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kikifeliz · 5 years

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8 TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE!

Deciding to become a university student is a huge investment of both time and money. You don't want to start only to have to drop out due to finances or failing grades. You also don't want to finish and find that all you have is a piece of paper with mountains of debt and no job prospects.

The average cost of a 4-year Bachelor's degree is about $36k at a public university, and about $136k at a private university. Google the yearly cost of your school of choice, then multiply by 4. Then add on about 5k for the additional costs of books and travel fees, clothing, and other miscellaneous. Then add on about 10k for the interest that your student loan debt will incur! 😫

The average cost of graduate degrees can vary by school and concentration, but can easily cost over 90k for tuition alone. Student loan debt is not a joke! Invest your time wisely while you're in school so you don't end up regretting your decision and sharecropping your life away in some 9-5 that you hate.

So, here are my tips for making the most of your time as a university student! Whether you're in undergrad or graduate school, I hope this advice helps you! I'm not going to give you the basic "go to every single class" bullshit. While that's undoubtedly good advice, I want to be a bit more practical and dig a little deeper. I think if you're paying for an experience like college, it's obvious that you should attempt to be as immersed in that experience as possible. You're not going to pay for entrance to a water park then stay off the slides and out of the pool, are you? No, you're going to jump in and go on as many rides as possible! At university, you're paying for school, so you need to treat it the same way. If you're paying for a class, obviously you should go as often as you possibly can. So in the hopes that I can be practical without being trite, I'm going to address the finer details of the college experience. From the perspective of a woman who's in the process of finishing her 2nd Master's degree (at an Ivy League school, no less), you can take it or leave it!

1. Update your resume as soon as you commit to a school and give them your deposit.

As soon as you've paid the deposit to the school of your choose and sent back your decision letter, go ahead and update your resume. If you don't have a resume, make one now! There are plenty of templates online you can follow.

Include your new school and anticipated graduation date under the "Education" section. (You can add it to your social media bios too, if you're into that sort of thing.) The truth of the matter is, the moment you pay the deposit to the school, you've paid for the brand name. You might as well start wielding and wearing it ASAP! This will help you as you apply for internships for the summer after high school and during your freshman year of college.

2. Once on campus, join clubs and student associations.

This is super important! So much of college is about networking. Once you graduate and leave campus, your college network can help you find jobs, travel, keep you up to date with learning opportunities/conferences, or even help you settle into to a new city. It's important to make authentic connections with people on campus outside of your immediate friend group, and a great way to do that is through common interest clubs or associations. Attend a programs fair and check your school's websites and message boards to find events.

Once you've decided which clubs you want to join, make sure to introduce yourself to the leadership! By getting to know the club leaders, you can make sure you'll always know what's next for the group so that you can take part and continue to build community.

3. ‪Spend as much time as you can at the library and in other public study spaces on/around campus.‬

Most university libraries will have cafés, help desks, computer labs, and even group study areas. Often it's okay to talk in the group study areas, so you can always take a break from studying and do a bit of socializing when you need to. When you need more privacy or quiet space, it's typically available just a room or a floor away! Bring healthy snacks like carrots and almonds and chocolate-covered espresso beans or raisins to keep you energized and alert.

Studying is obviously an important part of being in college. You don't want to get into the job field without fluency in the language/jargon or requisite content knowledge that is necessary to succeed!

4. Use the "free" time to develop your genuine interests and hobbies.

If you have the time and don't have a ton of responsibility to other people in your family, take advantage of that! You likely won't have a lot of time like that in your life again. Use this period to follow your curiosities and your interests. Make art! Join an intramural sport! Experiment with fashion! Work part-time in a place you never thought you would! The possibilities are endless. As my dad would say, "It's your world, squirrel!" (He's really corny.)

5. Be as discerning as possible with the classes you take - you are paying for each of them, after all!

Take classes that really interest you, with professors you truly want to learn from. Read the class descriptions carefully, and do research on the professors. Try to get professors that have great ratings, multiple publishings in reputable journals, books, and websites, and a good track records of helping students.

Many colleges have core curricula that you must complete to graduate. If the classes in your core don't interest you, see if you can find ways to navigate the system so that there's a silver lining or so you can make the best out of them. Always give it a shot, you may find that you're more interested once you attend than you were by reading the description alone.

