Tired of work?

If you’re a college student that juggles studies with work you know how difficult it can get at times. You know what I’m referring to the long days, the short sleeps, early morning anxiety, and the last minute stress.

I was initially going to throw out a list of ways to stay motivated as a college student that holds a job but I figured I would just write whatever is on my mind without any particular format. It is a blog after all, right?

Just remember that it will all be over one day. Your studies will be completed. You will have a degree in your hand. You will graduate from college debt free or with minimal student debt. You may even have some money saved up in your bank account. This financially buffer will alleviate some of the stress that comes along with the career hunt after college. You won’t have to jump at the first offer that comes your way, unless it’s an amazing one.

Obviously life won’t get easier after college but at least the stress of studying for exams and worrying about earning the grades you want will go away. Now you can push yourself in a totally different discipline. The discipline of the real world. The discipline of finding that first career and negotiating your starting salary.

Another way to stay motivated when working during the school year is to use some of the money to reward yourself. There is nothing wrong with planning a weekend trip a few times a semester. I choose to plan a week vacation at the end of every semester to keep me sane and motivated throughout the tough times. In the back of my mind I stay focused knowing that once I write my final exam I will be gone for a week.

Others just simply need a quick escape at the end of the day or at the end of a long week to stay motivated while working through college. What is the escape for you? Some common escapes include: alone time, movies, a workout, spending time with family and friends, etc.

Before I conclude I wanted to throw out one more idea. Think of working as a way to keep yourself focused. If you were not to work you may spend most of your time studying. On the other hand, all of that free time may not be good for you. Personally I know that free time is not the best option for me. When I have free time my mind tends to wander. I look at my to-do list in the morning and then by night time the list remains identical. On paper free time is perfect for completing all of your school work. Realistically, let’s be honest. Most of the free time is spent watching the old UFC fights. So if you ever are low on time, look at it from this perspective. If you were at home there is no guarantee you would be 100% focused on your school.

The Smart College Student

When it comes to college life, saving money is the name of the game.  As a part-time student and full-time Financial Analyst, I have some quality strategies that can help you save enough money in college if you apply them to the real world. Those who save, and know how to invest are those that can retire early, and enjoy the simple things in life.

Always use coupons
I know it’s not cool to use coupons, but if it saves you $5, or more on each purchase, you’ll probably use it. Consider items such as the Entertainment book, as well as check out the local newspaper for coupons that you can use on purchases such as eating out, clothing, as well as groceries.

Avoid eating out
 Eating out is expensive, and if you can avoid things like this, you can save a load of money each month. You’ll also want to avoid the cheaper foods such as McDonald’s as well that aren’t really healthy for you. You can cook very good meals that are super cheap too.

Avoid the labels
College isn’t about being “cool”. No one cares what you look like, and what you wear. A $75 shirt isn’t going to get you far. If you have the mindset that a shirt is a shirt, you will find that you can stretch your dollar very far. Consider shopping at the local Goodwill, or hitting up one of the clearance racks at your favorite store.

Use your student discount
Yes, you can get a ton of student discounts. You can save on things like airfare, and more. Check out a post I did a few months back showing you what you can save on as a student.

Buy used
If you’re going to go out and buy something, you can probably most likely buy it used. From video games, to your shoes. Browse places like eBay, and more to see how much you can save as a student. If you think used, before new, you can save a lot, trust me on this one.

Watch your driving
When you have a car on campus, you may be tempted to use it while being bored. Try and limit your driving, and consider going to other places near campus, rather than driving a few miles away. Gas can get expensive! 

Budgeting takes discipline, and a plan. If you have these two factors, you can save money, I promise you. Make it into a habit, and see how far your money can take you!

H1N1 Get Away!

College campuses all over the United States have been feeling the pressure brought on by the health scare, H1N1 aka the swine flu. We have the government, health professionals and news reporters saying how bad and dangerous the swine flu is. What is the real story and what are colleges doing to prepare?

In general, however; the swine flu has hit some campuses hard while it has not caused too much trouble at others. Most campuses are keeping up to date with the CDC and health officials. They are handing out fliers and pamphlets with information about the flu and what students can do to minimize their risk of exposure. Campuses are also handing out hand sanitizers and making use of the internet to spread the word around campus. Some colleges around the country are taking extreme measures to deal with the swine flu. An article by The Miami Herald on "Give Swine Flu Prevention The college try" has various colleges extreme quarantine preventive methods. 

If you ask college students, most say they are not too worried about the dangers of the swine flu, they are washing their hands.  The swine flu can be deadly though and should be treated with caution. A student at Grand Valley State University in Michigan recently died fighting encephalitis brought on by the H1N1 virus. He fell sick and after a few days it seemed he was getting better until he became incoherent and the family took him to the hospital. This virus does not just affect the young or old. In fact most people 65 and older are at more risk from the regular seasonal flu than the H1N1 virus, unless they have underlying complications and risks. We still need to be aware that all age groups can be affected, even the young and healthy. Now this is all being said not to scare you but to make sure you keep an eye on your health and that of your loved ones.

Are Textbooks Weighing You Down?

Let's face it, the cost of college is expensive! Things keep getting more expensive and the cost of a college education is rising just as fast. In particular, textbook prices are quite inflated and sometimes shockingly so.  Even when compared to other books of similar size and quality, the ones desginated as college texts and sold at the campus bookstore have prices that seem hard to justify. A post by John Baez on the n-category cafe titled Cheaper Online Textbooks?. Baez’s post has a number of interesting links. So, reading about all these posts, I began to wonder: are textbooks getting too expensive? And what to do about it? 

Many factors go in to the high cost of college textbooks, but there are also some ways you can avoid the middle-men and fees when you’re preparing for school.

Campus Bookstore

If you’re going to sell books, you need somewhere to sell them from!  If you’re buying books in person, the store is paying rent on the facilities, and they’re probably paying a premium to get their textbooks on campus.  Bookstores on campus tend to be particularly expensive, because the university charges an extra fee to whichever company rents the spaces closest to where the students are at. Buying your textbook online can help you avoid many of these costs because a single company can serve students nationwide.

Use it Five Months, Pay for a Lifetime

Many books have a limited usefulness.  A class only lasts a few months, but the book you’ve bought is yours forever.  The campus bookstore allows you to trade in or cash out your books at the end of the semester, but they’ll often just give you pennies on the dollar of what you originally paid.  Instead of trying to haggle for a good deal on your used books, why not just buy and sell your books online instead in the first place:  pay less up front, and just sell it back when you’re done. My favorite website for saving on books is amazon.com it offers a wide variety of new and used textbooks for an affordable cost. Its a lot easier than trying to find a buyer who will give you a decent price!