All tagged college series

The College Series: 9 Ways to Reduce Student Loan Debt

Give a man an education and he will build a new world, but give a man a loan and you can own that man forever.

It’s been 10 years since I graduated from grad school. I still proudly hang up my diploma because it put me on a better path for my career and my income. It was also FREE. No loans, no debt, no soul to be sold. With that, I thought I might offer some ways to help reduce debt if you are a college student or have a child that is about to head to college.

The College Series: Setting Yourself Up For Internship Success

The expert in anything was once an unpaid intern.

It’s the beginning of the spring semester and you realize that you’re going to have to face the realities of the real world in five months or so. It’s prime internship-searching season. You’ve googled “interview questions” dozens of times and are already anxious for your school’s career fair. This isn’t an article asking you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, nor is it a guide on what to look for in a company, but rather things to consider to ensure a more successful job searching experience. Whether you’re applying for summer internships or an internship over the school year, it’s important to think ahead and cover your bases when it comes to the internship applying process.

The College Series: What I Did With My First Paycheck

"No matter who is watching or paying the paycheck, we are ultimately each our own boss."

A few weeks into my summer internship, my bank account was graced with a direct deposit. As a student still living at home with my parents, my expenses were minimal when it came to things like extraneous bills and insurance.  It was pretty tempting, and fairly easy, to have just spent it all on new clothes, food, and drinks, (especially working in New York City) but with some thoughtful consideration, I realized I probably shouldn’t blow my first paycheck, or all of them for that matter. Here’s how I prioritized where all my money went and things I needed to consider as a student and emerging young professional.

The College Series - Back-to-School Prep with Financial Independence in Mind

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

It’s that time of year...the Sunday of Summer. In the blink of an eye, your days of vacationing, interning, or working elsewhere become days of mental and physical preparations for back to school. August rears its head a lot faster than expected and you scramble to pack for move-in or buy books for classes. Across the country, students just like you are trying their best to get through back to school season and trying not to break the bank (or your parents’). Broke college students seem to be the norm, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you already started classes or will begin in September, here are some helpful tips to get you in the money-saving mindset for back to school!

The College Series: Skipping Class is Costing You Money

The cost of skipping class goes beyond that of “Oh I missed the lesson for today, I’ll catch up eventually”. It’s a financial cost. Every time you skip a class, you waste money.

Each class has an individual cost and when you don’t show up you are wasting your money. If you are taking out loans, you’ve basically taken out a very expensive loan to sleep in or play video games. There’s a trade-off to everything so think about your future self and what they’ll have to pay off when you skip class and not take advantage of the learning and networking opportunities before you.

The College Series: 10 Tips when Applying for Scholarships

Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, you should always look for new scholarship opportunities. There is a world of free money opportunities for all stages of the student. If you’re an incoming freshman or transferring to a new school, don’t just settle for your scholarship package as your only means of financial/scholarship assistance. Just because you are graduating soon, doesn’t mean there aren’t scholarships out there for you to help with your post-grad debt. If you’re anywhere in between, trying is better than nothing at all! Here are 10 tips when applying for scholarships.

The College Series: 15 Free Things to Take Advantage of in College

It’s never too late to take advantage of free things in college. Whether you’re reading this as an incoming student, an undergraduate, or masters student, be on the lookout for freebies that are both physical and digital. Free things are all around, but it’s up to you to pursue them.

To be fair, are these things really “free”? Your tuition is paying for something.

The College Series: Breakdown of an Offer Letter - What to Negotiate and Take Advantage Of

This week I met with a few soon to be graduates to review their offer letters and how best to take advantage of them. Many of these students had already accepted their offers, but one still had time to negotiate. In this post, I will cover the components of an offer letter and how best to take advantage of it on the path to financial independence. It’s critical and quite crucial to take steps as early as the time you accept your first full-time job offer to set yourself up for success when it comes to money.

How to Maximize Living at Home With Your Parents for Your Financial Independence Journey

I  have to admit that 18, all I wanted to do was get out of my parents house. Not that I had any issues at home, I just felt I needed some independence. I was pretty lucky because my parents are awesome people. A few years ago, my husband and I came back to live with my parents. It's a strange feeling after being out of the house for over 10 years. So we ended up co-habitating with my parents in our 30s and I have to stay it was not as bad as they say it is. Here are some tips to make the most of this time.

The College Series: Student Travel on a Budget

“The only adventure you regret is the one you didn’t take.”

Whether you’re travelling during spring break, studying abroad, or treating yourself after graduation, travelling is a worthwhile thing to do as a young adult. Not only is it important to expose yourself to new places, people, and experiences, but the cultural exchange that occurs is invaluable and helps you become more understanding of the world around you.