[Ginny Z.]

I was pretty comfortable going to college (a pretty costly, liberal arts school at that) in spite of coming from a low-income family. Most people I knew didn't flaunt any wealth they may or may not have had, and the majority of students there had some sort of work-study job, even if some didn't really need one. Class differences would come out in subtle ways, like who had a nice computer or stereo and who didn't, whose parents were professors and whose parents never went to college (like mine). But I never felt like I was out of place because of this, probably because I had a number of friends who were in financial situations similar to mine (although maybe I unconsciously gravitated to those people?). Towards the end of my college years, however, my school switched from a 'need-blind' admissions policy to what they called 'need-sensitive': for a small percentage of each incoming class, they would decide who to admit based on how much an applicant could afford to pay. This still upsets me; I realize it costs a lot to run a college these days, but an education is still the big equalizer for people like me, if you can manage to get one. I recently read an article about how this need-sensitive thing is a growing trend in colleges in this country, which I think might push the average family income of a college student upward and make those low-income students who do get in a tad more alienated. I can see this happening already in the school my sister attends - she feels the class differences between her and her classmates a lot more than I did. Oh, and by the way, I did recently finish paying off my student loans; hopefully that money will continue to help students in need.

User Detail :  

Name : Ginny Z., Gender : F, Race : Hapa, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : scientist/aspiring sociologist, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Ginny Z.]

My fiance and I are in the midst of wedding plans, and I disagree with the folks who responded that they have reservations about your including Jewish traditions in your wedding when you and your chosen aren't particularly religious. I think the most important thing is that your wedding ceremony be meaningful to you, because it's your wedding, after all. That point aside, if your future husband's family has been kind and accepting of you, they will probably be comfortable at the wedding, anyway, provided you're just as kind and accepting of them as they are of you. My fiance and I are pretty much agnostic (I grew up Lutheran and his family is Catholic). We're planning a sort of Secular Humanist ceremony, maybe borrowing some elements from Zen Buddhism, Korean traditions (my mother is Korean), traditions we invent and maybe even some traditional Christian elements. We are asking both sets of parents to 'give us away' and are having some family members take part in the ceremony, doing readings and such. I would also like to have a part in the ceremony where we thank our parents (and each other's parents) for helping us in our lives thus far, and somehow symbolizing the transition from being part of our birth families to making a new family of our own.

User Detail :  

Name : Ginny Z., Gender : F, Race : Hapa, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : scientist/aspiring sociologist, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Ginny Z.]

My sociology professor from last semester would tell you that your class, as society sees you, depends on four things: your income, your wealth (that is, the value of all your assets), your occupation and yes, your level of education. These things of course affect each other, and for those seeking to break out of the lower classes, education is usually the best way 'up.' You certainly get a lot more choices in what kind of job and income you get if you have a college education vs. a high school diploma. However, if your parents are already college-educated and middle class, getting a degree might not move you up the ladder much, or you might even commit the great American sin of being downwardly mobile. In my situation, a college degree has been invaluble in helping me have an easier life than my parents had, but it has also been important to have a family that is supportive of my goals and always remembers 'where I came from.'

User Detail :  

Name : Ginny Z., Gender : F, Race : Hapa, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : scientist/aspiring sociologist, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

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