The long and cold winter has passed, and the first semester of 2025 has started. This semester marks the beginning of university life for the 2025 freshmen. Having graduated high school with lots of expectations, they likely want to do lots of things. However, this new beginning can also bring worries. To help ease those worries, we’ve compiled advice from senior students about their college life. 

Q1. How much allowance do you receive from your parents? 

- I receive about 300,000 won, plus transportation co sts. (AI Computer Enginee ring Department, 25, Kim OO) 

- I get around 300,000 won. (Department of Library & Information Science, 21, Choi OO) 

- I receive 100,000 won as an allowance, but I usually use my parents’ credit card, so I end up spending about 300,000 won in total. (Department of Liberal Arts, 25, Yang OO) 

- Yes, I receive 600,000 won. (Department of English Language & Literature, 21, Choi OO)

Q2. What do you usually spend your allowance on? 

- I spent about 200,000 won on food and 100,000 won on shopping. (AI Computer Engineering Department, 25, Kim OO)

- My parents pay for ut ilities and phone bills, so I mostly use my allowance for food and daily expenses. (Department of Library & Info rmation Science, 21, Choi OO)  

- I use my parents’ card for living expenses, and I mai nly use my allowance for transportation. (Depar tment of Liberal Arts, 25, Yang OO)

- Since I live alone near school, most of my allowance goes toward living ex penses. About 60% is for food, and the remaining 40% is for meeting friends or buying things I want. (Department of Engl ish Language & Literature, 21, Choi OO)

Q3. Do you think your allowance is enough? If not, why ?

-No, I don’t think it’s enough. I often run out of money before the month ends, so I struggle with my living expenses. (AI Computer Engineering Department, 25, Kim OO)

- My allowance alone isn’t enough, but I also have income from my part-time job, so it’s okay. However, if I only look at my allowance, it always feels small at about 200,000 won. (Department of Liberal Arts, 25, Yang OO)  

- I think it’s not enough. Since I’m in my last semester, I don’t work part-time jobs so I can focus on studying and job hunting. Because of this, I feel my finances are tight. Even though I try to avoid going out with friends too often, prices have gone up a lot. Even school meals feel expensive, and I have to pay for things like textbooks. (Department of Library & Info rmation Science, 21, Choi OO)  

- I think my allowance is just right. Of course, this is based on my personal spending habits, but I’ve never had a big problem living on the amount I receive. (Department of English Language & Literature, 21, Choi OO) 

Q4. How much do you think is a reasonable monthly allowance for a university student? 

- Including transportation costs, I think 400,000 won is reasonable. I believe adults should earn extra money themselves by working. (AI Computer Engineering Department, 25, Kim OO)

-If a student has a part time job, 100,000–300,000 won should be enough, but if they don’t work, I think they need around 700,000 1,000,000 won. (Department of Library & In formation Science, 21, Choi OO) 

- I think 600,000 won is a good amount. I usually spend more than 500,000 won, and many of my friends also receive at least 600,000 won. (Department of Liberal Arts, 25, Yang OO) 

- I think 500,000–800,000 won is the right amount for university students. (Department of English Lan guage & Literature, 21, Choi OO) 

Q5. What is the wisest way to manage your allowance wisely?

- Writing down your expenses on your phone every day is helpful. It helps you understand how much money you are spending and adjust your budget. (AI Computer Engineering Department, 25, Kim OO)  

- Writing down your expenses on your phone every day is helpful. It helps you understand how much money you are spending and adjust your budget. (AI Computer Engineering Department, 25, Kim OO) 

- It may sound funny, but living simply helps. Taking public transportation instead of taxis, bringing a tumbler instead of buying coffee, and checking the weather in advance so you don’t have to suddenly buy an umbrella, smalll habits like these can make a big difference. (Department of Liberal Arts, 25, Yang OO) 

- Avoiding unnecessary spending and not wasting money is the most important thing. (Department of English Language & Literature, 21, Choi OO) 

 Like the interviews of four students, it can be seen that the average allowance that college students receive per month is about 300,000 won. Of course, depending on students’ case, some receive all support from their parents, so there is no correct answer about how much money they should receive. However, it is important to establish a sense of economic independence for the future in terms of economics as an adult and a college students. We hope you will create your own smart consumption habits, such as thinking about a budget that suits your situation, identifying your consumption patterns, or writing a account book.

Editor-in-Chief•CHO SEO YUN•jeoyum@gmail.com  

83rd Cub Reporter•KO EUN SEO•kes060620@gmail.com