When I received  notice of university entrance pass, my mother was moved to tears. That was the first meaningful gift of mine to her. Since then, I have placed a new heavy burden to her fragile and painful shoulders. It has been 3 years since that day. Each term passes by, the sum of money sent by my mother to me increases accordingly. “Students nowadays seemingly lead a better and richer life than in the past” say many people. It’s true. But that is true for just minority of the students, for a handful students…

Few years ago, it took me  some thousand VND (about 2-3 cents) to have a so-so lavish student-style meal. At the end of the month, when I was going to run out of money, I could manage to have a quite good meal with one egg and 2000-VND (1,25-cent) bunch of vegetable. But now, everything changes. Increasing price of oil happens somewhere and immediately “smack” penniless purses of the students. When I started my university studying, price of oil was just 4.000 VND/litre. Now it is twice fold. Costs for electricity, water, bus tickets, travelling,ect increase dizzily while scholarship is still unchanged. Even vegetable retailers complain about increase of oil. I suddently think to my mother. She doesn’t know that “cloddish vegetable” becomes such a “valuable thing” in the city.

Student life is simple but has thousands of thing to cover. Tuition fee, food and  accommodation expenses, books…Let’s take an example of one of my friend. At the beginning of each month, she has to pay room rental and food expense. Not much money left in her purse. She is not afraid of hunger all the month round but scare of invitations to go out eating, to birthday parties or go picnic. I am still surprised how I can “survive” blockade of money after 3 studying years.

Our students’heads are always occupied with calculation and plan of daily meal, daily expenses, monthly house rental, unexpected micellious expenses such as picnics. It is bad not to participate in such extra-curriculum activities. But if I join, I have to tighten the penniless purse-string more. Balancing the account automatically become a habit of mine and I naturally become a clever accountant. I may rob Peter to pay Paul skillfully.

Honestly speaking, ex-students and I myself later will probably remember about romance of the university studying but not the monthly calculation of expenses. If yes, it will be just a vague memory.

But now, I am suffering headache of solving hard problem of balancing expenses in life. 

• Writen by Huynh Thi Yen
• Translated by To Uyen