Financial Pressure on College Students Essay

Students spend time with their families and escape their academic worries. However, when students return to campus, they can bring back more than they bargained for. Some students feel pressure from their parents to succeed and returning home reminds them of that pressure. Mickie Wong, 19, a child development major, goes home about once a month. She said upon returning to her home in Temple City, Calif., she feels pressure from her parents about her academics. Wong said her parents sent her to study at a university because they want her to be successful and financially stable. â€Å"I feel pressured when I go home because my parents lecture me every time they see me because they came to America so that their kids can have a better future,† said Wong. Wong’s parents are immigrants from Vietnam and grew up without the advantages she has now. Because of that, Wong said her parents have high expectations for her academic career. â€Å"They say that I should be studying everyday, going to the library, taking full advantage of this wonderful opportunity to go to college, something they didn’t have,† Wong said. Wong is involved with the fraternity Zeta Phi Rho, and is in good academic standing. However, she said she feels her parents set too high expectations for her academic performance. â€Å"That’s their method of guilt tripping me. I feel like I should be doing more than I am. I should try harder,† Wong said. Upon returning from home, Wong said she feels motivated to work harder and try to meet her parents’ high standards. This motivation wanes away though, and she stops working as much as before. â€Å"I usually fall back into the same routine after a few weeks. I don’t see them every weekend so they can’t remind me,† Wong said. Kishev Navindaran, 19, a mechanical engineering major, goes home to San Diego, Calif., once every five weeks. He typically spends a day or two during the weekend with his family and friends. Going home gives Navindaran the chance to reflect on the opportunity his parents gave him and the importance of an education. â€Å"I get more home sick when I visit home and it puts everything into perspective,† said Navindaran. Navindaran’s parents express interest in his education by talking about his studies and his academic standing. He said they motivate him to work harder in school. â€Å"My parents always tell me to study hard and they ask me how I’m doing in school. It motivates me to do better,† he said. Navindaran’s brothers, who are also college students, inspire him by having conversations about each other’s experiences. They keep tabs on each other to make sure that they are on a path to success. â€Å"I usually talk to my brothers to see how they’re doing and it’s more of a motivation for me,† Navindaran said. Shaan Cowasjee, 19, undeclared, also lives in San Diego. He goes home to see his family once every four to five weeks. He said he cherishes the time he spends in San Diego with his loved ones because it helps him appreciate them a lot more. â€Å"It’s more of a special and appreciating feeling,† said Cowasjee. â€Å"You get to hang out with family and you appreciate them more,† he added. Cowasjee said it is tough on his parents because he’s so far away and they cannot ensure that he is putting full effort into his studies. However, he said, he uses this as motivation to work harder in school. â€Å"My parents tell me to focus more, they feel like I’m slacking because I’m not there with them and they’re not motivating me 24/7,† Cowasjee said.