College Student Blog

PERSISTENCE- WHEN DEALING WITH PROFESSORS

2010-03-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Often times, you need to be persistent with your professors, and not afraid to ask questions. I have on multiple occasions, asked professors for explanations about grades, that often results in a change of grade, or redoing the assignment. There is nothing wrong with asking to meet with them about a grade.

In fact I was even able to work out a grade change for the overall grade for a class. This wouldn't of happened if I didn't simply ask about these assignments. Don't be afraid, they want to help. If you show that you didn't understand the concept, and are willing to put in the time to do the work again, they respect that and want to help you in return for your hard work!

Technology Supply List

2010-01-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of some technological items you may want to pick up before you start college:

Laptop- See previous blog.

Laptop cooling pad- It keeps your laptop cool, and increases battery life. This will usually run you about $20.

Flash drive- AKA jump drive, memory stick, usb stick, and some other names. This is a very important item! I would get a 4GB, which will be plenty of memory. This will usually run you about $20.

Laptop bag- I had one at first, but then I started just using my back pack. You can save money on buying a back pack with a laptop compartment that is padded, instead of buying a new back pack and laptop bag. This will usually run you about $30.

Laptop lock- These can be very useful, especially if you are going to live in the dorms at some point. These locks plug into your laptop and then you wrap the cable around a stationary item like a bed or chair, and they have a rolling dial combination lock on it. This will usually run you about $25-40.

Spare laptop battery- This isn't necessary, but can be useful. Most of my classes have places for you to plug your laptop into during class. If yours doesn't and you plan on using your laptop a lot during the day, you may want to invest in a spare battery. I wouldn't recommend buying a cheap knock off brand from the internet, I would pay the extra money and buy from the same company that makes your laptop. This will usually run you about $50.

As far as software, you will need Microsoft Word, Excel, Power point, and any others that you may like. You can usually get student editions from your college or university relatively cheap. I was able to get all those items from my college technology office for only $40 which is way less than half of the cost, depending on where you buy.

Estimated total (other than the actual laptop)- $185- 200

CHOOSING A LAPTOP- MAC VS. PC

2010-01-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

When you enter into your freshman year of college one of the first purchases a student makes is a laptop. Many students go back in forth between buying a Mac or a PC.

A Mac is a very good brand of computer, generally virus free, very safe, and often eco friendly. However, for most major universities, a Mac is not the way to go. I am not a Mac hater or anything, so hear me out. For one thing, a Mac is very expensive. Most Macs START around $1000 and that is without a 3 year warranty. I would strongly suggest a PC such as an HP or Dell. I won't tell you specifically which brand of laptop to get, but HP's run very well, and I have heard similiar from Dell users. The downfall with Dell for most students is actually the appearance, they aren't very styish, which has nothing to do with how it operates, but that's how many young students think.

Another big reason, and probably the biggest reason you should get a PC instead of a Mac is because most computer labs are PC and almost all of the professors' computers in the classrooom for the projector is a PC. I have seen numerous students go to give power point presentations in class, have their power point on their flash drive, and it won't work because of it being a Mac file.

SUMMARY- Get a PC, and save yourself the hassle. If your college happens to be a Mac school, then great go with a Mac, and be ready to dish out some extra cash.

MONEY TIPS- MAKING SOME EXTRA CASH PT. 2

2010-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

OK. So since most of us are college students, I have an idea. With the green movement that is going on right now throughout the country and even the world, I have a great solution to help the planet, and make some extra cash.

Chegg.com will buy your old textbooks that are laying around your dorm or apartment or wherever you are. All you have to do is go to their website and enter the book you have, and you can make some extra cash, FAST. Also, if you use the code "CC111294" they will send you an extra $5.

You can also rent books as I have mentioned before for nearly 75% off the cost of buying them, and with the code "CC111294" you can get an additional 5% off.

THE BEST PART- The best part is that Chegg will plant a tree for every book you buy or rent. What's cool about this is that you get to choose where the tree goes! So check it out and rake in some cash!

MONEY TIPS- HOW TO MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH!!!

2010-01-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well, as you all know college students are generally broke/ poor and need money. Usually freshmen students will disagree, that they don't feel like they are broke or poor. That's because they are still riding out their graduation money, and mommy and daddy or who ever is still helping them out. This greatly slows down by your sophomore year, and even more so if you live off campus. So I am going to give you some advice for making money, other than a job.

The first thing you can do to make extra cash is by doing just about nothing. Give plasma. Plasma in the liquid part of the blood. The process is similar to donating blood. They take a small amount of your blood, run it through a machine, the machine separates your platelets and blood cells from the liquid plasma. Then the important platelets and blood cells are returned to your blood stream and they keep the plasma. This process doesn't take much time, ususally just under or around an hour each time. So, how much can you make? Well, you can make close to $300 a month, that would be if you "donated" twice a week every month. So if you don't mind needles, try it out.