Even if the class isn't of interest, the people there probably are - especially if everyone has to take it! Whether that's ensuring you get the best professor that's offered or finding a great group of friends to struggle through it with, get to know the people around you. Maybe you decide to develop a working relationship with the TA by attending office hours and asking questions about how to contextualize the content in a way that's more engaging for you or more aligned with your interests. To do this, just explain your interests or proposed field of study and ask them for examples of how you can transfer the knowledge you're learning in class toward your interest.

Another option is seeing if you can take the class pass/fail. If this is possible and the class isn't aligned with what you feel your true academic interests are, then don't expend too much effort. Attend lecture, pass the class, and devote your time to your other interests. (This is an option only for people who are serious about not failing the class. Make sure you calculate what scores you'll need to pass exams and other requirements like attendance, and hold yourself accountable to these. Do your absolute best on your papers! Taking a class pass/fail is NOT an excuse to slack off or avoid doing your best work, but it may be a way for you to free up some time if you calculate your grades and find that you don't need to do every single assignment to pass.)

6. If you can find a work-study job or start a side hustle *without* jeopardizing your grades, do so!

Again, the student loans are no joke. I avoid taking them if I can, because I hate debt. Of course, this means I occasionally have had to pay tuition out of my own pocket. I held 3 jobs when I was in undergrad and have always had side hustles even while working 9-5. Many of my favorites have included babysitting, tutoring, pet/house sitting, DJing, and party planning. I know a lot of people in grad school who also worked in restaurants or as delivery drivers, as administrative aids in university offices, law offices, and medical practices. Nowadays, a lot of people work as as influencers, photographers, video editors, and models for their side hustles. I always preferred jobs that were lowkey so I could study. My favorite work-study job was at the library! I always got to see my friends and I could read PDF copies of my assignments while I sat at the circulation desk.

7. Find out about scholarships and fellowships that are offered by different departments in your university.

A lot of fellowships and scholarships are only advertised internally by department and school. Spend time on your department's website and stop by the department office every few weeks to make sure you're up to date on the opportunities that are being offered to students. Become a frequent patron of Financial Aid to see what is available through that office as well.

Additionally, feel free to email the department chair/other professors to ask if they know of any fellowships or scholarship opportunities that may come up in the future so you can be prepared. Ask about qualifications for those as well, so you can plan ahead.

Do your research and make sure you qualify for these opportunities! In writing your essays, attend to each point of criteria laid out in the "call for applications." Treat your essay similarly to how you'd apply for the job. Why are you the right person to receive this money? How do you fulfill the criteria that this scholarship is supporting?

8. If you're struggling with your studies, use the resources on campus that you're *already paying for* in order to get back on track.

This includes TA and professor office hours, peer tutors, the writing center (most universities will have offices that can help you structure and edit your essays, etc.).

Join or create study groups by finding a partner in your class to study with, and ask the university librarians (and your advisor!) what other resources/tutoring/study help is available on campus.

A strong foundation in the content knowledge for your field of choice is a necessity once your graduate. My father always told me, "The key to success is uncommon knowledge." I agree with this somewhat, but I really believe it's actually that the key is an uncommon thirst for mastery. You move forward in your career and your personal development by learning and mastering new levels of skill. The more you know and the better you can communicate, the more respected you'll be in your field - which opens the door to further opportunities. Studying (and studying *well*) is imperative during your time at university!

Good luck this year, scholars! Work smarter & always remember, education is the key! We cannot dismantle the master's house with the master's tools//we are the gold we wanna hold! Go forth & make this school year your bitch!

Xoxo,

Kiki

#university #study tips #college #college students #kiki feliz #original #blogger #advice

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loansguide01-blog · 5 years

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How To Pay For College: The Best Order Of Operations

New Post has been published on https://loansguideto.com/%20/awesome/how-to-pay-for-college-the-best-order-of-operations/

How To Pay For College: The Best Order Of Operations

Mountains of student loans are what most people think of when it comes to paying for college.

Student loans are a source of funding for most students but they should actually be your last option. Student loans accrue a lot of interest and take years to pay off. In fact, a study from the OneWisconsin Institute finds that it takes graduates of Wisconsin universities 19.7 years to pay off a bachelor’s degree and 23 years to pay off a graduate degree.

