DuoLingo

Whether you’re studying abroad in a foreign country or taking a required foreign language class, the DuoLingo app can get you through the semester. You can learn any language and for free! There are various lessons that let you practice speaking, listening and translations skills. The app is set up in a way where challenges are used to motivate to make progress as you learn a new language. The in-lesson grading component further helps you improve by letting you see which answers you got correct or wrong so you can see where there’s room for improvement. Need more practice? You can further immerse yourself in the language by streaming TV shows in the language you are studying.  Go to the setting in your tv and swap the language or subtitles to the language you are studying. The more you hear a language in conversation the quicker it is to pick up. When you don’t have someone to practice with listening or reading it as you watch your favorite movie is the next best thing.

Quizlet

Quizlet is a site that is made for students by students. If you’re taking a certain course and have various online quizzes or homework, chances are you can practice learning the same exact material on Quizlet.com. Those who have taken the same course as you prior have shared those same questions and answers from their coursework. You can customize the way you want to learn the material. For instance, the platform can curate certain definitions, facts and questions in a flashcard format, interactive challenges, quizzes or simply just list in a Q&A format for review.

Google Docs

Many college courses require group projects and collaboration. It can often be hard to get everyone together in the same room to work on the same presentation or paper. Google Docs is a great way to share and edit living and breathing documents between you and your classmates. All you need to do is start or upload a document for others in the group to add their part to it and make revisions from there. At the end of the day, the platform encourages the ultimate sense of teamwork.

Cite This For Me

After writing pages upon pages of a research paper, the last thing you want to do when it’s complete is figure out how to put together a bibliography. There’s so many different rules regarding formatting and style to keep track of, why not use the online resources that are available to do the groundwork for you. Cite This For Me is powered by Chegg, is an online tutoring and course-help service. The service will cite whatever material you used for you, be it a website, book, journal, magazine, documentary or show. You also can select the style in which you wish to format the bibliography whether it be APA, MLA, Harvard or Chicago.

Splitwise

When everyone’s on a student budget, every penny counts. Large group outings like dinners and nights on the town can become a nightmare when the bill comes. To make sure everyone’s paying their share without going through the hassle of figuring out how to split the bill, use the Splitwise app. Share you bills and IOUs to friends easily. The app helps you keep tabs on what you owe to others and what others owe you throughout all your social outings.

These free and very relevant online resources will make your college experience so much easier and worth every dime of tuition.

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If you do happen to find yourself in this position, you might want to consider looking into refinancing your student loans. Reducing your interest rate (even by a small percentage) can save you thousands over the course of your loan term. You’ll also be able to put more money against your loan by cutting out any unnecessary spending, like electing to cook at home more often or having a no fee bank account. However, if you have yet to decide which degree you’ll pursue and want to avoid making a ‘major mistake’, consider these 8 degrees with the best return on your investment (ROI).

The following list—based on a figure by Salary.com—calculates ROI by subtracting the average cost of a degree from the earnings over a 30 year period (generally regarded as your lifetime earnings), then divides the difference by the cost. The list then presents examples of positions commonly held amongst degree holders, and their pertaining ROI values. Take a glance! You might just find your degree pays for itself.

Math

Actuary II

Median Annual Salary: $70,029

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 110%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 33%

Operations Research Analysis Manager

Median Annual Salary: $146,456

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 230%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 70%

Information Technology

Web Applications Developer

Median Annual Salary: $80,584

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 126%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 38%

Business Intelligence Specialist

Median Annual Salary: $109,604

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 172%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 52%

Human Resources

Recruiting Manager

Median Annual Salary: $88,916

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 139%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 42%

Human Resources Manager

Median Annual Salary: $87,184

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 137%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 41%

Economics

Economist (Non-Governmental)

Median Annual Salary: $115,671

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 182%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 55%

Investment Operations Manager

Median Annual Salary: $142,921

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 225%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 68%

Biology

Laboratory Manager

Median Annual Salary: $85,292

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 134%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 40%

Healthy and Safety Supervisor

Median Annual Salary: $71,758

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 114%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 34%

