Cash demands cause controversy
大学生每月给多少生活费才够花？
How much money should I spend each month? This is asked by college students at the start of every semester, and it's become a hot topic of discussion following a controversial online post.
我每个月该花多少钱？这是大学生们每到开学时都会问的一个问题，而近期网上一则充满争议的帖子也令这个话题引发热议。
The post was about a female college student who sought 4,500 yuan for monthly living expenses from her mom, reported China Daily.
据《中国日报》报道，有位女大学生希望母亲每月给自己4500元生活费。
In the post, this new college student explained that her school is in a top-tier city and that her expenses included skin-care products and new clothes. Her mother did not agree and "only" gave her 2,000 yuan.
帖子中，该大一新生表示，这是因为自己的学校位于一线城市，还要包括自己买护肤品和新衣服的开支。她的母亲并没有同意，“只”给了她2000元生活费。
The post started some heated debate. Some people came to her defense, saying that college students need money not only for survival, but also for entertainment, socializing, improving their image and attending training courses.
帖子引发了一阵热议。一些人支持这位女大学生的想法，认为大学生不光需要基本花销，还有娱乐、社交、改善形象、参加培训课程等开支。
However, Wang Chaoyang, a university student, believes this is too much money. "In some cities, a parent may only earn a monthly salary of 4,000 or 5,000 yuan," he told CCTV News.
但高校学生王朝阳却认为4500元生活费太多了。“在一些城市，家长每月的工资或许就只有4000-5000元，”他接受央视新闻采访时如此表示。

According to a 2019 report by website Wacai, students in 15 cities spent more than 1,500 yuan a month on average. Beijing topped the list at 2,400 yuan, and Shanghai followed close behind at 2,300 yuan.
据挖财网站2019年发布的一份报告显示，我国15座城市的学生月均消费都超过了1500元。其中北京的月均生活费居于榜首，达到2400元，上海以月均2300元的生活费紧随其后。
It's not rare to hear about students asking for excessive amounts of money from their parents, reported Workers' Daily, citing irrational consumption habits.
据《工人日报》报道，学生向家长索取过多的生活费并不少见，并指出了他们非理性的消费习惯。
For example, some students insist on buying Dyson vacuum cleaners for their dormitories instead of common brooms. Others demand Apple laptops to study at Starbucks, instead of going to the library.
比如，一些学生不愿意用普通扫把，非要在宿舍里使用戴森吸尘器。还有一些学生不去图书馆，而是想买苹果笔记本去星巴克自习。
"The consumption of some students has exceeded the basic needs. They seek extravagant and conspicuous consumption," commented Workers' Daily.
“一些学生的消费水平已远远超过其基本需求。他们寻求起了奢侈消费和攀比消费，”《工人日报》评论道。
Chen Feng, with more than 100,000 followers on Sina Weibo, wrote that college students must have financial responsibility and make budgets.
陈峰在新浪微博上拥有超过10万粉丝，他发帖称大学生应该承担起经济责任，并做好预算。
That opinion is shared by Meng Jingjing, a student from Hubei University of Medicine.
湖北医药学院的学生孟晶婧也有同样的看法。
"College students should learn how to manage wealth," she told Hubei-based news website CNHubei.
“大学生学习理财是必需的，”她在接受湖北新闻网站荆楚网采访时表示。
"It's not for making money but for improving the ability of money management and preparing for the future, as they will enter society and work soon after graduation," she added.
“理财的目标不是为了钱生钱，而是为了可以锻炼自己对金钱的掌控能力，并为以后做准备，因为大学毕业后不久就要进入社会工作了，”她补充道。