Knowing that students loans will likely be a source of funding, there is still an order of operations to follow when trying out funding sources for college. After reviewing your financial aid award notification, you’ll have to think about how you’re going to pay for school.

In this article, we’ve the main groups of funding sources. Start with the top group and work your route down to the last( i.e ., worse) option, which is student loans. By following this guide, there’s a chance you can reduce the amount of student loans needed to finance college. For a lucky few, they may find student loans are not even necessary.

Here’s our take over the “best’ order of operations to pay for college. It’s important to note that this is more like a “pie” than a strict order. The more you can contribute from the “earlier” slice, the less you’ll have to borrow. And there is no “strict” rules here – but you should definitely use free fund before other funds.

How To Pay For College[ Order of Operations] 1. Scholarships and Grants2. Your Own Savings( as a student )3. Your Earnings( as a student )4. Mothers Savings For College5. Mothers Current Income6. Fellowships and Assistantships7. Aid Through School Work-Related Programs8. Federal Student Loans9. Private Student LoansFinal Thoughts

1. Scholarships and Grants

Gift aid is part of your financial aid award. This is money that does not have to be paid back. It includes awards, scholarships, and any source of private financing that doesn’t require you to pay it back.

Of course, it depends on getting your FAFSA submitted on time.

Some students might realise a large amount of scholarships and awards. Others might not be able to get as much.

Don’t forget to apply for private scholarships and grants as well – don’t simply depend on your school. This sounds crazy, but I recommend high schoolers apply to at least 50 scholarships.

Check out these guidebooks :P TAGENDHow To Find Scholarships To Pay For CollegeHow To Find Grants To Pay For College2. Your Own Savings( as a student)

Saving for college requires scheming. If you’re one of a small group who has accumulated fund for college, it’s time to put it to work.

Maybe you’ve been saving your graduation money, or you’ve received birthday monies over time. Maybe grandma even left you some fund to pay for college when you were younger.

If you have your own student savings, using it to pay for college is a great first step.

3. Your Earnings( as a student)

Additionally, employing your current income will help cut down on any loans you might need. If you don’t have any savings, use what you can from current income to help fund college.

A lot of people forget that they can earn money before going to school( i.e. the best summer undertakings for college student ), or even work full day during school.

I personally worked full period while going to university. I ran five days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, and during the day on Saturdays and Sundays. I tried to schedule my classes for Tuesday and Thursday, or if there is reason, before work on the other days.

Don’t know about ways to earn as a student? Check out our 100+ Ways To Make Money In College.

4. Parents Savings For College

Next on the listing is any money your parents may have put aside for school. This could be in the form of a 529 college savings account, or other savings vehicle.

Many mothers have started saving for college for their students at a young age. Leveraging money in a taxation deferred plan like a 529 savings account can be a great way to pay for the majority of school( if the money is there ).

Parents might also have other savings put aside for their child. It’s important to have conversations about parental contributions early, so that everyone involved in the “paying for college” debate knows what to expect.

5. Mothers Current Income

Along with a student’s income, a parent’s income is also a primary source of paying for college. Even if parent’s have saved very much, they may be able to contribute a little bit towards the cost of college every year simply through their current salary.

Some parents may be able to contribute much more than others, but every little bit that can be sent in to avoid borrowing for school is a huge win.

6. Fellowships and Assistantships

If you are attending graduate school, a fellowship is a great source of funding. It is awarded to graduate students based on merit. It allows the graduate student to focus on their studies rather than having to work or teach. Fellowships do not have to be paid back. They also look great on CVs and carry a certain cachet.

“It’s basically the Harry Potter scar on your forehead indicating you’re an amazing scholar, ” stated Meredith Drake Reitan, associate dean for graduate fellowships at the USC Graduate School.

“The fellowship program is about research potential, ” she said. “Faculty members might say,’ They’re not ready to apply to for the NSF Fellowship because their research hasn’t quite jelled.’ But that’s actually right where the NSF wants them — it’s designed to be an early career accelerator.”

The takeaway: don’t think you aren’t qualified for a fellowship. They are certainly worth applying to. Speak with your educational counselor or advisor about how and which ones may have the highest potential for successful acceptance.