Engineering

Chemical Engineer II

Median Annual Salary: $75,225

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 118%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 35%

Electrical Engineering Supervisor II

Median Annual Salary: $91,997

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 144%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 44%

Marketing

Marketing Manager

Median Annual Salary: $86,591

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 136%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 41%

Product Manager/Brand Manager

Median Annual Salary: $92,216

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 145%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 44%

 English

Communications Manager

Median Annual Salary: $88,498

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 139%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 42%

Content Manager

Median Annual Salary: $79,674

ROI for Graduates of Public Institutions: 125%

ROI for Graduates of Private Institutions: 38%

The post Top College Majors With The Greatest ROI appeared first on cheapscholar.org.

1. Sleep

College life is busy, and it can be hard to prioritize sleep when you have so much to do. There is a reason pulling all-nighters is almost synonymous with the college years. But not getting the required amount of sleep can lead to very real health consequences. Sleep deprivation can affect performance, cause anxiety, depression and increase the risk for heart disease and obesity. Adults require between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, preferably on a consistent schedule.

2. Move

Regular exercise is an amazing natural stress reliever. You don’t have to become a gym rat to reap the benefits of movement; just 20 minutes of activity a day will help reduce stress levels. The key to regular exercise is choosing something you enjoy, whether it is rock climbing or nature walks or yoga or pick-up basketball. Find something you like to do and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

3. Eat real food

Eating can become an afterthought when your schedule is packed, and it can lead you to skip meals and end up grabbing whatever is available on the go, usually highly processed and fatty foods. In fact, when you are stressed, your body craves food high in fat, sugar and salt. But eating this way consistently can lead to lowered immunity and sugar imbalances that cause mood swings, poor concentration and fatigue.

5. Limit alcohol

This one is hard for many college students to recognize. They see drinking as a means of stress relief, a way to blow off steam at the end of the day. But research has shown that drinking while your brain is under stress makes you more likely to turn to alcohol more often, leading to addiction and chronic health issues later on. Like stress spending, the temporary stress relief found after a few drinks doesn’t actually solve the core issue.

6. Get a pet

If the thought of coming home every day to an animal brings a smile to your face, you might think about taking the plunge into pet ownership. Pets can have real stress-relieving benefits. Researchers at Ohio State University found that students who live with a dog or cat were less likely to feel lonely and depressed. Of course, before you get a pet, you need to make sure you have the time, space and the right supplies (like rabbit cages for bunnies, leashes and dishes for a puppy, cat condos and litter boxes for kitties) to properly care for your animal friend.

The stress you feel as a college student is real and can lead to bad habits like stress spending. Work on decreasing your stress and curbing those habits with proper sleep, regular exercise, eating well, limiting alcohol and spending time with a beloved pet.

The post 6 Ways to Alleviate Stress for College Students appeared first on cheapscholar.org.

Having a credit card gives you more freedom to buy things, but it also exposes you to risks if you misuse your credit or if your identity gets stolen. Credit problems can affect your financial future, but with a little strategy and planning, you can build your credit while also protecting your finances while you’re in college.

How Your Finances Can Affect Your Future

If you want to buy a car or a home in the future, your ability to get financing will depend on your credit score. Your credit score is a measure of your ability to pay back money you borrow. It reflects your income, how well you manage money you borrow, and how reliable you are at repaying loans on time. Credit card companies, banks, car dealers, and mortgage lenders who are considering lending you money use your credit score to evaluate whether or not you’re a good risk. A high score makes you a better risk and more likely to receive a credit card or loan, while a low score makes you less likely to receive consideration.

Your score can go down if you borrow too much for your income level, if you spend too much of your credit limit, or if you don’t pay bills on time. It can also go down if someone steals your identity and spends money in your name. A bad credit score in college can keep you from getting credit cards, a car loan, or a mortgage loan after you graduate.

How to Build and Keep a Good Credit Score

The trick to building a good credit score is to borrow and repay enough to establish a good track record that proves you’re responsible with money, without borrowing so much that you can’t afford to repay it. In order to do this, one important strategy is to keep the amount of your credit line that you spend within manageable limits rather than maxing out your credit cards. Most credit card experts advise you not to spend more than 30 percent of your limit, but spending less will improve your score. Consumers with credit scores above 800 on the FICO scale, considered an excellent rating, generally spend only seven percent of their available credit.

