Post by Hope on Aug 15, 2012 22:47:00 GMT -5
1.) Food. Never eat out. Ok, not "never". Eat out when your friends are eating out, but try to limit it to once per day. You'll save so much money. Meals on a university run from $8 and up. That's $112 a week. If you must eat out, I suggest asking how much plain rice costs at a sushi/chinese food place. If you can get it for $1, go for it. Rice and Miso is usually like $3 together and will fill you up.
2.) Learn if your campus has a tech recycling sale. You can get an entire computer/moniter/keyboard for less than $20 there. Not an amazing one--but one that can connect you to the net if yours goes down.
3.) Find a DC++ Hub. Ask someone how to use it. Its not just so you can steal--seriously I timed myself and downloading entire 26 episode series off university hubs is faster than opening a DVD and getting your computer to load them. Plus you'll find lots of resources there, including textbooks.
4.) Find all the computer labs. Know what you need to print from them. Keep print cards on you.
5.) LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR LIBRARY. California, for example, has a Link+ system. You can order almost ANY book published from it for free. If this university doesn't have it, another one will. Dirty secret: THIS INCLUDES TEXTBOOKS. They are usually 2-day only if from the same university offering the class. But if a neighboring university gets it, you can get it for free for 60+ days. I haven't had to pay for a text books for 2+ years. Textbooks are hundreds of dollars. Even if your parents are paying for them, try to strike a deal with your parents ("give me the money for them and I'll invest it more wisely/pay for my insurance/etc...").
6.) If the university libraries don't have it, use local library networks. If they don't have it, try to chip in with a classmate. Bring your laptop to the first day of class and ebay the textbooks the second the teacher says you need them. Don't buy them until you confirm that you need them. Oftentimes teachers just put textbooks in their syllabuses so they look better and you don't REALLY need them.
7.) Don't buy textbooks if the material is copyright free. Also: google books has a lot of stuff...
8.) Personal: If your taking a history class, youtube it. itunes and youtube combined have lectures, documentaries, etc... on any subject. And its much easier (for visual learners like myself at least) to retain knowledge you see in film rather than from a textbook. Especially the more relevant knowledge.
9.) Art and Art History are traps. The classes are expensive and difficult (textbooks change every year for art history; you have to memorize the date/artist/location a piece was made AND for labs you gotta buy all the art supplies, which are super expensive around colleges).
10.) All nighters are traps. Get your work done. Don't plan on an all nighter or you'll likely spend it watching Futurama reruns. The exception is law, medical and architecture school. You'll pull all nighters there because you have too.
11.) GET A COMPLETE PLAN FOR YOUR GRADUATION, INCLUDING LISTS OF ELECTIVES! GO OVER IT WITH YOUR ADVISOR! Or you will spend at least one extra semester.
12.) Ask your advisor about getting a minor using your electives. Its usually pretty easy. For example: Most art majors are also art history minors. Most Philosophy Majors are also Religious Studies minors. Because its usually 1-2 extra classes that also qualify for your graduation anyways.
13.) GET FINANCIAL AID. Go to the office and ask about it. Its worth it. Seriously. Like $800+ every semester. And free tuition, if your lucky.
14.) OPINION. Don't pay for graduation. If your parents really want one, they can hold a totally awesome kickass family reunion with steaks and wine for everyone for the same price as your graduation fees and class ring.
15.) OPINION. Avoid relationships until you graduate and get your career set. Your almost on the path of not having to drop out of life to become a parent. Keep at it. There's a high percentage of women (and even men) at universities to find "good mates" (largely because their parents demand they get a degree but they just want to find love). A very high percentage of them have creepy diseases. If your not on a path to owning a home with a respectable job, your probably not ready to burden the responsibility of creating a new life or share your life with someone else who is in the same position.
