than poor students. But if you're comparing businessmen/professionals to welfare candidates, then obviously...

I think what he was trying to say was that more fortunate students substitute studying time and ECs for the time less fortunate students spend working. In terms of total hours though, you would be extremely hard pressed to make that a compelling argument

 

[solitude]

Could you elaborate on that?
The way I see it, rich STUDENTS do not work more than poor students. But if you're comparing businessmen/professionals to welfare candidates, then obviously...

Sorry, by "work" I mean anything related to academics and extracurriculars as well as actual income-gaining activities. I agree that poor students do more income-gaining work. Just my anecdotal evidence, of course.