In addition to keeping your spending within manageable limits, another major factor affecting your credit score is paying your bills on time. Always paying your bills on time will help maintain your credit score.

In addition, you can improve your score by taking out a loan and repaying it on time, which demonstrates that you’re responsible with debt management. Many banks offer small loans known as credit builder loans for this purpose.

How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft and Credit Fraud

Another key to protecting your credit rating while you’re in college is guarding yourself against identity theft. Student identity theft is three times the average rate, and students are four times more likely to be taken advantage of by someone they know, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.

Protecting yourself against identity thieves requires following good online security practices. Lock your mobile device with a strong password or a biometric authentication tool such as facial recognition. For online accounts, use a password manager instead of typing in your password manually. Keep your operating systems and apps current with the latest versions and security updates. Use a secure connection such as a VPN when going online. Avoid transmitting financial data over unsecured connections such as public Wi-Fi hotspots, and only use encrypted sites featuring an HTTPS extension when making online transactions. Beware of email scams and bad links.

It’s also important to protect physical documents that may contain sensitive data. Make sure you pick up your mail promptly, and shred any financial documents before throwing them away. Keep important paperwork, such as your Social Security card, stored securely in a safe location such as a personal safe or a safety deposit box.

Monitoring your credit report will also help alert you if someone has stolen your identity. You can monitor your report automatically by signing up for an identity theft protection service. This type of service can notify you of suspicious use of your identity so that you can promptly alert credit bureaus to freeze your credit report. It can also help you recover your identity and limit your losses.

Be Strategic

Bad credit scores in college can hurt your ability to get a credit card or loan after graduation. You can build a good credit score by maintaining a low balance on your credit limit, paying bills on time, and building a history of repaying loans. Taking steps to guard yourself against identity theft, such as signing up for an anti-identity theft service, will also help you protect your credit score and your financial future.

The post How to Protect Your Financial Security When You’re a College Student appeared first on cheapscholar.org.

Fortunately there are ways borrowers can regain their financial footing through refinancing their student loan debt. By taking stock of all the loans you owe, you can evaluate if refinancing makes sense for you.

Here are a few simple tips that should be top of mind when considering a refinancing option:

1. Take a look at all of the loans you have, from both private lenders and the Federal government. Calculate your current outstanding loan balances, interest rates and remaining payments. Then, find an online calculator (there are many out there, including the one on PNC’s Education Loan Center) to determine how much a refinancing option may save you on monthly payments and/or the term of your loan.

2. Know your complete financial picture. Loan approval and the terms of the new loan (if approved) are typically based on your credit and payment history. Know the requirements of the lender, which may include your financial and payment history and your current outstanding education loan obligations.

3. Fixed or Variable? Know the difference. Most lenders offer both fixed and variable interest rate options, so it’s vital to know which may best fit your financial situation. As the terms imply, a fixed rate stays constant over time and will not change, while a variable rate varies with the market and could change, up or down, over the life of the loan.

4. Look at the terms. Many lenders do not require application or origination fees and there is no prepayment penalty if the loan is paid off early.  Also consider whether the lender offers an interest rate deduction when payments are made directly from a checking or savings account or other rate discounts.

After considering all of these points, if you believe refinancing is the right move for you, take that step to help you achieve your long-term financial goals.

About The Author:

Today’s guest article comes from Naimesh Patel who serves as the General Manager for personal & student lending at PNC Bank

The post Does Refinancing Your Education Loans Make Sense? appeared first on cheapscholar.org.

As part of being more independent, it’s also important to learn some key adulting skills that go beyond basic classroom punctuality and keeping on top of your homework. For example, here are three adulting skills all college students should quickly pick up and learn.

1. Learn How to Maintain Your Car

While living under your parents’ roof, chances are your folks took care of paying for car insurance and regular vehicle maintenance. But now that you’re away at college, it will become important for you to learn how to care for and maintain your car. In addition to keeping you safe on the road, taking your car in for regular maintenance can prevent more costly issues from popping up later.

