In This Chapter

A few years ago, there was a video floating around the Internet of a 16-year-old girl being led outside by her parents. Initially, you couldn’t tell why one of the parents had his hands over her eyes, but then the new green Saab convertible came into the picture. When he uncovered her eyes, the daughter shrieked, began to cry, and couldn’t speak for a few moments. Through the sobs, you could begin to make out her words. “It’s the wrong color. It’s the wrong color!”

For those of you who haven’t figured it out, we live in an age of over-entitlement. Not only do kids (and many adults) think they deserve whatever it is their hearts desire, but they are also pretty sure they should have it right now. Sadly, just enough parents are caving to their kids’ demands that those of us who take a stand often look like the bad guys.

When it comes to college, you need to take a stand. If you’re putting someone else through college, you have every right to insist that he help foot the bill. Not only that, but if you’re a student, working can be one of the single best things you can do to defray the costs of an education.