16.) OPINION. Meditate. Try to avoid guided meditations. Just sit in a dark room/closet and stop thinking. Focus on your breathing. Its REALLY hard. You'll go maybe 3 seconds the first time. Try again. 6 seconds? 12? a minute? Three? Five? Towards the end if you practice well enough you can find yourself cutting back on oversleeping, overeating, procrastinating and ultimately getting three times back the time you spend meditating. If you were raised heavy Christian and to reject eastern teachings, please note that there are Western meditators too (read about monks and pondering).
17.) OPINION. Booze-fests and parties are over-rated. You'll forget half the crap that happens, have a high chance of feeling like crap the morning after, probably waste $30+ you could save for emergencies and over half the people I knew who went to "keggers", etc...
18.) OPINION. Frats/sororities are usually a waste of time unless your at a school with a big legacy. Networking at local school clubs is 100x better, as you'll be with people in your line of work. Internships are 1000x better.
19.) Spread the word about Bleach Gotei! Especially if your school has an anime club!
20.) Carry a deck of Magic/Yu-Gi-Oh! for between class relaxation if you have no tests to study for. This is a good way of getting additional income if you have a car and the other people at the college don't but still want to buy cards (or want to buy your old cards). Does require some time on ebay pricing stuff, however.
21.) SHOP AT A GROCERY STORE. Don't buy frozen/premade food. Check for ethnic/non-chain grocery stores first for cheaper prices. I can't emphasize the importance of your budget here. If your getting loans, you're going to come out of school owing $80,000+. Imagine that. You can't claim a single thing you own until you give up $80,000. If you have no debt, every dollar can be put towards buying land/a place to live/your own pad. Which is freaking great.
22.) Low-Level non-Logic, non-History Philosophy, Film Critique/History, Yoga, Stretching, Liberal Arts and 100 level english are the best "filler" classes if you need to get to full time student status/need random electives. Archery is pretty cool too. Swimming sounds fun but its entirely lap swimming and stretching and usually you have to pay a pool fee (sucks). Plus carrying extra clothes and being wet for your other classes or even your ride home kinda sucks.
23.) Dorms are largely a waste of money. Stay at home. Save up. If your parents start complaining, ask if you can pay them rent. They will come to respect you on an entirely different level and, as a rentor, you'll find yourself an entire new level of freedom. If you want to replicate the "college experience", imagine strangers walking past your only window in your only room every 10 minutes day and night while you learn about robberies/burgularies hapenning in your very same complex every week as people around you make noise as your trying to sleep because you have a test the next day.
24.) Some majors GPA doesn't matter (unless your going into a master's program). These include Art and Architecture, in which your portfolio (i.e. the strength of your design) is what matters. So you might think "but if my design is good, my grades will be good", but you have to usually sacrifice your other classes' A's to get high scores in your studio/portfolio classes. This is normal.
25.) GET THE PHONE NUMBER OF SOMEONE IN YOUR CLASS. And e-mail. And aim/skype if you can. They WILL save you.
26.) Your doctor will write you a note. Just go in and say "I was sick; I didn't go out for 4 days now I'm fine. Can I have a note? Most teacher's shouldn't require notes. That being said...
27.) ...use your university health center. Your probably already paying for it and it'll save your parents (or yourself) money compared to going to your trusted family doctor.
28.) Don't be shy about using your school's facilities and asking if you can. They are there for you. We've rented space to play D&D. We've gotten projectors for anime club meetings. We've slept in the quiet parts of the 24 hour longue and taken our showers the next morning in the gym...
29.) Bring an extra change of clothes with you in your car and/or locker (yes, many colleges in your university will let you rent a locker, oftentimes for free i.e. first come, first serve; ask).
30.) Lost and Found auctions are great. Nuff said.
31.) Cultural festivals are a great source of free (and oftentimes pretty interesting) food.
32.) Pick up pencils you find on the ground. Sounds silly, I know. But its saved my ass.
33.) Keep random money in your bags/purses. It really saves me...
