In our society, there is an ever- increasing sentiment that people should check their privilege in regard to things like race, sex or sexual orientation. This means that when interacting with another person, one should take into account the various ways in which things outside of anyone’s control have affected that person that may or may not apply to others, such as one’s race, sex or sexual orientation. However, one area I believe is being greatly overlooked in terms of privilege checking is one’s family’s wealth.
This is manifested in a phrase I see thrown around a lot at UW-Madison and I imagine many other college campuses as well. That phrase being “poor college student.” People often throw it around as a way to poke fun at themselves for not wanting to spend too much money on certain things now that they are somewhat or completely economically independent from their parents, aside from big chunks of tuition and other significant costs. For example, an exchange in which the phrase might be used is: “How much does that concert cost?” “$35”. “Sorry, I can’t afford that. I’m a poor college student.”
While this phrase may seem harmless enough to students whose families have the ability to pay for most of the costs such as tuition or housing themselves, it is most certainly not inoffensive to everyone. Not every college student is in the position to do this. Some have to finance their college educations by racking up thousands of dollars of student debt, adding work hours to an already busy schedule, or both in addition to many other things that can make the college experience that much more difficult to.
The phrase “poor college student” then becomes a problem because while students may throw it around without it meaning any harm, it can be a painful reminder to students who experience economic difficulties due to factors completely outside of their control, as well as make them feel ostracized.
In full disclosure, I am someone who has used the phrase without thinking of its implications too, but after becoming informed about how hurtful the phrase can be, I will try and remove it from my vocabulary and I urge other Badgers to do the same. If we really want our school to be a welcoming community for all, then taking actions such as this are essential steps toward achieving that goal.
Finally, I do realize that the term “poor college student” is one that may be ingrained into people’s vocabulary to a certain extent, so here are some things we can all say instead. I can’t go to the concert because... One, I am trying to be frugal. Two, I want to save my money for other things. Or three, let’s find something cheaper to do.
These and many phrases are preferable as a substitute because they do not imply that the speakers themselves experience true financial difficulties as the term “poor college student” does, because to do so is insensitive and hurtful to the students who actually do.
Henry is a freshman in his first semester as a Daily Cardinal columnist. Do you think that referring to yourself or others as a “poor college student” is offensive? What are some other common phrases that could possibly offend individuals on this campus and beyond we can work on eliminating from our vocabulary? Will you step up and personally stop saying the phrase “poor college student”? Tell us your opinion on the matter and please send all of your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
