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Save Money Early In The Semester

Oftentimes, college students have more money to spend at the beginning of the semester than the end of it. Help yourself now by planning your spending and don't blow it all in the first few weeks.

Geezeo has some simple tips that will help you to stretch out those hard earned dollars for a few more weeks into the semester. I've added my own comments to each item:

+ Buy Books Used
While there are all kinds of strategies to find books at the best deal online, your best bet will be to buy a USED book. If you buy a used book from a smart person, all of the important parts will be highlighted already. But you gotta shop early to get the used books. Our bookstore sells out of these before anything else. So the secret's out.

+ Don't Splurge On All New Notebooks & Pens Each Semester
I know there's something wonderful to the start of a semester with new office supplies. But if you haven't used the ones you already own...you're just wasting money. Use every bit of paper and ink you have left. Make it your goal not to buy a new one until the old one is used up.

+ Use Your Print Quota At School
You probably have your own printer hooked up to your computer. But those ink cartridges will set you back a pretty penny. Your school gives you a certain amount of print credit and you should use it up. You don't get to save it and it probably runs out at the end of each semester.

+ Don't Party Too Hard
With all of that cash squeezed into your wallet, you probably think you're the life of the party. But that cash will run out quick unless you have a plan. I recommend you set a budget for yourself. Go through your semester calendar and make note of those big events that you're going to need to buy tickets for. Put money aside. Try to spend less than your budgeted amount and you'll be prepared for the emergency that pops up.

Found via: Geezeo Blog

College Student Credit Card Debt-Defenders

I can remember the first REAL credit card I received as a college student. I felt the power in the palm of my hand. I could go out and buy virtually anything I wanted -- RIGHT THEN.

So I went down to the local mall and started purchasing clothes, food, toys (of the electronic nature), and had a blast. When I got back to my dorm room, I laid out all of my new purchases and was so very pleased with myself.

That is...until the first credit card bill showed up. I didn't keep track of my spending. I had no idea of what I had put on my plastic. But when the bill came, it showed that I now owed the credit card company over $500. The trouble was...I didn't have $500.

The good news (or so I thought) was that the credit card company only needed to me to pay $23. What a deal! I had $23. But the next month, I had more than that added to my bill as finance charges, plus the additional expenditures I had made during the month.

It only took me two months to realize I was in way over my head and I wouldn't be able to get my credit card paid off unless I got help.

Perhaps you are in a similar situation or you have been thinking about getting your own credit card. If so, consider the following Debt-Defenders:

• Don't Get A Credit Card If You Don't Need It. I know you're tempted. You probably get a different credit card offer everyday. They promise low interest rates and big credit lines. But it's all a mirage. Once they get you hooked, your rate will probably go up.
  
• Don't Get A Credit Card With A Big Credit Line. Start off small - like $200. That way if you do max out your card, it's not going to be an insurmountable amount. Once you pay off your card a few times, companies will try and raise your limit. Don't let them. Keep it small.
  
• Don't Charge More On Your Card Than You Can Pay Off Each Month. If you go a month or two and don't pay off your charges, your finance charges will start to add up. And that's how these companies make their money OFF OF YOU.
  
• Don't Pay Off One Credit Card With Another Credit Card. There's bad and then there's really bad. This would be under the "really bad" category. Some people will try to revolve their balance by jumping from low interest rate card to low interest rate card. This only works a couple of times. It also completely ruins your credit.
  
• You Are Building A Credit History That Will Be With You When You Want To Buy Something Important. If you blow it now with credit cards, you will begin to develop a bad credit history. Mortgage lenders look at your credit history when you're trying to buy a home. If you ever need a loan for something, banks won't want to work with you because of bad credit.
  
• Don't Do Any Impulse Buying With Your Credit Card. Credit cards make it easy to purchase things. But it may not be something you really need. If you see something that you want, save for it. You need to make a decision about what really is an emergency or a need and what is simply satisfying your immediate gratification urges.
  
• Start With A Debit Card That Is Directly Linked To Your Bank Account. Most banks will offer you a debit card that is tied to your checking account. That way, you can only charge an amount up to what is in your account. You will only use your card to spend money that you actually have.

If you've got some tips or ideas that would be helpful, add them below in the comments.

If I Can't Rent Your Brain, Can I At Least Rent The Textbook?

During these first few days of the semester, I'm seeing a lot of students walking around with loaded bags from our campus bookstore. Yup...it's textbook buying time.

It's funny to hear some of the conversations:

"I only had to spend $350 this semester! Man, I got off lucky."
"This book was only $210!"
"Oh no...I just bought this book online, but the class is using the NEW edition."

Textbooks are definitely a source of frustration - both when you BUY them and when you try to SELL them back.

I think we're going to see some changes in this area of college life within the next couple of years. Short of just not buying textbooks (I know some people advise you to do that...but I don't think it's a good option), we are going to need to get creative here.

