Dawson “Rollbacks”: Save your Money and Live Better?

Place Alexis Nihon, Food court

A college student has a lot of things on their plate: last minute papers to hand in, getting up early for those dreaded 8 am classes, and picking out their outfits--these are just some of the things on their minds. Despite all this, one of the most common struggles is saving their money when they are constantly sucked in by temptation.

Dawson College, a Cegep in the heart of downtown Montreal, makes it difficult for students to avoid spending money. From fast food restaurants in Place Alexis Nihon right beside the school, to the endless clothing stores and boutiques only a few metro stops away, spending is almost impossible to avoid.

According to The Huffington Post, the average student spends 765$ a year eating food around campus--a big percentage of it fast food. That doesn’t include the amount spent on shopping. Most students who have a part-time job work between 15-20 hours a week, and only get paid minimum wage of 10.55 an hour. In that regard, 765$ would seem like a lot to spend just on food.

It’s around 12 pm in Alexis Nihon on a Tuesday, and the food court is filled with hundreds of Dawson students on their breaks. Everyone is waiting in line at a fast food stand, and all you can smell are the different aromas filling the air. All of this overwhelms you as you consider buying something yourself, despite having already eaten lunch or have one packed.

Vanessa Vitale, 17, is familiar with this situation and feeling as she explains how she is “influenced by the surroundings,” and as soon as she walks into the food court, she gets “instantly hungry without realizing [it].” She and eight other students, between the ages of 17 and 19, agree that going to Dawson inclines them to spend more money. All of them said that it was primarily spent on food, followed by on clothing.

“Sometimes if I feel like picking up lavender body oil from The Body Shop, I will, just because I feel like it,” Andrea Cordeiro, 18, says. “If I’m on break and I know it’s only a couple metro stops away to get there, I’ll just go without really thinking about it.” For Cordeiro, it’s definitely more of a want rather than a necessity and something that’s just "there".”

It’s a completely different thing for 17 year old, Mikaela Hodgson who believes that buying cheap coffee and food are “necessities to get through the school day.” She says that “if you have classes all day and nothing to eat, it’s just not practical to not buy something." As she waits in line at Tim Hortons for her much needed coffee and cream cheese bagel, "you need to eat,” she declares.

19 year old Majenta Macdonald says that if she went to Vanier College, she would “spend less money since it’s so far away from restaurants and stores.” Vitale agrees with that statement but would “miss getting a large fry at McDonald's, or a medium coffee and a donut from Tim Horton's.” Even though she spends more money at Dawson, she would rather be closer to Downtown Montreal, than at a Cegep further away. Hodgson concludes, “any Cegep you go to, you’ll end up spending money in the end, anyway.”

Although it seems like school location influences students to spend more money, there are some money-saving solutions to the problem. Vitale says “I bring a lot of snacks, I won’t drink coffee on the days I don’t start early, and sometimes I don’t even bring my debit [card] to school with me.” Macdonald says she “puts aside money for big events coming up” so she can “budget herself a little bit.” Lastly, Hodgson says she “makes coffee and lunch before class.” Macdonald concludes that “controlling yourself in a metropolitan city can be hard, especially as a student, but life is all about a balance, and if you can find one that works for you, it’s definitely worth it.”

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