College is a fantastic experience! It’s a time to exercise newfound freedoms and study what you want to. For most people, college is a very stressful time. It can be hard to balance a social life, school work, and, for many people, a job. Here are some tips to help keep you on track to graduating with that degree!
1. Compare textbook prices
20-some odd years ago when my parents were in school, textbooks could cost as much as $500 a semester. I only spent $65 on textbooks this spring semester. Insert a 'huzzah' here.
The first thing to do is to rent textbooks instead of buying them, and to rent used textbooks when possible. Make sure the textbook is in fairly good condition if it’s used. Sometimes, you can find one with highlights and notes in the margin. If that’s the case, cop that half-blood prince textbook!
Another important thing to do is to research the textbook online. Often, you can type in the book’s ISBN number in an online ISBN search, and several rental sites will come up with their prices. Sometimes the same textbook is available online for a lower price than in the University’s bookstore. In order to get the best prices and to get the textbooks on time, it’s usually important to get your textbooks at least a week before classes start. This is a fairly easy thing to do that many people don't take advantage of!
Unfortunately for science and math majors, your textbooks tend to be on the more expensive side, and it may be difficult to get a good deal on them. English majors, you have no excuse (looking at myself there).
2. Keep yourself busy
A lot of people entering college find themselves with a lot of free time on their hands. Although it's important to save some time for Netflix, too much free time is a disaster waiting to happen. If you’re enrolled full-time as a student, consider it a full-time job. The amount of time needed to attend classes, write papers, and study for exams will roughly equate to the same amount of time as a 40 hour/week job.
Even with this, however, there will still be a lot of open time, so fill it up! Join clubs on campus that share your interests, get a part-time (or full-time, if you can manage that) job to earn some money, but leave some time open to just chill with your friends. Keep yourself occupied throughout the week. Boredom is a breeding ground for trouble.
I’m a rare case in that I’m able to go to school full-time while maintaining a full-time job. The money I make from my job allows me to pay for school without taking out any student loans. But believe me, if I could pay for school working only 20 hours a week, I’d do that. The good thing about having two full-time roles is that it makes time fly, and it keeps me out of trouble. This is not practical for most people, however. Everyone is different, so manage your time wisely, and don't let those hands be idle for long.
3. Keep your eye on the prize
You can have a lot of fantastic experiences in college, but keep in mind what you’re there for, and why you’re broke. You’re paying to take classes in order to graduate with a college degree, which will then help propel you into your desired career path. You can go to parties, but hopefully that’s not the reason you’re paying several thousand a year to go to school. No party is worth that much, trust me. Future employers aren’t going to care how well you held your liquor or how many people you slept with in college. Future employers are going to look at your degree, and quite possibly your academic history (GPA, awards, etc.) to decide if you’re qualified for your dream job.
Look over each course syllabus, and write down on a calendar when each major paper, project, and assignment is due. Then, take a little time each day to work on each upcoming assignments so that you’re not cramming them all in at the last minute. These little victories pile up into massive ones, and will lead you to the promised land.
4. Make connections
In college, you’ll be surrounding yourself with many people who share your same interests. Form connections with your academic advisors and professors because they’ll write your recommendation letters in the future. Connect with people from your same major. You’re likely to see them a lot anyway, maybe even after college. Also think about where you want to go after you get out of school, and make connections there. If you have a goal, ask people who have done the same thing before you, and discover how they pulled it off. They could also help you in achieving the same goal. Life is all about the people you know. I mean, how many unqualified people do you know have a job because their relative is the boss? A degree is important, but make those connections while you're still in school.
5. Be nice to people
This should just be a basic tenant of everyone’s daily life, but be kind to people. You won’t make connections with people or get along well in college if you’re always stand-offish. Nobody is an island, and you will not get through college without the help of anyone. So smile, be polite, ask for help when you need it, help others if you can, and just treat others as if they could make or break your future. This especially applies to your roommates! You definitely want to get along with those you live with. Having chili sauce in your shower head is not a good way to start your morning.
6. Go for as much as you can handle
Stay within your comfort zone for the most part, but go for as much accreditation as you can get in college. Is your degree only going to take three years to complete? Then why not get a minor as well! My major in English Secondary Education, and I also have minors in Political Science and Spanish. So essentially, it’s like I have a double major. All this accreditation will allow me to teach half the high school curriculum in my first year of teaching. It will also give me a solid foundation in politics, as I will pursue my Master’s in Educational Leadership soon after undergraduate school. Will everything pan out as I plan? Probably not. Life is what happens when you're making plans, but it's still better to know where you want to go, and to have a plan of getting there.
Remember that college is a pivotal moment in everyone’s life. In college, you have the opportunity to lay a solid foundation for your professional career, so take advantage of it! But don’t let me tell you how to spend your money. Rock college!
