How College Students Can Save Money: 10 Money Saving Tips

1. Monitor your monthly expenses.

Every month, you need to sit down and write down all expenses you might have during the month. For example, this may include:

Tuition
Room and board
School supplies (books, computer costs, etc)
Food
Transportation
Insurance
Medical
Phone
Personal (Hair cuts, toiletries, etc)
Clothing
Gifts/charitable giving
Emergency fund contributions
Make sure that your expenses are less than your projected income for the month. If you have a variable income, it would be a good idea to project income equal to the worst financial month you’ve had in the past 6 months. Be conservative in your estimates, you don’t want to get half way through the month and realize you’re out of cash!

2. Buy and borrow used textbooks.

Textbooks can be expensive — very expensive! When you’re spending hundreds of dollars on new textbooks every few months, that really adds up! It can be easy to walk into the bookstore and grab what you need, but with a little extra effort, you can save thousands of dollars over the course of your education.

Find any students who have previously taken the class you’re attending. Ask your teachers if you can use older editions of books, and borrow as many textbooks as possible. The investment of your time into finding bargain literature is well worth the effort. Maybe even consider renting textbooks with a site like Chegg.com. You can also check out these Chegg coupon codes and helpful links.

3. Get a debit card that pays rewards

Many college students start themselves off to a terrible financial start by getting into credit card debt. You can avoid this and earn some great rewards by using a cash back debit card that will pay you for using it.

4. Dine at the cafeteria.

Fast food and eating out can really drain your bank account. Instead, try getting deals at the cafeteria! Many colleges will offer discount cards for low income students and bundle meal deals if you ask.

5. Seek student discounts around town.

Even though you’re on a strict budget, you have to still find time for fun! Going to the movies can be expensive — try asking for a student discount! Theaters and entertainment venues often provide a healthy discount for those dedicated to their education.

You can also find great discounts on insurance from your local agent. Occasionally, insurance companies will provide discounts with proof of high grades.

Everywhere you go, ask if there are any student discounts. You’ll find that you can save a great deal of money on computers, entertainment, insurance, food, and more!

6. Find flexible, high-income jobs.

To help pay your tuition, fees, and other miscellaneous costs, finding a great side job can be the difference between failure and success. It’s important to seek something that doesn’t have set hours — you choose when to work! School is your main focus. Organize side jobs that you can easily place on your calendar.

7. Ask for roommate accountability.

Sticking to your budget isn’t always a piece of cake. Sometimes, it can be more like pulling teeth. Few people are self-motivated, and most need some sort of accountability. If you have a roommate, explain to them the financial plan you’re on and ask them to check in on you every so often. Make sure this is something they are happy doing, and you’ll find more motivation to stay on track!

8. Stay busy, spend less!

One of the best ways to save money in college is to stay busy with your schoolwork! The more involved you are in activities that don’t require expense, it’ll be easier to save those dollars! Try joining clubs and sports that won’t break the bank.

9. Keep transportation simple and inexpensive.

To save big on transportation, live on campus. The less you have to travel the better, as vehicle maintenance, fuel, car insurance, and other costs can represent a large portion of your budget. If you have to travel, try a bicycle and only drive when absolutely necessary. Make use of the resources you have around you!

10. Actively seek career opportunities as you learn!

Just because you’re in school doesn’t mean you have to wait for graduation to start exploring career opportunities. Attend occupational fairs and seminars. Talk with business owners in the community. Network! Network! Network! The more groundwork you do in college, the better off you’ll be when you hit the streets with your resume.

Final Thoughts

It’s admirable that you’re attending college, but merely attending is not enough. By utilizing these top 10 tips, you’ll be well on your way to greater financial health and will have built a solid foundation you can stand on throughout the rest of your life. Your education needs to be a beneficial process. Don’t let mismanagement of your personal finances weigh down your opportunities. You can be successful. Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning and positive financial habits. You’ll be so glad you did.

14 Steps to Meaningful Student Blogging

So you have heard about blogging with your students and you are considering taking the plunge but just not sure what or how to do it? I am here to tell you; blogging with my students has been one of the most enriching educational experiences we have had this year, and that says a lot. So to get you started, here is what I have learned:

