| College Tips to Save you Money |
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College is expensive; anyone could have told you that. But there are sure ways to cut costs while getting an education. I was given a short book before leaving for school called 101 Things You Need to Know About College. I read all 101 short tips and kept them in the back of my mind the summer before leaving for school. I had already saved money because I commuted from home my freshman and sophomore years of school while continuing to work for my father, but I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone and see what else was out there to better my education and of course have fun. My parents said they would support me in anyway they could so I didn’t let the opportunity pass me by. Here are my encounters I faced while using the 101 tips as my guide. Living Expenses Since I was a junior entering college away from home I needed a place to live. I didn’t want to be on campus because I figured the majority of people living in the dorms would be freshman and sophomores and I wanted to meet people the same age as myself. So I shopped around and found an apartment including all costs that came to $470 a month, that’s including DSL and cable, utilities and water. I chose to live in a 4-bedroom/4bath apartment because it was the cheapest and an easy way to meet three new people. One of the tips in the book was to save quarters as much as possible for doing laundry but I got lucky and the apartment came equipped with a washer in dryer but if living on campus be sure to save them. When looking for a place to live look for something that is close to campus, and offers transportation to and from your apartment so you don’t have to worry about finding a parking space and can save on gas. Look for fully furnished apartments so you don’t need to buy new things or rent a moving truck to move all your stuff from home. If you don’t have a car, don’t worry about it. If you find a place close to campus, walk, take the bus, or ride a bike, where you can get one for about $55 from Wal-Mart. Today being out of college, I know a lot of people who rent from friends that own a house or that their parents bought for them to live in. Usually the expenses aren’t as costly as apartments, you have more space, and you can live with people you already know. Books and Tuition I was told books are going to be expensive but I never thought that one book would cost over $100 and it was a used book. What’s worse is that when you try to return a book at the end of the semester in hoping of making half of the money back that you paid for the book you probably only used twice, is that they don’t even buy the book back because they have a new edition for the upcoming semester. So I recommend highly that if you can live without having a book at your fingertips then do so. Make friends in the class and share a book, go to the library and see if they have a copy on reserve or shop online where the prices will be less than in the bookstore. If you have to buy the book because you think it will be a good reference in the future, I recommend buying a used book because it’s going to have the same content and information as the brand new book would that will cost you even more. When it came to tuition I got lucky. My parents told me they would support me in any way they could and this just happened to be one of the ways. However when considering colleges, remember that a local or community college will cost you less, as an in-state school will as well, as long as you are a resident for more than a year. Apply for scholarships and grants whenever possible and any other financial aid you can get. It will help you tremendously and hopefully prevent you from taking out student loans, which in the loan run may leave you in debt after graduation. Entertainment Most college towns are filled with nearby restaurants and bars just looking to empty your pockets but there are ways to save when heading out on the town. Although you are away at college and not having home cooked meals every night it is still important to get proper nutrition which is hard to find when dining out. So instead, learn to cook at home. Split groceries between your roommates or buy just enough for yourself so you wont waste any food or money for that matter. Take snacks on campus to avoid fast food restaurants and vending machines. If you do go out to eat, eat something beforehand so you wont want to buy everything on the menu. Hit up specials on food as well as drinks. Another tip I read was to not drink around people you don’t know, you can never be too safe. If you are looking to go out and have a good time, don’t buy a round of shots for you and your friends unless you don’t want to eat the following week because you have spent all your cash on alcohol. Instead of going out, have friends over and make it a blockbuster night or go to the beach for the day. Don’t go to every area attraction in sight. Save expensive activities for special occasions like your birthday or an anniversary where you can have fun and celebrate the occasion, as well as plan for it in advance so you have cash saved up. Another tip is to e crafty when making gifts for family and friends, a gift that comes from the heart is always more meaningful. Extra Curricular Activities In college you have the opportunity to become a part of many small and large organizations on and nearby campus. Be sure to do so because it’s a great way to meet friends, have fun, and learn new things. Some activities will come with costs while others will be free. If you like to play sports but didn’t try out for the college team, play intramural sports which allows you to be competitive but have fun at the same time and is usually free unless needing to buy a team shirt or required gear. Join a fraternity or sorority. Although fraternities and sororities tend to be expensive, most people gain new insights to life, new friendships, and grow and change into the person they want to become. It’s a great time to become a leader and make a network of friends that you may benefit from once you graduate and are looking for a job. Join as many clubs as you can. Clubs are a great way to become involved on campus, meet new people and learn new things and can prove to be added education as well as entertainment to your daily life. Internships and Jobs Internships are great work experience and also look great on your resume. Go to as many internship and job fairs you can to see what opportunities are out there. When the time is right, get an internship and be sure to get the most out of it. If you are simply filing papers and answering the phone, tell the employer what you want to learn about the company or in your major that will better prepare you when it is time to get a job. As for working part time or full time, that’s up to you and how much time you have in your schedule. Don’t over work yourself because you’ll end up failing in work, school, or friends so take on what you can. Work somewhere where you can cover expenses for the month but down the road consider a part time job somewhere that will help you in your major so when applying for a job after graduation, employers will see you made the effort to gain knowledge instead of having a job just to pay for living expenses. What remains when it’s all been said and done? College is full of the unexpected and is said to be the best four years of your life. Make it that way by having fun, gaining knowledge, leaving with new friends, and leaving school without digging yourself into debt. Through all the 101 tips I read, I used just about every one of them and came out of college debt free. There are going to be a lot of times where expenses may get tough but learn to budget and use your time and money wisely and you’ll end up a college graduate that is debt free! |
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