34.) Charge all your electronics during class. Especially if you pay for the utilities. Bring a power-strip if you have too. Cellphones. MP3 players. Laptop(s). Nintendo DS. Your paying for the electricity as part of your tuition.
2.) Learn if your campus has a tech recycling sale. You can get an entire computer/moniter/keyboard for less than $20 there. Not an amazing one--but one that can connect you to the net if yours goes down.
3.) Find a DC++ Hub. Ask someone how to use it. Its not just so you can steal--seriously I timed myself and downloading entire 26 episode series off university hubs is faster than opening a DVD and getting your computer to load them. Plus you'll find lots of resources there, including textbooks.
4.) Find all the computer labs. Know what you need to print from them. Keep print cards on you.
5.) LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR LIBRARY. California, for example, has a Link+ system. You can order almost ANY book published from it for free. If this university doesn't have it, another one will. Dirty secret: THIS INCLUDES TEXTBOOKS. They are usually 2-day only if from the same university offering the class. But if a neighboring university gets it, you can get it for free for 60+ days. I haven't had to pay for a text books for 2+ years. Textbooks are hundreds of dollars. Even if your parents are paying for them, try to strike a deal with your parents ("give me the money for them and I'll invest it more wisely/pay for my insurance/etc...").
6.) If the university libraries don't have it, use local library networks. If they don't have it, try to chip in with a classmate. Bring your laptop to the first day of class and ebay the textbooks the second the teacher says you need them. Don't buy them until you confirm that you need them. Oftentimes teachers just put textbooks in their syllabuses so they look better and you don't REALLY need them.
7.) Don't buy textbooks if the material is copyright free. Also: google books has a lot of stuff...
8.) Personal: If your taking a history class, youtube it. itunes and youtube combined have lectures, documentaries, etc... on any subject. And its much easier (for visual learners like myself at least) to retain knowledge you see in film rather than from a textbook. Especially the more relevant knowledge.
9.) Art and Art History are traps. The classes are expensive and difficult (textbooks change every year for art history; you have to memorize the date/artist/location a piece was made AND for labs you gotta buy all the art supplies, which are super expensive around colleges).
10.) All nighters are traps. Get your work done. Don't plan on an all nighter or you'll likely spend it watching Futurama reruns. The exception is law, medical and architecture school. You'll pull all nighters there because you have too.
11.) GET A COMPLETE PLAN FOR YOUR GRADUATION, INCLUDING LISTS OF ELECTIVES! GO OVER IT WITH YOUR ADVISOR! Or you will spend at least one extra semester.
12.) Ask your advisor about getting a minor using your electives. Its usually pretty easy. For example: Most art majors are also art history minors. Most Philosophy Majors are also Religious Studies minors. Because its usually 1-2 extra classes that also qualify for your graduation anyways.
13.) GET FINANCIAL AID. Go to the office and ask about it. Its worth it. Seriously. Like $800+ every semester. And free tuition, if your lucky.
14.) OPINION. Don't pay for graduation. If your parents really want one, they can hold a totally awesome kickass family reunion with steaks and wine for everyone for the same price as your graduation fees and class ring.
15.) OPINION. Avoid relationships until you graduate and get your career set. Your almost on the path of not having to drop out of life to become a parent. Keep at it. There's a high percentage of women (and even men) at universities to find "good mates" (largely because their parents demand they get a degree but they just want to find love). A very high percentage of them have creepy diseases. If your not on a path to owning a home with a respectable job, your probably not ready to burden the responsibility of creating a new life or share your life with someone else who is in the same position.
16.) OPINION. Meditate. Try to avoid guided meditations. Just sit in a dark room/closet and stop thinking. Focus on your breathing. Its REALLY hard. You'll go maybe 3 seconds the first time. Try again. 6 seconds? 12? a minute? Three? Five? Towards the end if you practice well enough you can find yourself cutting back on oversleeping, overeating, procrastinating and ultimately getting three times back the time you spend meditating. If you were raised heavy Christian and to reject eastern teachings, please note that there are Western meditators too (read about monks and pondering).