The next way is "Trash for Cash". This is a great idea if you are living in a dorm or apartment building. It's simple, all you need is an empty cup, and a huge lawn and leaf sturdy garbage bag. You take the bag and cup door to door and tell them that you are collecting trash and would take their trash for a donation. If they ask what the money goes to, tell them the truth, spring break, beer money, ramen noodles, you know, the important stuff. So, how much can you make? Well this isn't something you do every day, more like once a week, so you can make in my guess anywhere between $15 and $50 a week depending on the size of the building you live in.

This next way might take a little more effort, but can bring in a lot more money. Apartment referrals. An apartment referral is when you tell another student about an apartment complex and you reccommend it to them, and refer them to the office. Basically you say, "Hey, you still looking for housing for next year. Go check out (insert rental company here), it's a great place and they have an affordable rate." Give that person the phone number and have them tell the company that you referred them. This takes being more social than others and you may not get any money right off the bat. The best time to start trying to get referrals is as soon as the year starts because students have to find housing fast in order to get nice houses and apartments. So, how much money can you make? Around $100 per referral. Keep in mind though, you don't make money just because they call, they have to actually sign a lease and move in there.

Well that's all for now. Look forward for the next blog coming up in the next couple days on having a job, and maybe a few more easy money tips. If you liked this blog, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

CHOOSING A MAJOR- OPEN MINDEDNESS

2010-01-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

When choosing a major, it is good to be open minded. Too many people go into college with a set mindset of "What I want to be when I grow up", well you really aren't grown up yet, and while it is good to go in with an idea of what you want to do, don't force yourself to enjoy it. I went through this myself. I applied to my university with a major that really interested me, but the week before my freshman year started, I saw dollar signs in another major, I thought I could make a lot more money doing that instead. So I change my major from what I enjoy, to what would make me money. HUGE mistake!? (not really). I am glad I did though. I only was in that major for one term, and I met a lot of people that I am still friends with, got general knowledge on a subject that I would normally know nothing about, and took a couple interesting classes that I wouldn't have other wise taken.

I didn't force myself to enjoy the major and program. It just wasn't for me. Turns out, it wasn't for over 60% of the freshmen who went into that program because that's how many transferred into another major. I went back to the major I originally applied for, and I am extremely happy. I ended up having to take another class that I wouldn't normally take, and now I am double majoring with that class.

WALK AWAY WITH THIS- Don't feel like you have to pick a major based purely on money, your parents, what your friends are doing, or what a boyfriend or girlfriend may be doing. Find something that makes you happy. I know you hear that a lot when referring to jobs, but with college it's easier to find an enjoyable major than it is to find a job straight out of high school that you enjoy. Be open minded. If you take an elective class for example Anthropology or Psychology, or hey even German Studies, and you really enjoy that class, take another one. Meet with the professor of that class and talk to them about possible double majoring, minoring, or even changing your major all together. College is all about choices, and learning from those choices.

MONEY TIPS- PAYING THOUSANDS FOR SERVICES YOU DON'T NEED!

2010-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a money secret for you. This is something that the student services and financial aid offices don't want you to know about.

Many universities charge you for services that you don't necessarily need or use that can cost you THOUSANDS!!!

Here is my experience from just recently as an example of some cost that you may be getting charged for that you can have removed.

My university was charging me $360 per quarter for health coverage, $50 per quarter for mental and physical health services, and $8 per quarter for legal services. Now, those are great if you don't have coverage of your own, or if you really need the health services, but I don't need them, so why should I pay for them. This totals $418 per quarter, or $1,254 per year, or $5,016 for a 4 year degree. Now, I prefer to keep the legal services, because let's be realistic, it's college. There's a lot of potential trouble, whether you're at fault or not, and for only $24 a year, I'll keep it. However, that's a lot of money to spend on services that you didn't ask for or don't need. You can get these services taken off of your bill simply by asking. GOOD LUCK.

Parents- Call the university's registrar's or financial aid office and ask for a breakdown of all student costs and fees.

Students- Go to the university's registrar's or financial aid office and ask the same thing, and find out if you can cut some costs. Also, you may need to take your medical insurance card.

PS. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the blog!
PSS

Did you know that the average student will spend over $500 per term buying textbooks? Seems like an awful lot of money to buy textbooks that often get opened one time, right? Well, with Chegg.com, you will save hundreds!

So stop wasting your money and start renting from Chegg.com. I’m on the bandwagon and I’ve saved enough to buy all my term papers! Not really, but I have saved some serious cash by Chegging my books. I have a promo code that will save you an additional 5% off your total order, useCC111294.

Want proof?

Essential Biology by Campbell, Reece & Simon is $83.18 if you buy it on Amazon.com. If you rent it on Chegg.com, it’s only $11.78. That’s a savings of over $71!

It’s so simple, just search for the books you need and place your order. Chegg will ship them to you fast and at the end of the term you ship them back for free. What’s really cool is that they plant a tree for every book that you rent.

Don’t forget to visit Chegg.com and use promo code CC111294.

Money Tips- Cheap Textbooks!!!

2010-01-07T16:21:00.001-08:00

ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS- RENT YOUR TEXTBOOKS REALLY CHEAP AT CHEGG.COM AND RECEIVE A DISCOUNT USING THE COUPON CODE CC111294

Parents, students, spread the word, use this code and get a discount. This is really a great site and the code is re-usable as many times as you would like. I know what it's like to be a broke college student and needing to get the most of your money. Check it out and save some cash!

Choosing A College

2009-12-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

The first thing a high school student needs to do is take the ACT or SAT. I recommend taking it more than once. I personally took it 7 times, but 2 is enough. After you have a satisfying score you need to start looking at colleges. Start with the local colleges and universities and even the community and junior colleges. Not everyone is ready for the full size Division 1 school with 50,000 students, and that's OK. Start by going to the websites and seeing if the school even offers the major or program that you want to pursue.

After you've been to a few websites, and gain more interest in different places, you need to set up a visit. I visited about 7 different places, and re-visited 5. I wanted to be sure of where I wanted to go because college is a huge step. There are too many students that go away to school and are back home after fall quarter or semester because they aren't happy with where they are. This can ultimately lead to dropping out. So set up your visit (you can find this on most college's website or a guidance counselor can help), and go learn and have fun.

Don't go to a school for the name. Let me say that again, DON'T GO TO A SCHOOL FOR THE NAME. As mentioned before, you don't want to go to (State) University because they have a great athletic program (unless you are a prospective college athlete). That university just may not fit you, and that's OK.

Now, you've toured some places and have narrowed down your choices a bit. Time to start applying. Send out applications to at least your top three schools, and then to one or two that you liked but aren't sure about. APPLY EARLY! It is much easier to get into a major college if you apply by Thanksgiving and Winter break. Don't let rejection get you down. Some colleges may deny you admission, so what. That doesn't mean your college dreams are over with at all. Shrug it off, some colleges may deny you admission, and then reconsider you in a couple months. Keep in mind that you don't want to apply to every college under the sun, most major universities charge you an application fee between $40 and $70. When you visit some places (before you apply) you can ask for an application fee waiver, which means you won't have to pay to apply. When you apply, there is usually a personal essay section. Do this on Microsoft Word, and not in your Internet browser (if applying online). If you do it in the browser, and the page refreshes or anything, you essay is lost. Do it in Word, and save frequently. Take your time on these essays. If your academics aren't amazing, the essay section is your chance to prove that you are college material, and that you can fit into that university. Save these essays, you may be able to use them for other applications. Take your essays to you English teacher in you high school, and have them review it for you, I'm glad I did, it made a huge difference!

So, now you have been accepted to a couple places. CONGRATULATIONS! Maybe you know where you want to go now, maybe not. There's still time. Let's keep narrowing it down. This is the biggest factor for most students, MONEY. On my next blog I will get into detail how to get extra money for college that even the financial aid offices don't want you to know. For now, don't stress too hard over money. The most obvious advice I can give you is to apply for the FAFSA. Let's repeat this too APPLY FOR THE FAFSA!!! You might think that your parents make too much money to get aid from the FAFSA, but you may be wrong. It's not all about total income, there are a lot of factors taken into consideration. You might not get grants, but you could be up for some Federal Loans that you can wait to start paying off until after you graduate college, which most banks won't do. So, again APPLY FOR THE FAFSA!!!

So you're applied for the FAFSA, and received some financial aid packages from schools and you see what school is offering you the best offer. Great. If there is a huge difference in the schools' packages, and you would be happy at either place, then your decision could be much easier now.

Regardless, when you are down to your final decision, visit again. Go the campus one more time to be sure that this is where you could potentially spend the next 4 years (or more) of your life. This time, meet with someone in the academic department involved with the major of your choice. I never though to do this until I went to visit a small Division 3 college, and I was automatically set up to visit the head of the department. It was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot about the school and program. That's definitely one of the advantages of a small college or even junior college.

After you made your final visit, and are sure of where you want to go, it's time to... BREATHE! Great, you've made it this far. Send in your housing deposit to verify enrollment, and focus on the rest of your senior year of high school. REMEMBER, you have to send the university a final transcript, so don't slack for your second semester, because the college will see that!

Recap- Take the ACT or SAT, visit some colleges' websites, take some tours, send out applications, fill out the FAFSA, look at your financial aid packages, make a decision, take a final tour, meet with staff in your department of choice, send housing deposit, send final transcript, and BREATHE!

In my next blog I will tell you how to get the most money from the college of your choice. I will tell you secrets that even the financial aid offices don't want you to know about!!!