Staying Secure While In College

Unfortunately, security is something you have to think of while away at college. Sure, there will be security around campus including at the entrance to your residence hall, but you need more than that for peace of mind. When you're at college, you want to to keep your things inside of your room and not have them find a home in someone else's room. You don't have to worry about that happening all day every day, you simply need to take a few precautions.

First of all, don't leave your door unlocked when you're not in your dorm room. And don't give your key to a friend (even if it's a very good friend) so they can borrow a textbook or notebook while you're in class. Leaving your dorm door unlocked even if only for an hour while you're in class is going to be too inviting. You may not want to bother with the hassle of locking and unlocking your door every time you go to class, especially when you haven't had to do that before, but it is better to be safe and take that extra minute to make sure your items inside stay inside.

You're going to want to invest in a safe for your dorm room. There's no way around it. You can leave certain valuables at home such as a cherished bracelet or ring from your mom or grandma, but there will still be items you absolutely cannot be without that you will want locked up. You don't need an overly large safe, you just need something that can be easily hidden in your closet or even attached to an immovable object such as your bed. You may not have your cherished bracelet, but you still have credit cards, money, passport, and possibly iPod. Don't chance it - make sure those things are locked up.

Along with making sure your small valuable items are locked up, you'll want to find a way to make sure larger items stay put such as your TV or computer. You may not think anything of it to just leave your laptop out on your desk. That's what you do at home, after all. However, it can be very easy for that laptop to easily end up in someone else's hand. Either invest in an anchoring system or safe for these larger valuable items or in the case of your laptop or iPad, take them with you to class so you know they are safe.

When you're in common areas like the common room on your residence hall floor or in the college cafe, there are going to be a lot of people around. So last but not least, don't turn your back on your things. If you need to go pick up your coffee from the counter, take your bags with you. Don't leave big ticket items like your iPad sitting out on a table even if it's two feet away from you. College requires extra safety and precautions than you are used to. However, once you get in the habit of these simple acts such as not turning your back on your bags, it will become second nature to you and you won't think anything of it.

Making Money In College

When you’re in college, you’re going to be on your own and independent. You’re going to be going to dinner and coffee shop visits with friends and you’re also going to be grocery and clothing shopping. Unfortunately, you’re also going to have education expenses on top of all of these things. What are you going to need for all of these things? Money. When you’re in college, if you plan on doing these things, you’re going to need a bit of income.

Work Study – When you fill out the FAFSA for your college, you’ll find out if you’re eligible and awarded Federal Work Study. This is a pretty cool program – you get to work for the college and earn money to help pay for your education expenses. With this program, you’ll get to learn new things including what you like doing. You may get to work in your favorite area or department of the college, such as the library. Doing what you like will make this experience even more fun and rewarding and you may even get future career ideas from this program.

Sell Clothes – Want some extra money to spend on new clothes? Sell your old ones! Go through your clothes that you find yourself not wearing as often either because they don’t fit or don’t go with your style anymore, take the items to a consignment shop and see if you can make some money from those old clothes. You’ll be helping others in need and you’ll also be making some money that you can put toward college expenses such as food or to new clothes if you find yourself needing dress clothes for an interview or internship.

Internship – There are many types of internships out there. Along with earning credit for college, you can also earn money which makes an internship pretty awesome. You get to try out different career paths you may be interested in and you get to learn a lot while in an internship. This is great all around – you’ll make money, get college credit, and learn a lot about what you want to do in the future all at once.

Part Time Job – Lastly, you can get a part time job. Retail is a popular choice for college students, especially if it’s your favorite store. You get to have a flexible schedule for the most part and if you’re looking for a part time job during the holiday season, you will be able to find a lot of places that are hiring for seasonal help.

College Course Frustration

College courses can have a certain amount of frustration. It’s inevitable that there are going to be concepts that you don’t understand fully. There are also going to be subjects you don’t like or even concepts you don’t like within your chosen major. College is a time for you to learn as much as you can and have fun while learning. The point is – give those concepts and subjects a chance. Don’t give up on any of your classes, whether you’re struggling in them or don’t think you like the subject. All too often, college students find themselves enjoying a subject or author after college that they never enjoyed while in college learning about it. What happens then is regret. You may wish that you took more classes in the subject or that you paid more attention while learning about the author or concept. You don’t want to spend your time after you graduate wishing you took a certain class or wishing that you gave a certain author or concept a chance. Absorb what you can while in college because sadly, you won’t be able to go back and take the classes after. You can read the author or look up things on the subject online but it won’t be like learning in the class environment.

If there’s a class you’re somewhat interested in, take it. You have a certain number of electives to use for a reason. You may think that you want all of your electives to be in your chosen major, but avoid that trap. It’s a safe zone and while you may really enjoy your chosen major, you won’t be expanding much when you stick with those safe classes. Be adventuresome and add a creative writing class or a class in sociology or psychology. You may find that you really enjoy them to the point of taking on a minor in the subject. You may even find that those classes changed your perspective on what you want to do for a career and broadened your options. Most importantly, don’t wish away your time in college because it goes by too fast. When you’re in college you’re going to be thinking of deadlines, exams, and essays. When you’re constantly thinking of when something is due it can be hard to enjoy a certain aspect of your classes. Don’t forget to slow down and enjoy your college classes. You’re there to earn a degree and pursue a career path, but don’t forget to slow down and have fun while learning and give all of your classes and concepts a chance.