17.) OPINION. Booze-fests and parties are over-rated. You'll forget half the crap that happens, have a high chance of feeling like crap the morning after, probably waste $30+ you could save for emergencies and over half the people I knew who went to "keggers", etc...
18.) OPINION. Frats/sororities are usually a waste of time unless your at a school with a big legacy. Networking at local school clubs is 100x better, as you'll be with people in your line of work. Internships are 1000x better.
19.) Spread the word about Bleach Gotei! Especially if your school has an anime club!
20.) Carry a deck of Magic/Yu-Gi-Oh! for between class relaxation if you have no tests to study for. This is a good way of getting additional income if you have a car and the other people at the college don't but still want to buy cards (or want to buy your old cards). Does require some time on ebay pricing stuff, however.
21.) SHOP AT A GROCERY STORE. Don't buy frozen/premade food. Check for ethnic/non-chain grocery stores first for cheaper prices. I can't emphasize the importance of your budget here. If your getting loans, you're going to come out of school owing $80,000+. Imagine that. You can't claim a single thing you own until you give up $80,000. If you have no debt, every dollar can be put towards buying land/a place to live/your own pad. Which is freaking great.
22.) Low-Level non-Logic, non-History Philosophy, Film Critique/History, Yoga, Stretching, Liberal Arts and 100 level english are the best "filler" classes if you need to get to full time student status/need random electives. Archery is pretty cool too. Swimming sounds fun but its entirely lap swimming and stretching and usually you have to pay a pool fee (sucks). Plus carrying extra clothes and being wet for your other classes or even your ride home kinda sucks.
23.) Dorms are largely a waste of money. Stay at home. Save up. If your parents start complaining, ask if you can pay them rent. They will come to respect you on an entirely different level and, as a rentor, you'll find yourself an entire new level of freedom. If you want to replicate the "college experience", imagine strangers walking past your only window in your only room every 10 minutes day and night while you learn about robberies/burgularies hapenning in your very same complex every week as people around you make noise as your trying to sleep because you have a test the next day.
24.) Some majors GPA doesn't matter (unless your going into a master's program). These include Art and Architecture, in which your portfolio (i.e. the strength of your design) is what matters. So you might think "but if my design is good, my grades will be good", but you have to usually sacrifice your other classes' A's to get high scores in your studio/portfolio classes. This is normal.
25.) GET THE PHONE NUMBER OF SOMEONE IN YOUR CLASS. And e-mail. And aim/skype if you can. They WILL save you.
26.) Your doctor will write you a note. Just go in and say "I was sick; I didn't go out for 4 days now I'm fine. Can I have a note? Most teacher's shouldn't require notes. That being said...
27.) ...use your university health center. Your probably already paying for it and it'll save your parents (or yourself) money compared to going to your trusted family doctor.
28.) Don't be shy about using your school's facilities and asking if you can. They are there for you. We've rented space to play D&D. We've gotten projectors for anime club meetings. We've slept in the quiet parts of the 24 hour longue and taken our showers the next morning in the gym...
29.) Bring an extra change of clothes with you in your car and/or locker (yes, many colleges in your university will let you rent a locker, oftentimes for free i.e. first come, first serve; ask).
30.) Lost and Found auctions are great. Nuff said.
31.) Cultural festivals are a great source of free (and oftentimes pretty interesting) food.
32.) Pick up pencils you find on the ground. Sounds silly, I know. But its saved my ass.
33.) Keep random money in your bags/purses. It really saves me...
34.) Charge all your electronics during class. Especially if you pay for the utilities. Bring a power-strip if you have too. Cellphones. MP3 players. Laptop(s). Nintendo DS. Your paying for the electricity as part of your tuition.