In particular, tire shops and mechanics will typically put stickers on the top left corner of your windshield, indicating by date or a certain mileage when you should bring your car in again for a tune-up or tire rotation. Along these lines, it’s also important to learn how to determine the age of your tires, as well as what type to purchase.

Not sure how to go about it? Look for the long-tail code comprised of 10 to 12 numbers and letters beginning with “DOT” on the side of each of your tires. The date when the tires were manufactured will make up the last four digits of the DOT code, with the first two indicating the week they were produced and the last two indicating the year.

For instance, if your tires include “0412,” then you know they were manufactured in January 2012. Still, even if you aren’t putting a lot of miles on your vehicle, experts still recommend that your tires be replaced every five to six years. With that in mind, make sure to keep tabs on your tires†birth dates and celebrate the occasion by buying new replacements when needed.

2. Pay Your Bills on Time

Even if your parents are taking care of your tuition, room and board or rent and groceries, it’s still a good idea to look into paying for some of your own expenses. For instance, if you have a part-time job, tell your folks that you plan to pay for your own groceries, as well as fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

Similarly, if you pay your credit card online, make sure to set up reminder notices to avoid a late payment; after all, it’s not uncommon for credit card companies to charge $35 or more, even if your payment is only a day late. While you can certainly arrange for the minimum amount to be automatically withdrawn each month from your checking account, you’ll want to be sure you have enough money to cover these and other bills, including your utility, water, TV, internet and trash providers.Â

Indeed, paying your bills on time will not only keep your lights and water on, but it will also help to simultaneously increase your credit score and teach you responsibility.

3. Get Enough Sleep

Yes, you can stay up until 3 a.m. every night if you want to, and yes, you can drink extra lattes to get you through your finals week. But as any parent or expert will tell you, learning how to balance your studies and social life and getting enough sleep can be a difficult proposition, but certainly one that will help you throughout life.

Instead of feeling tired, stressed out and more prone to becoming sick, getting enough nightly sleep will keep you on an even keel. Thus, try to limit your late-night partying and join a study group to help you get your homework done during the day, rather than procrastinating until 2 a.m. However, if your roommate is a night owl, use a white noise machine, run a fan, and/or invest in some quality ear plugs to help you fall and stay asleep.

Congratulations, You’re Well on Your Way to Adulting!

Your college years will fly by pretty quickly, and before you know it, you’ll be on your own in the real world. But by learning a number of key “adulting” skills now, you will be better suited to take on the many responsibilities of post-graduate life.

The post 3 Adulting Skills College Students Should Quickly Learn appeared first on cheapscholar.org.

1. Creating a Plan

Having goals provides terrific motivation for creating a plan and sticking to it. Do you want to join the Peace Corp? Perhaps you’d like to teach English in a foreign country? Or perhaps you are eager to start earning right away so that you can start putting money away for a house. Whatever your goals are, put pen to paper and put together a plan for how you might achieve them. Think of a goal as a destination, and a plan as directions on how to get there – you wouldn’t set off across the country without first consulting a map, would you? Achieving your goals should be treated no differently.

2. Finding a Job

Finding a job can be difficult, tiring, and discouraging, and may take much longer than you anticipate. The important thing is to not give up. Keep at it and treat finding a job like a job. Commit yourself to it for eight hours a day, five days a week, until you land that coveted position. Keep track of your applications with a spreadsheet, and don’t be afraid to follow up with contacts if you haven’t heard back. Most hiring managers are dealing with dozens, if not hundreds of applicants. To make your job easier, consider using sites like Monster, Indeed, and LinkedIn to find positions that might be right for your education and experience. Do so and you may even be able to find a job before you move.

3. Taking Care of Essentials

To make things easier for you once you’ve arrived in your new town or state, consider taking care of some essentials before you get there – or at least as early as possible. Change your mailing address as soon as possible, update billing and mailing info with your banks and credit card companies, transfer your insurance policies over to your new state (if applicable), and research driver license requirements as well. The more you can do in advance, the less you’ll have to do when you get to your new home. And considering the many facets involved with a big move post-graduation, you’ll appreciate all the help that you can get. How can you keep track of all of these essentials? See Step One!