So here's some of my thoughts on how to improve the situation:

• Rent textbooks. In high school, they handed me a book when I entered each class. College is definitely different than high school, but if a professor is going to be using the same text year after year, this could be a good option. It may be a big expense on the front end, but students would pay a significantly less amount and have access to the textbook during the semester. One of the downsides is the inability to highlight, underline, and otherwise mark up a book when you're studying.
• Textbooks online. There are so many other books that are going digital - why not textbooks. Then schools could purchase a new Electronic Reader (like the Sony Book Reader or a Kindle!). Students would pay to download the book or merely have access to the book throughout the course of the semester. It would be especially cool to be able to highlight, markup, and save snippets of books for study time.
• Move from textbook to wiki. Since textbooks seem to be edited and updated every year, perhaps there's a better way to dispense information. What if all of the information in a textbook were broken down into components or modules and placed on a wiki. When a certain section needed to be updated, it would only affect that section. Students and Professors could add to the data in the wiki. This would add to the learning experience and enhance the information over the years. If a section ever became obsolete, or the emphasis of the class changed, one would only have to discard a module and not the whole thing.

What do you think? Is there a better way to do this? It's just the cost of going to college? Or is it okay to place an expectation that you will have to spend $500 - $800 a semester on books?

If You Only Had 18 Months To Prepare For College

The clock is ticking. If you are six years old, you don't need to be making important decisions just quite yet in regards to your college experience. But if you are halfway through your Junior year of High School...you better get focused.

Our University produces an 18 month calendar that helps college-bound students start getting things lined up by the middle of their Junior year. If that's you...here's a generic version that can help you know what to be thinking about and acting on.

Please remember that each University or College is different. Please consult with your specific college of choice for a list of their specific deadlines and application procedures. This calendar also assumes that you are accepted into college at some point in the process.

JANUARY
* Meet with your career counselor or guidance counselor to discuss college requirements.
* Browse college reference books and familiarize yourself with college terminology.
* Begin discussing college costs and financial aid with your family.
* Continue to study hard and be involved in school, church, and community activities.

FEBRUARY
* Begin to think about your future interests and career.

MARCH
* Narrow your college choices to 10. Start to prioritize that list.
* Attend ACT/SAT study prep class.
* Request information including an application from the colleges on your list.

APRIL
* Take advantage of opportunities to visit the colleges you're considering.
* Register for the ACT or SAT in April or May. Check the deadlines. You must register six weeks before the date of the examination. After taking the test, meet with your counselor to review your scores. Plan to take it again in your senior year. For more information see www.ACT.org or www.collegeboard.com.
* Continue to study hard and be involved in school, church, and community.

MAY
* Investigate the availability of financial aid from federal, state, local, and private sources. Check out www.fasfa.ed.gov, www.Scholarships.com, and www.fastweb.com.
* Investigate the availability of scholarships provided by organizations such as corporations, labor unions, professional associations, religious organizations, and credit unions.
* Create a college folder and file for the following:
­    · Copies of your report card and a list of awards and honors received.
­    · A list of community organizations and clubs joined, including dates of service and offices held.
­    · Rough draft of a writing sample about why you want to attend college.

JUNE - AUGUST
* Find a part-time job that is related to your career interests.
* Continue saving money for college.

SEPTEMBER
* Attend college fairs in your area or talk to admission officers that visit your school.
* Complete and submit your college applications for admission and financial aid.
* Ask your counselor/teacher, parents, employers, to submit the necessary documents to your colleges of choice (your transcript, letters of recommendation, etc.).
* Visit your top college choices during a preview weekend for High School Students or for an individual visit.
* Take the ACT or SAT in October, November, or December. Check the deadlines. You must register six weeks before the date of the examination.

OCTOBER
* Attend college fairs and presentations by college representatives. Listen to your school's announcements for information about college representatives visiting your school or area.

NOVEMBER
* Contact the Admission offices of your college choices to check on any missing documents that need to be turned in for your application.

DECEMBER
* December 15 is typically an early application deadline. Please submit all application materials by this date to qualify for any early submission benefits.

JANUARY
* Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

FEBRUARY
* Complete applications for scholarship opportunities you have discovered.
* If you have not already visited the college, schedule a visit to meet with professors, students, and your admission officer.
* Make sure your admission/financial aid file is complete, paying particular attention to meeting the March 1 priority deadline for Financial Aid.

MARCH
* March 1: Priority deadline for submitting application and financial aid information. Some states may allow for later submission. Check the FAFSA website for your deadline or ask your admissions counselor.

APRIL
* Review your financial aid awards, sign any letters and return them to your college. If the financial aid award is insufficient to meet your needs or if you don't understand something, contact the financial aid office of your college.

MAY
* Mail in any housing deposits, housing forms, and medical forms.

JUNE
* Contact your high school counselor and submit your final transcript to your college.
* Participate in any summer orientations and register early for classes and housing.

JULY
* Contact your roommate and make moving plans.

AUGUST
* Participate in New Student Orientation for all incoming freshman!

Whether or not this calendar is in line with your specific college planning, it is important to remember a couple of things:

+ Early is good - Get those forms, applications, and deposits in as early as you can.
+ Communicate often - Make sure that everything is in place. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

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It's Hard To Turn Down A Scholarship You Don't Get

Who wants a scholarship?

Everybody does. But it takes a bit of work to find the right ones for you.

Scholarship Search Secrets is a 35 page electronic book (eBook) about how to use popular Internet technologies like Google web search and RSS to find scholarships.

It's a free download and may give you some additional insight about how to use the Internet to find scholarships that are available.

Scholarship Search Secrets Download Link

Found via: The Ted Rap