It's crunch time

Updated on: Thursday, June 30, 2011

The pleasure of bunking class, sitting in a nearby cafe enjoying a cold coffee and samosa with chutney, the adrenaline rush of late-night long drives and wheelies on bikes — the little joys of campus life will only get dearer now.

Thanks to rising costs, Gen Y today is a worried lot. Much like their parents, they are anxious about spiralling prices (and their non-spiralling pocket money!). No wonder then that their campus life has taken a beating in recent times.

The Times of India spoke to students of several disciplines on how price rise across sectors has pinched them. Hopping in to a Volvo, having that extra cuppa, buying that lovely earring from the street-side vendor, going to movies frequently — all these temptations need to be tamed.

TRAVEL TROUBLE

Says Cyril Mathew, a 3rd year Christ University student, "I used to have a car. I stopped using it when petrol prices shot up. Now I am thinking of giving up biking and getting on to my cycle. My college is quite close to home."

"Travelling will be the last thing a student would want to spend on. I take a bus from home at Bannerghatta Road to Dairy Circle. In my first year, the fare was Rs 13. Then it came up to Rs 20. Now it's Rs 25. The money once spent for little luxuries today goes for these necessities," says Shruthi Kedia, a journalism student.

DOESN'T SUIT OUR TASTE

That canteens and regular hang-outs have increased their fares is a big dampener for youngsters. "Earlier, we used to turn down canteen food and eat out. Now the frequency has come down. We are slowly shifting to the college canteen," says Varsha Aravind, an engineering student.

It's not just food. Even stationaries, including notebooks, have got expensive. "Textbooks are costlier now. We have to cough up more for the same books we once got at cheaper rates," says Swati Banerjee. Going shopping, long drives and doing wheelies are more like indulging in luxuries. "Once in a while we used to go for night drives. Now we can't waste diesel like that. We might as well find some other pass-time," says Sameer K, a BA student. Believe it or not, even getting a gift for their girl or boyfriend is a pain these days, they echo!

Times of India

It's crunch time

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