4. Building Your Savings Account

Unfortunately, moving often doesn’t come cheaply – this is especially true if you’re picking up everything and moving out of state. Between hiring movers, transporting your goods across state lines (or even city-to-city), getting yourself to your new destination, and covering move-in expenses at your new place, you are likely looking at several thousand dollars simply to get from Point A to Point B. Needless to say, it pays to have some money saved up. How do you do this when you’re a starving college student? Well, believe it or not, you have options.

For students graduating in a year or two, put together a savings plan now. Even $100 per month can make a big difference when it comes time to graduate – over the course of two years, that leaves you with nearly $2,500 in your pocket. If you’ve already graduated and have little in the way of savings, then we recommend picking up extra work so that you can earn additional income. This may mean taking on additional shifts at your current job, picking up a second job in your off hours, or freelancing. Other options, like Amway, make it possible to earn money on your own schedule, at your own pace. With this extra income, you can cover your moving expenses and have some left over in the till at the end of the day.

5. Making Friends and Settling In

Finally, make yourself at home in your new home. Even if you’re moving back to your hometown after four years away, many college graduates find that the home they return to is not the home that they left – they have changed, and so has their town. To help the process of making new friends as easy and seamless as possible, consider joining clubs, forming bonds with new co-workers, finding like-minded people on social media, and trying new things. Use sites like Yelp to find cool restaurants and attractions in town, and dive into local publications for insider knowledge on upcoming events, concerts, and more. Remember, not until you’ve settled in will your new house become your new home.

The post Making the Big Move after Graduation appeared first on cheapscholar.org.

Sturdy Backpack

You’ll be lugging plenty of study materials around campus for at least four years, so do your future self — and your back — a favor and invest in a sturdy backpack to haul it all around. Look for a design that is as sturdy as it is sleek so that it can easily transition as a work bag for your internship or first job. Key features to look for are a special padded laptop section, hidden compartments for valuables, as well as plenty of other storage compartments to keep the rest of your essentials organized and accessible.

Shower Curtain & Other Bathroom Linens

It’s worth splurging on a quality shower curtain to keep your bathroom looking clean and elevate the style of your space for a more adult look. Be sure to protect your shower curtain from mold and mildew by using a mildew-resistant liner. This can prevent mildew from growing, which can also save you time cleaning your bathroom.

Instead of buying the cheapest towels you can find in bulk, spring for towels that cost a little more. High-quality bath towels, hand towels and washcloths will often wash and wear better, lasting longer and saving you money in the long run. Skip the colorful options in favor of solid white towels that can easily be bleached to look like new if they stain or start to discolor.

Reusable Water Bottle

Maintaining optimal hydration offers a host of health benefits, from aiding digestion and helping you feel more energized to improving the look of your skin and promoting overall immunity. And if you are living it up in the typical college fashion and going out drinking with your friends often, hydration is even more important to ward off those dreaded hangovers.

Splurge on a double-walled stainless steel water bottle from Hydroflask, Swell or Klean Kanteen. While plastic water bottles, even the reusable kind, can leach chemicals into your water, stainless steel water bottles are safer and more eco-friendly. The sturdy construction also means this style of water bottle is more durable and can stand up to the drop and tumbles that can occur as you tote it around on campus daily. Double-walled, vacuum-insulated construction is key for temperature stability, keeping your water cold for hours in any environment.

Wireless Key Finder

You’ve got a lot going on and all of that juggling can make it easy to lose track of the simplest little things, like your keys. Save yourself the headache of furiously tearing your place apart looking for your keys by investing in a wireless key finder. This ingenious little device attaches to your keyring and uses a Bluetooth signal to pair with your phone. When you cannot locate your keys, simply deploy the find feature from the device app on your phone and it will begin playing a designated finder tune to help guide you toward your keys.

By splurging on the above items, you can enjoy years of use and spend less sweating the small stuff and more time focusing on your studies.

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