It's all relative

On Thursday, my son moved out of his dorm for the summer. He has just finished his freshman year at a private school close to home. My husband and I teach at a completely different kind of college. We teach at a large urban college with modified open enrollment. Let's call it City College. Our students usually work and raise families as well as study for a degree. Their stories are about courage and persistence. Every semester I have students who range in age from 16 to 65.

Back to my son. His dorm room was a large room shared by one other student. The room had a lovely window with a beautiful view. It came equipped with all the necessities for a student: a safe, microwave and refrigerator. We pay his fees and provide him with an allowance each month so that he can concentrate on his studies. He kept saying how difficult it was to be a student, and how tired he was, and how much he needed a rest. His summer will be filled with whatever he wants to do.

As my students finish the semester to take on more of their other jobs, DS and his friends will scatter across the world for three months. They will shop and party. My son will go on vacation to Africa. This is the world he has come to expect and it is the world around him. It is a world my students can only dream about. My son thinks he is actually quite badly off because most of his friends (almost all) come from wealthier (really really rich) families. It is a matter of social comparison.