Opinion: There are better items to buy than class rings

Cameron Smith
eSomethin staff

Should freshmen buy an expensive accessory four years before its delivery?

In a mandatory meeting in study halls, freshmen were advertised class rings, jewelry costing more than $100 after taxes. Why should fifteen-year-olds buy these?

If students are ordering rings ranging in price from $100 to $2000, they should consider that graduation is more than four years in the future.

(Jostens‘ least expensive ring option, $99 without a keepsake box. Standard free warranty. Photo Credit: Jostens Website)

When the Jostens representative showed me and other freshmen class rings, and advertised it to us I was thinking of one thing: “Why buy something pricey if you won’t receive it until senior year?” There are no rewards, or real benefits from getting a class ring. When we are seniors and we receive the class rings – they are cool – but eventually, most students would forget about them, letting them collect dust until found for a short reminiscence before being put back away or lost.

There’s barely any reason other than nostalgia to buy a ring, comparable to a piece of metal that will eventually get covered in dust. Class rings aren’t exactly dress jewelry, either. Maybe some people would wear their rings after senior year, but most people will keep rings in the cases, store them away, lose them, or even just sell them.

It’s just a big loop of consumerism. People buy rings, but only really look at them when others notice.

If people want rings, they might not feel happy about wearing their class ring; instead they might prefer rings they buy outside of school, fashion rings rather than a ring that’s only made for you to think of the past.

Class rings are not for everyone, and those who do want a ring should want something they would actually wear, rather than something people aren’t going to wear longterm that will end up a display of a $100 to $2000 waste of money.

Other stories on eSomethin: