It’s not too late to save money on textbooks! Everyone knows how pricey one semester’s worth of textbooks can be, so here are some tricks to help you save loads.
Timing Is Key – You’re most likely to get a great deal on books if you’re buying really early or really late. As soon as you find out your class schedule for the next semester, buy your books! Procrastinating will leave you with substantially higher buying and renting prices during peak textbook purchasing time. However, if you procrastinate too much, you’ll still be fine. Wait till the semester has been underway for about a week or so (deal with sharing a textbook with a friend until then), then rent or purchase your books. Prices will plummet after the new semester starts.
Share With Friends – If you and your friends are taking the same classes, share textbooks! You’ll most likely choose to study together for every big exam anyways, so why not save yourselves some money in the process? That expensive chem textbook will suddenly drop from $180 to $90, and that French workbook will go from $40 to $20 – talk about cheap!
E-textbooks – Now e-learning is definitely not for everyone. However, for those who can still learn and study without a hard copy of a book, the benefits you can reap in savings are insane! By choosing an e-book, you can save up to 75% -- it doesn’t get better than that!
We all know how expensive textbook shopping is; it is definitely a necessary evil though. Never skip out on buying your books because you’d rather have a new Xbox for your room or you think you really need a new pair of Steve Madden heels. You never know when you’re going to end up with a super-strict professor or a class that’s really going to challenge you, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Remember, if you end up getting a book and realizing that you don’t really need it for your class, you can always return it – almost all textbook renting and buying sites have a flexible return policy.
August 25, 2011
August 17, 2011
Creative Ways To Make Money In College
Alexis Dent
We all know how hard it can be to save money while in college, and we all know that it can be even harder to earn it. With classes, sports, clubs, and activities, your free time is already limited, so who wants to spend what little free time they have doing some lame on-campus job? For some people who love structure, an on-campus job and/or work-study prove to be very useful. However, for others, working in the library every Tuesday and Thursday just won’t cut it. Here are some out-of-the-box ways to earn money in college.
Tutor – You can oftentimes sign up to be a tutor through your school’s academic support program, which makes tutoring your peers in your free time rather easy. However, you can also make some nice money by having your friends tell their friends that you’re a math savant or an literary genius. By tutoring on your own and not through your school, you can always create your schedule, set your own tutoring rates (be reasonable!), and choose who you want (and don’t want) to tutor.
Odd “Jobs” – In high school, an odd job was mowing lawns, raking leaves, or washing cars. However, once you’re in college, there are no lawns to mow or leaves to rake – your tuition covers that. And there are no cars to wash – it’s much easier to convince your elderly neighbor that you should wash his car than it is to convince your peers. Despite all this, you can still earn some extra money in unlikely ways. I’ve heard about all kind of campus “businesses”, from doing other students’ laundry to being a McDonalds delivery guy to students on campus. If you want to earn a couple extra bucks, you can definitely get creative and do it.
Selling Books – Textbook costs are pretty hefty, and we all hate coughing up tons of dough on books we’ll use for just a few months. However, at the end of the semester you can sell many, if not all, of your books back. Your school’s bookstore isn’t always the best bet – usually an online textbook retailer or website like Amazon will prove to be more lucrative. Now I know what some of you guys might be thinking: “That’s not making money, that’s earning money back!” But since you (or your parents) spent that money months ago on the textbooks, oftentimes you totally forget that you’re only making part of the money back.
While an on-campus job is always a steady way to earn some money while in school, that’s not always the best route for everyone. If you think a little bit, there is definitely a fun and creative way that you can make a couple bucks without cleaning tables in the dining hall.
August 9, 2011
Fun Things To Do Off-Campus
Alexis Dent
School can become very hectic, and there’s always a need for fun things to do when you need to alleviate some of the stress of college-life. Depending on whether your college is rural, urban, or suburban, it’ll have varying options for activities and entertainment, but here are some things you can do in basically every college town:
Go out to dinner – Even if you go to school in a small town or rural area where there are more hills than townies, there will always be a nice casual restaurant to go to. Going out to dinner is not only a great way to catch a break from dining hall food, but it also fosters a great environment to sit down and talk with your friends about things other than yesterday’s impossible-to-pass chemistry exam.
Shopping – Most girls (and some guys) LOVE to shop. Find the best (or in some cases, the only) shopping mall in your area and make that your go-to destination when your wardrobe needs to be re-vamped or you just want to window shop and spend some time away from campus.
Get outdoors – In some areas, the outdoor activity of choice is biking through the park, in others, its hiking, and in some, it’s just traipsing around the city streets on a nice day. Fresh air and exercise are two of the greatest things for your body. While it becomes easy to sit in your dorm and study (or sleep), going outside and enjoying your surroundings can be a great way to truly come to know and appreciate your college town.
Do something new – This one isn’t as specific, because doing something new will vary from person to person. Whether it’s trying sushi for the first time, riding the local amusement park’s huge rollercoaster, or even volunteering, dare to do something you didn’t do in high school. College is all about new experiences and broadening your horizons, so be sure to break your typical boundaries – in a positive way.
No matter how you choose to occupy your free time at school, remember that college is all about balancing work and fun. Too much of either is bad, but a perfect balance will have you succeeding in the classroom and with your friends. When you arrive at school be sure to start looking for things that will be fun to do with your friends when on-campus life gets a little dull!
August 3, 2011
College Life: Great Tips for Taking on the Transition from High School to College
For students who just graduated high school, going off to college is a whole different world. Students have freedom-- no more 7-hour school days, no more teachers who would bend over backwards for you, and no more parents to be there to drag you out of bed and make you go to class. Although this is good news to most people, students often have a hard time adapting and transitioning to college life. With these 5 easy tips, you'll have a firm grasp on how to tackle the transition and be fully ready for college life.
1). Homesickness is natural: Being away from home after living there for the first 18 years of your life is hard for many people. You may miss your family, friends and home, but the comforting part is that there are hundreds of other people in your dorm going through the same thing. Use that to your advantage and meet some people on your floor or in your classes. And most importantly, know that the homesick feeling is natural-- and in time it is sure to go away!
2). Balance is key: It's easy to think that you have all the time in the world in college. There will be time to spend on studying and catching up on work, and also time to relax, unwind, and have some fun-- but make sure you manage your time and keep a healthy balance of these. Too much time spent in the library will drive you crazy, and too much time spent out with your friends will hurt your grades. So prioritize. And remember: work hard, play hard!
3). Stress is a norm: Between multiple classes and loads of different work piling up, you may have a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed. However, that's a feeling that will become so common it will almost feel natural. As confusing as it may sound, the key is to prepare to feel unprepared. Just be sure you have some "you" time-- to relax, unwind, and relieve a little stress between your chaotic schedule.
4). Get to know your professors: Nobody likes to be a brown-noser. But introducing yourself and getting on a more personal level with your academic advisors will not only help your grades, but allow you to have someone to go to as well. It's not like high school where you need to be "cool;" it's a time where getting to know your professors and advisors will help you and your grades in the long run.
5). Budget your money: It's so easy to blow off the money you've saved over summer once you get to college. Between the necessary things-- books, food, events-- and the not-so-necessary things-- partying, clothes, going to the movies-- you can see a quickly-developing hole in your wallet. Set aside a certain amount of money each week to serve as your "spending" money and be sure to never exceed that limit. There will be many on-campus and off-campus job opportunities as well!
So, it's here. It's time to pack your things, say goodbye to your family and friends, and officially take the plunge into becoming a college freshman. But with these tips, you are ready to meet new people, manage your time, overcome stress, and budget your money. So be sure to prioritize, but be sure to save that time to unwind and let loose too. Use these tips to help you take on the transition into freshman year, and enjoy your college experience to the fullest!
1). Homesickness is natural: Being away from home after living there for the first 18 years of your life is hard for many people. You may miss your family, friends and home, but the comforting part is that there are hundreds of other people in your dorm going through the same thing. Use that to your advantage and meet some people on your floor or in your classes. And most importantly, know that the homesick feeling is natural-- and in time it is sure to go away!
2). Balance is key: It's easy to think that you have all the time in the world in college. There will be time to spend on studying and catching up on work, and also time to relax, unwind, and have some fun-- but make sure you manage your time and keep a healthy balance of these. Too much time spent in the library will drive you crazy, and too much time spent out with your friends will hurt your grades. So prioritize. And remember: work hard, play hard!
3). Stress is a norm: Between multiple classes and loads of different work piling up, you may have a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed. However, that's a feeling that will become so common it will almost feel natural. As confusing as it may sound, the key is to prepare to feel unprepared. Just be sure you have some "you" time-- to relax, unwind, and relieve a little stress between your chaotic schedule.
4). Get to know your professors: Nobody likes to be a brown-noser. But introducing yourself and getting on a more personal level with your academic advisors will not only help your grades, but allow you to have someone to go to as well. It's not like high school where you need to be "cool;" it's a time where getting to know your professors and advisors will help you and your grades in the long run.
5). Budget your money: It's so easy to blow off the money you've saved over summer once you get to college. Between the necessary things-- books, food, events-- and the not-so-necessary things-- partying, clothes, going to the movies-- you can see a quickly-developing hole in your wallet. Set aside a certain amount of money each week to serve as your "spending" money and be sure to never exceed that limit. There will be many on-campus and off-campus job opportunities as well!
So, it's here. It's time to pack your things, say goodbye to your family and friends, and officially take the plunge into becoming a college freshman. But with these tips, you are ready to meet new people, manage your time, overcome stress, and budget your money. So be sure to prioritize, but be sure to save that time to unwind and let loose too. Use these tips to help you take on the transition into freshman year, and enjoy your college experience to the fullest!
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