Whether you’re going to college online or you’re hauling yourself to a brick-and-mortar campus starting school every fall is always a fresh new experience no matter how seasoned of a student you might be. With the economy and technology changing faster than a caffeinated humming bird every new school year brings a set of challenges that may not have existed before. So in the spirit of “You’re never too old to learn new things” here are five back-to-school college tips that are sure to make your first semester go down a little easier.
- Don’t Live Off Your Credit Card
- Talk to Your Advisor Regularly
- Budget Your Time
- Check Amazon to Rent e-Books
- Check Apple’s New Student Pricing
The economics of attending college are scary. College tuition in some cases is on par with buying a home. So every semester there will be times when money is tight. Even though it’s convenient try to resist the temptation of living off your credit card to make ends meet. Commit to going without instead. Yes, you have to eat, but you don’t have to eat out. Cook at home or if your parents live close by, go to their house for dinner. Save the credit card for real emergencies, like if your car breaks down and you need a tow, or you have to fly home on a moment’s notice. Because once you start digging yourself into a debt hole, it’s really hard to get out. And who needs the stress of debt on top of college?
Whether you go to school online or on campus, you will be assigned a college advisor. When I went to college I knew people who never even knew who their advisor was until a scheduling disaster struck. Don’t wait until you need help to befriend the people that can help you. If you haven’t done so already make an appointment to meet your advisor either in person or at least by e-mail. Introduce yourself, talk about your major, explain your goals—in general, be pleasant. Make a good impression now when it’s clear that you don’t want something in return. That way when you do need help you and your advisor will already have some sort of relationship. (Which raises you to the top of the pile of people you’re advisor will help first.)
No matter how many years you’ve been in college that fall semester is always the hardest one to adjust to. You’re coming off two to three months of summer fun where you’ve been working, traveling, and probably NOT doing homework. Now all of sudden you have to figure out how you’re going to cram 30 hours of stuff in a 24-hour day. They key to getting it all done is good planning. Set a schedule that not only shows when you’ll work and go to school, but also when you will do homework, labs, seminars; whatever is expected of you. Also include pockets of free time to do things like take a walk or go for a bike ride. At some point you need to rest your mind and move your body.
This summer Amazon announced that many of the textbooks assigned by college instructors will be available as e-book rentals. Check to see if your textbooks are on Amazon’s e-Book rental list. This is a huge cost savings if your books are in fact part of this program. Granted, your instructors will most likely know if the texts they assign are online, because they are usually the ones to ask Amazon to make them available. However, in some cases a book may be on the Amazon e-book rental list because other instructors requested it. Regardless of who stuck it out there, anyone can rent them, so it never hurts to check.
This summer Apple revamped it’s education pricing and thus now more student discounts on more Apple items are available. Plus, until September 20, 2011, Apple is giving away a $100 Apple Store gift card to anyone who buys a Mac computer (even with the student discount). True, Apple is not known for heavy discounting but if you’ve have to get a new laptop anyway, and you’ve always wanted a Mac, now would be the time to get one.
Remember, when going to college every little bit of free advice helps. At the rate tuition is going up, advice is just about the only thing left that IS free. So take it while you can (and pass it on).
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How about create your own job?
Starting your own business while still in school is nothing new. Bill Gates (Microsoft), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), and Fred Smith (Fed-Ex) all started business ventures as college students. Of course, their businesses went on to bigger and better things, however, the key to a successful college business is to ask your peers what they want and would be willing to pay for. Starting with a simple concept also helps, letting your business grow organically, if in fact, you find a niche. Here are four examples of proven small businesses that thrive on college campuses.
Tutor
Being a college tutor is an obvious choice and can be done fall through spring semester. Just about every college subject uses tutors and even online colleges employ tutors to lead chat room discussions, help with instructor office hours, and offer one-on-one help. College tutors make anywhere from $15 to $50 per hour, depending on the subject and school. Plus, most college departments have their own official tutor list. And if you’re smart enough to get your name on that list you don’t even have to do your own marketing. Your clients will call you!
Personal Trainer
If you’re athletic, active, and you know your way around a weight room, one way you can justify taking the time to work out is to offer your services as a personal trainer. Usually private gyms and clubs won’t allow outside trainers to bring their clients into the gym’s facilities, unless the trainer has an agreement with the gym (which isn’t impossible to arrange – just ask). But lack of access to a gym shouldn’t stop you from offering other athletic services, like taking your clients to a local college or high school track to stretch, run, and lift some free weights; lead a bike ride; organize a group hike; teach water aerobics at a pool; or hold an aerobics class outside in a parking lot. With spring upon us much of your exercising can be done outside, which completely broadens your training possibilities.
eBay Listing Manager
Navigating eBay doesn’t take a college degree, yet many people are intimidated by the idea e-commerce. As an eBay listing manager, you sell other people’s stuff for them via your own eBay account and then take a fee for doing so. The amount of money you make depends upon the number of clients you take. Best perk? You can do this job in the middle of the night in your pajamas.
Messenger Services
If you have a car or a bicycle consider starting a delivery service. You’d be surprised how many people don’t have time to deliver completed projects, legal documents, or even go to the bank. One enterprising student made his living simply by going to the post office twice a day. And if anyone needed him to stand in line, pick up packages, or just mail stuff for them, he did all that– for a fee.
Whether you attend college on campus or you’re working on a degree online, the best way to solve your college budget crisis is to find flexible employment that pays well and lets YOU control the number of hours you work, as well as when you work. How else are you going to find that perfect college job if you don’t make it happen for yourself?
]]>Here’s what it means: Don’t borrow so much money when you’re in school. Don’t have a lush lifestyle by spending the money you get from student loans. Try to live simply when you’re in school so you can kick up your heels when the money finally starting coming in for real.
stuartpilbrow/Flickr
That is the advice on financial aid I hear from the dozens of people who advise students that area. I have interviewed plenty of them for the past five or more years. And they typically have been financial-aid experts at law schools or law-related organizations. If you know anything about lawyers, it’s that they rack up some serious student debt. And it truly does take most of them 10 to 20 years to pay it off. (These are the ones who live in your neighborhood, not the big shots working for the top law firms in New York City or Washington D.C.)
Sure, you know this already. But step back and really look at how you’re living. Are you keeping it simple, or are you giving yourself little treats here and there “because I deserve it?” Trust me – and my frequently giant credit-card bill – those little things add up to a lot.
I’m not a personal-finance expert. But I am one of those people who loves to analyze my financial statements. I actually balanced my checkbook in the days before online banking. I read the finance magazines and even a page or two of the Wall Street Journal when my kids give me a chance. And all that has taught me one thing: Money matters, and how you handle it matters.
Now, I’m not trying to be preachy. I’m just suggesting that with the New Year around the corner, it might be a good time to organize yourself and prepare for what life will be like when you graduate. Do you want to spend now or spend later? ‘Cause I’m just guessing it will feel a lot better to treat yourself when you’ve got a nice new degree and better-paying job to back you up.
Here’s a test for you…Give me one star if you think saving is for chumps. Give the article 10 stars if you believe money matters. And throw a comment or two at the bottom. Share the article on Facebook. Let’s get a conversation started.
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