Pick an easy platform, both for you and the students. I used Kidblog with great success, it fit our needs, it is free and it offers easy moderation. There are other great alternatives out there such as WordPress or EduBlogs
Teach them how to blog first. We did an excellent paper blogging lesson first (found on the blog of McTeach), which brought up why we were blogging and how to do it appropriately. This got the students excited, interested as well as got them thinking about what great comments look and sound like.
Talk safety! We assume some students know how to be safe, but don't assume it; teach them the do's and dont's. I came up with the lesson of why the Internet is like the mall and it really worked. I also sent home safety plans for students and parents to discuss and we discussed it throughout the year.
Teach them how to comment. In order for blogging to be effective, comments are needed, but if students don't know how to properly comment they will lose out on part of the experience. We discuss how to thank people, how to answer their questions, and most importantly, how to ask questions back. This is all part of common conversational knowledge that all kids should be taught any way.
Start small. The first post was an introduction of themselves. It was an easy topic and something they really liked to do. They then got to comment on each others post as well which started to build community.
Include parents. Parents always know what we are doing and are invited to comment. The students loved the extra connection and parents loved seeing what the kids were doing.
Connect with one or two classes to be buddies. While comments from around the world are phenomenal, the connections are what it is all about. So reach out on Twitter or through the most excellent #comments4kids and set up something more permanent. The students relish getting to know one another and the comments become even more worthwhile. Thanks Mr. Gary's class in Egypt and Mr. Reuter's 6th grade class in Merton, Wisconsin for being our buddies.
Speaking of #comments4kids, this excellent site created by Will Chamberlain is a must for anyone blogging with students. Link their blog to it and ask people to comment, tweet it out with the hashtag #comments4kids, and use it to find classes to comment on.
Visit other classroom blogs. Show them how other kids use it and have it inspire them. Blogs can be found through Twitter or the comments4kids site.
Let them explore. My students love to play around with font, color, and images. They taught each other how to do anything fancy and also let each other know when font or color choices were poor. This was a way for students to come into their own as creative writers and also start to think about creating their online identity.
Don't grade! Blogging is meant to be a way to practice writing for an audience and learning to respond to critique, not a graded paper. I would often tell students my requirements and even make them go back and edit but I never ever chastised them for mistakes made.
Challenge them. Often students would ask to write about topics but we also had a blogging challenge almost weekly. This was my way of finding out what they really thought about fourth grade, their dreams, their hopes and their lives. The kids always wondered what the next challenge would be and looked forward to writing them. We would also share creative writing pieces from class, create diaries of work we did, and share our op.ed. pieces.
Map the connections. We have a world map in our classroom that we use to push pin people we connect with, it is amazing to see it grow and what a geography lesson is has turned out to be. Students are acutely aware of where Egypt, Alabama, New York and other places in the news are because they have connected with people there.
Give it time! Some students took to it right away, others weren't so sure, and yet they all ended up loving it. The sheer mass of paper I have had to print to create their writing portfolio is staggering and it shows how ingrained it became in our classroom. I now have kids blogging when they are sick, out of school or just because.

How to Get Good Grades in High School

The number one quest for students is to get good grades in high school. Some students seem to get good grades so naturally whereas others struggle terribly just to get C’s. This is not due to intelligence entirely, rather how to receive good grades involves various factors.
The following are some factors that will help you get good grades in high school:
Take good care of your body
First of all, it is important to be sure that your body and brain are receiving the proper amount of necessary nutrition. Take a multivitamin everyday. This is an easy thing to do that does not cost a lot of money but it can really give you the calmness and the mental focus to study and concentrate. Next, be certain that you are getting enough sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep you cannot fully do your best academically. Finally, try to maintain a state of relaxation. Do not become too stressed out about things. Just relax and focus on your work. It is the most important thing right now.
General rules to follow
You must attend class. In order to get good grades in high school you must come to every class. Do not miss classes or you are only making it so much harder for yourself to succeed. Next, be sure that you can see the front of the classroom and the board. Sometimes, people do not realize that they need glasses. Be sure that you can see everything in sharp focus. If you can’t, then get an eye exam to see if you may need corrective eyewear. Also, consider changing where you sit if people around you are too loud, you can’t see or you are distracted in class for any reason.
Specific studying tips
To get good grades in high school, you must study.
Pre-select the location where you are going to study and make sure that it is a quiet, distraction-free environment.
Study at the very same time every day in order to make studying a habit. Also, schedule your breaks in. Some people need more breaks than others. Schedule as many breaks as you find necessary for yourself.
Also, make sure you know the basics before moving on to a harder skill. This is particularly true in mathematics. Be sure you have the foundation down before you try to build the house.
Another studying strategy is to use index cards and repeat all the information aloud to yourself. Do not worry if you seem to be talking to yourself. You need to memorize your information and using index cards and repeating aloud to yourself is the best way.
These are some tips to get good grades in high school. Use them and watch your GPA go straight up!

How to teach your children to love reading!

Here are some super tips to inspire your children to love reading:

Be a good reading role model: Make sure your child sees you reading often, even if it’s a magazine.
Make reading fun by reading books your children enjoy.
Read at the same time of day or in the same place, so your child knows the routine.
Promise to buy your children the books they want.
Set up 20 minute read-a-thons.
Take your child to the library.
Give books as a gift to them, and other friends.
Always read out loud to your children, even if they’re old enough to read to themselves.
Add drama to stories to make them more exciting.
Bring books to life, by doing activities like crafts, cooking, and trips related to the book.
Put labels all over the house, and get your children to read them regularly.
If your child asks a factual question, look up the answer together.
Have your child to describe to you what’s happening on the pages.
Encourage your child to ask questions.
Keep it short with toddlers. Keep reading to them even while they play.
Try rhyming books, to help develop their ear.
Have your child draw the characters.