7. Aid Through School Work-Related Programs

We continue down the list and come to work-related programs that are meant to provide a flexible schedule around your classes. At this point, you’ve depleted all forms of funding that don’t require work exchange or loans. We’re now moving into funding sources that will require some sort of payback.

Work studies are common on college campuses. These programs are usually tied into your financial aid award. They allow you to work on campus within a flexible schedule. Pay is usually minimum wage, but you can’t beat the flexible schedule provided by these programs. While it is a smaller source of funding, depending on your class schedule, it might be the only type of job you can take on.

Assistantships are usually reserved for graduate students. These programs are similar to work examines except they are teaching positions. Often the student will teach lower-level class in areas they are very familiar with.

8. Federal Student Loans

We’ve come to one of the last option as a source for funding college. This is money that must be paid back, will accrue interest and often has some type of origination fee. For many students, it’s difficult to avoid taking on loans.

Federal loans have a fairly low interest rate, which often does not outstripped the single digits. As reported by StudentAid.ed.gov, loans first disbursed on or after 7/1/ 18 and before 7/1/ 19 have the following interest rates :P TAGENDDirect Subsidized( undergraduate ): 5.05% Direct Unsubsidized( undergraduate ): 5.05% Direct Unsubsidized( alumnu or professional ): 6.60% Direct PLUS:( parents and graduate or professional students ): 7.60%

In regards to loans for college, you aren’t likely to find a better deal anywhere else.

Don’t believe us? Check out the Best Student Loan Rates here.

9. Private Student Loans

Private loans are another and final option. These may be loans from banks or other lenders that are non-government. They will have higher interest rates than government loans and won’t offer the same advantages such as hardship, forbearance, and fixed interest rates.

Private student loans should really be a last resort, and before borrowing, you should really do a full Return On Investment Calculation of your college expenses to even see if college is worth it.

We recommend students shop and compare private loan options before taking them out. Credible is an excellent choice because you can compare about 10 different lenders in 2 minutes and ensure what you qualify for. Check out Credible here.

You can also watch the full list of private student loan options here: Best Private Student Loans.

Final Thoughts

Paying for college can be a challenge. It’s a huge sum of money, and there are a lot of different ways to go about it.

I like to think about it as a pie – each one of the steps above is a slice, and you can try to make some bigger to minimize others.

The bottom line here is that you don’t need to borrow the entire sum for school. There are many different ways to pay for college if you work at it.

The post How To Pay For College: The Best Order Of Operations seemed first on The College Investor.

Read more: thecollegeinvestor.com

#pay for college #student loans

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financingideas-blog · 5 years

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How To Pay For College: The Best Order Of Operations

New Post has been published on https://financeqia.com/awesome/how-to-pay-for-college-the-best-order-of-operations/

How To Pay For College: The Best Order Of Operations

Mountains of student loans are what most people think of when it comes to paying for college.

Student loans are a source of funding for most students but they should actually be your last option. Student loans accrue a lot of interest and take years to pay off. In fact, a study from the OneWisconsin Institute finds that it takes alumnus of Wisconsin universities 19.7 years to pay off a bachelor’s degree and 23 years to pay off a graduate degree.

Knowing that students loans will likely be a source of funding, there is still an order of operations to follow when seeking out funding sources for college. After reviewing your financial aid award notification, you’ll have to think about how you’re going to pay for school.

In this article, we’ve the main groups of funding sources. Start with the top group and work your style down to the last( i.e ., worse) alternative, which is student loans. By following this guide, there’s a chance you can reduce the amount of student loans needed to finance college. For a luck few, they may find student loans are not even necessary.

Here’s our take on the “best’ order of operations to pay for college. It’s important to note that this is more like a “pie” than a strict order. The more you can contribute from the “earlier” slices, the less you’ll have to borrow. And there is no “strict” rules here – but you should definitely use free fund before other funds.

How To Pay For College[ Order of Operations] 1. Scholarships and Grants2. Your Own Savings( as a student )3. Your Earnings( as a student )4. Parents Savings For College5. Parents Current Income6. Fellowships and Assistantships7. Aid Through School Work-Related Programs8. Federal Student Loans9. Private Student LoansFinal Thoughts

1. Scholarships and Grants

Gift aid is part of your financial aid award. This is money that does not have to be paid back. It includes grants, scholarships, and any source of private funding that doesn’t require you to pay it back.

