{"id":1063,"date":"2026-07-13T07:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1063"},"modified":"2026-07-13T07:10:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:10:16","slug":"the-hidden-cost-of-being-a-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1063","title":{"rendered":"The Hidden Cost of Being a Student"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Angel Egharevba Osaretin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The alarm rings at 6:30 a.m., but getting out of bed is not the hardest part of the day. For many young people in higher institutions, the real challenge begins when they start calculating their daily expenses. With limited money in her account, Jessica must decide whether to buy breakfast, subscribe for data to complete an assignment, or save the money for transportation to class. It is a choice she faces almost every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like thousands of undergraduates across Nigerian campuses, Jessica has discovered that earning a degree costs far more than tuition fees. Behind every lecture attended, assignment submitted, and practical session completed are countless expenses that often go unnoticed. From food and transportation to data subscriptions and accommodation, the rising cost of living has made campus life increasingly difficult for many students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feeding has become one of the greatest challenges. What once bought three meals a day can now barely cover one. As food prices continue to rise, some students skip meals and eat only twice a day, while others survive on the cheapest options available. It is not uncommon to hear jokes about drinking water to suppress hunger, but behind the humour lies a harsh reality that many struggle to escape, especially those with little or no monthly allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transportation is another major burden. Students who live off campus often spend a significant amount of money commuting between their hostels and lecture halls. A journey that was once affordable now requires careful budgeting. For those who attend classes daily, transport expenses consume a large portion of their weekly allowance, particularly for students who receive only \u20a65,000 to \u20a610,000, an amount that is becoming increasingly difficult to manage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then there is the issue of internet access. In today&#8217;s educational environment, being online is no longer optional. Assignments, research, class updates, and communication with lecturers all depend on reliable internet access. Yet, many students struggle to stay connected because of the rising cost of data subscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accommodation also contributes significantly to students&#8217; financial challenges. Rent, utility bills, and maintenance costs continue to increase. To reduce expenses, many undergraduates share crowded rooms. Mercy, a 100-level undergraduate, explained that she lives with two other girls in a single room because she cannot afford the \u20a6350,000 rent for a private apartment. For now, she has no choice but to adapt. Others take on part-time jobs to meet accommodation expenses. Although these living conditions are often far from ideal, many students have little alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many undergraduates, surviving at the university means becoming an entrepreneur. Side hustles have become a common feature of campus life. Students sell clothes, cosmetics, cupcakes, zobo drinks, and pocket perfumes, while others offer services such as photography, graphic design, and digital marketing. Although these ventures provide much-needed income, they also demand valuable time and energy that could otherwise be devoted to academic work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these challenges, education remains a priority. Many students attend early morning lectures, meet assignment deadlines, prepare for examinations, and continue pursuing their dreams. Their resilience is admirable, but it should not be mistaken for comfort. The fact that they continue to cope does not mean they are not struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The journey through higher education is already demanding. When students must constantly worry about food, transportation, accommodation, internet access, and the absence of a stable source of income, learning becomes even more difficult. Financial hardship affects concentration, mental well-being, and academic performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the cost of living continues to rise, addressing these challenges is essential if higher education is to remain a pathway to opportunity rather than a daily struggle for survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Angel Egharevba Osaretin is a 200 Level Journalism and Media Studies student at Delta State University, Abraka.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Angel Egharevba Osaretin The alarm rings at 6:30 a.m., but getting out of bed is not the hardest part of the day. For many young people in higher institutions, the real challenge begins when they start calculating their daily expenses. With limited money in her account, Jessica must decide whether to buy breakfast, subscribe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15],"tags":[31,268,25,26,28],"class_list":["post-1063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trendingnews","category-viewspoint","tag-abraka","tag-academics","tag-delsu","tag-education","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1063"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1068,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions\/1068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}