 

Should college students do business on campus

University, as a comprehensive institution, is a place where students can exert their abilities to achieve their dreams. Nevertheless, few students use this convenience to do business which I consider is not beneficial for us. 
Admittedly, do some small business is a good experience for us to promote. However, the demerits overweigh the merits of doing business on campus. In the first place, the main aim for us college students is academic learning, not selling. If you pay too much attention on your business, then your attendance or your scores will be affected, which lead to a failure in exam and lower ranking and will badly affect your future. Secondly, university is an education institution instead of a market. This kind of behavior breaks the academic atmosphere, influencing other students learning and rest. Suppose you have such a classmate in your dorm, picking up calls anytime, even promoting sales to you, can you bear it? In addition, we are merely students. Sometimes we can’t distinguish whether something is right or wrong, and the society is so complicated, what if we come across swindle or some occasions even wore, how can we deal with it? No solution. 
To sum up, students at college should be focus on your study, and you can take some organizations in school to experience yourself, and take a part-time job if you are really lack of money. Doing business on campus affects not only yourself but also your schoolmates.

The Importance of Art: Help for Students

You may find yourself in an art, drama, or music class asking, "Why?" You have no interest in the arts, and you feel like this class is a waste of time and money. You have no choice. You have to study it if you want to graduate.

Relax, it isn't as bad as it seems. Your professor is passionate about his/her chosen field. It is not wise to walk into the class moaning about how your "stupid" art class, or assignment. That's stupid on your part. Your professor knows they are teaching an introductory class and that you are there by force, not by choice. Don't antagonize. Take advantage of the opportunity.

The purpose of education is not just to create high-yield producers in a capitalistic society. The purpose of education is to make you well rounded, enhance your understanding of yourself and your world, and encourage you to think beyond the limits of previous ideas and inventions. Your first two years are spent in core classes to expose you to ideas, theories, and laws that govern our universe, our culture, and the world.

When you find yourself asking the question, "What is the importance of art?" consider these reasons.

Art brings beauty into our world. Art is important because it makes our world a better place. It also brings a sense of enjoyment and pleasure

Art allows for the expression of truth and beliefs. Some art challenges our beliefs. Other works affirm our faith. Art is an important tool in causing us to examine our beliefs in light of an artists' rendition or perception of truth.

Art has the ability to transport us to a different time and place. It allows us to gain historical perspective and understanding. Art allows us to appreciate different periods in history and their impact and significance in our world.

Art immortalizes people, places, and events. Artists create a visual record of life experiences commemorating the memorable and challenging social injustices, such as slavery and abuses, in time. Artists serve as historians in this role, documenting life on canvass, photography, or sculpture.

Art may be used to express chaos and misunderstanding, or to establish order from what appears to be chaos. Art helps us organize our world. It is one means by which we understand our society and culture, and the society and cultures of others.

Art is important as an intellectual stimulant. A good artist advances culture and civilization by provoking thought, introspection, and discussion.

Art triggers emotions. Subject, color, and texture are used by artist to evoke feelings. In this way art can serve as a catharsis, or help us uncover feelings of which we were previously unaware.

Art has the intrinsic ability to elevate the commonplace. It lifts the viewer beyond the confines of reality and into another world, such as the use of art to express fantasy. Sometimes art provides pure escapism, such as cartoons and comics. Other art allows us to juxtapose fantasy and reality, creating a world in which the artist wished we lived.

Enjoy your art class. You may find it entertaining, challenging, and enlightening. Your personal journey in the arts will enable you to find more reasons to appreciate and study art.

3 Networking Tips for Business School Students

3 Networking Tips for Business School Students

Networking Tip #1: Talk to Your Classmates 

Your classmates were accepted to business school for a reason: they have potential. By networking directly with your business school classmates, you build relationships with people who will end up with important jobs in your industry. Your classmates could be potential business partners, employers, employees, suppliers, or clients. Getting to know them while you are still peers is an opportunity you don't want to pass up.

Networking Tip #2: Join, Join, Join
Most business schools offer a wide range of activities that are directly related to your program or industry. You should try to join as many of these activities as you reasonably have time for. They provide valuable networking opportunities that can't be found anywhere else. The people you meet in your spare time could turn into lifelong contacts. (Regular participation in specific groups and activities also gives you something to put on your resume after you get out of school.)

Networking Tip #3: Start Your Own Organization
If you can't find enough networking events to keep you busy while you are in business school, consider starting your own organization. Study groups, charitable causes, mixers and even book clubs provide a wonderful chance to network--especially when you control who is invited.