Of course, it depends on getting your FAFSA submitted on time.

Some students might realize a large amount of scholarships and awards. Others might not be able to get as much.

Don’t forget to apply for private scholarships and grants as well – don’t simply depend on your school. This sounds crazy, but I recommend high schoolers apply to at least 50 scholarships.

Check out these guides :P TAGENDHow To Find Scholarships To Pay For CollegeHow To Find Grants To Pay For College2. Your Own Savings( as a student)

Saving for college involves scheming. If you’re one of a small group who has accumulated money for college, it’s time to put it to work.

Maybe you’ve been saving your graduation fund, or you’ve received birthday funds over day. Maybe grandma even left you some money to pay for college when you were younger.

If you have your own student savings, use it to pay for college is a great first step.

3. Your Earnings( as a student)

Additionally, employing your current income will help cut down on any loans you might need. If you don’t have any savings, use what you can from current income to help fund college.

A lot of people forget that they can earn money before going to school( i.e. the best summer jobs for college students ), or even run full hour during school.

I personally ran full period while going to university. I worked five days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, and during the day on Saturdays and Sundays. I tried to schedule my class for Tuesday and Thursday, or if necessary, before work on the other days.

Don’t know about ways to earn as a student? Check out our 100+ Ways To Make Money In College.

4. Mothers Savings For College

Next on the list is any money your mothers may have put aside for school. This could be in the form of a 529 college savings account, or other savings vehicle.

Many mothers have started saving for college for their students at a young age. Leveraging money in a tax deferred plan like a 529 savings account can be a great way to pay for the majority of school( if the money is there ).

Parents might also have other savings set aside for their child. It’s important to have dialogues about parental contributions early, so that everyone involved in the “paying for college” debate knows what to expect.

5. Mothers Current Income

Some parents may be able to contribute much more than others, but every little bit that can be sent in to avoid borrowing for school is a huge win.

6. Fellowships and Assistantships

“It’s basically the Harry Potter scar on your forehead indicating you’re an amazing intellectual, ” stated Meredith Drake Reitan, associate dean for graduate fellowships at the USC Graduate School.

The takeaway: don’t think you aren’t qualified for a fellowship. They are certainly worth is applicable for. Speak with your educational counselor or advisor about how and which ones may have the highest potential for successful acceptance.

7. Aid Through School Work-Related Programs

We continue down the list and come to work-related programs that are meant to provide a flexible schedule around your classes. At this phase, you’ve depleted all forms of funding that don’t require work exchange or loans. We’re now moving into funding sources that will require some sort of payback.

Work examines are common on college campuses. These programs are usually tied into your financial aid award. They allow you to work on campus within a flexible schedule. Pay is usually minimum wage, but you can’t beat the flexible schedule provided by these programs. While it is a smaller source of funding, depending on your class schedule, it might be the only type of job you can take on.

8. Federal Student Loans

Federal loans have a fairly low interest rate, which often does not surpassed the single digits. As reported by StudentAid.ed.gov, loans first disbursed on or after 7/1/ 18 and before 7/1/ 19 have the following interest rates :P TAGENDDirect Subsidized( undergraduate ): 5.05% Direct Unsubsidized( undergraduate ): 5.05% Direct Unsubsidized( alumnu or professional ): 6.60% Direct PLUS:( parents and graduate or professional students ): 7.60%

In regards to loans for college, you aren’t likely to find a better deal anywhere else.

Don’t believe us? Check out the Best Student Loan Rates here.

9. Private Student Loans

Private student loans should really be a last resort, and before borrowing, you should really do a full Return On Investment Calculation of your college expenditures to even see if college is worth it.

We recommend students shop and compare private loan options before taking them out. Credible is an excellent option because you can compare about 10 different lenders in 2 minutes and consider what you qualify for. Check out Credible here.

You can also consider the full list of private student loan options here: Best Private Student Loans.

Final Thoughts

Paying for college can be a challenge. It’s a huge sum of money, and there are a lot of different ways to go about it.

I like to think about it as a pie – each one of the steps above is a slice, and you can try to attain some bigger to minimize others.

The bottom line here is that you don’t need to borrow the entire amount for school. There are many different ways to pay for college if you work at it.

The post How To Pay For College: The Best Order Of Operations seemed first on The College Investor.