Here is a list of some technological items you may want to pick up before you start college:
Laptop- See previous blog.
Laptop cooling pad- It keeps your laptop cool, and increases battery life. This will usually run you about $20.
Flash drive- AKA jump drive, memory stick, usb stick, and some other names. This is a very important item! I would get a 4GB, which will be plenty of memory. This will usually run you about $20.
Laptop bag- I had one at first, but then I started just using my back pack. You can save money on buying a back pack with a laptop compartment that is padded, instead of buying a new back pack and laptop bag. This will usually run you about $30.
Laptop lock- These can be very useful, especially if you are going to live in the dorms at some point. These locks plug into your laptop and then you wrap the cable around a stationary item like a bed or chair, and they have a rolling dial combination lock on it. This will usually run you about $25-40.
Spare laptop battery- This isn't necessary, but can be useful. Most of my classes have places for you to plug your laptop into during class. If yours doesn't and you plan on using your laptop a lot during the day, you may want to invest in a spare battery. I wouldn't recommend buying a cheap knock off brand from the internet, I would pay the extra money and buy from the same company that makes your laptop. This will usually run you about $50.
As far as software, you will need Microsoft Word, Excel, Power point, and any others that you may like. You can usually get student editions from your college or university relatively cheap. I was able to get all those items from my college technology office for only $40 which is way less than half of the cost, depending on where you buy.
Estimated total (other than the actual laptop)- $185- 200
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
CHOOSING A LAPTOP- MAC VS. PC
When you enter into your freshman year of college one of the first purchases a student makes is a laptop. Many students go back in forth between buying a Mac or a PC.
A Mac is a very good brand of computer, generally virus free, very safe, and often eco friendly. However, for most major universities, a Mac is not the way to go. I am not a Mac hater or anything, so hear me out. For one thing, a Mac is very expensive. Most Macs START around $1000 and that is without a 3 year warranty. I would strongly suggest a PC such as an HP or Dell. I won't tell you specifically which brand of laptop to get, but HP's run very well, and I have heard similiar from Dell users. The downfall with Dell for most students is actually the appearance, they aren't very styish, which has nothing to do with how it operates, but that's how many young students think.
Another big reason, and probably the biggest reason you should get a PC instead of a Mac is because most computer labs are PC and almost all of the professors' computers in the classrooom for the projector is a PC. I have seen numerous students go to give power point presentations in class, have their power point on their flash drive, and it won't work because of it being a Mac file.
SUMMARY- Get a PC, and save yourself the hassle. If your college happens to be a Mac school, then great go with a Mac, and be ready to dish out some extra cash.
A Mac is a very good brand of computer, generally virus free, very safe, and often eco friendly. However, for most major universities, a Mac is not the way to go. I am not a Mac hater or anything, so hear me out. For one thing, a Mac is very expensive. Most Macs START around $1000 and that is without a 3 year warranty. I would strongly suggest a PC such as an HP or Dell. I won't tell you specifically which brand of laptop to get, but HP's run very well, and I have heard similiar from Dell users. The downfall with Dell for most students is actually the appearance, they aren't very styish, which has nothing to do with how it operates, but that's how many young students think.
Another big reason, and probably the biggest reason you should get a PC instead of a Mac is because most computer labs are PC and almost all of the professors' computers in the classrooom for the projector is a PC. I have seen numerous students go to give power point presentations in class, have their power point on their flash drive, and it won't work because of it being a Mac file.
SUMMARY- Get a PC, and save yourself the hassle. If your college happens to be a Mac school, then great go with a Mac, and be ready to dish out some extra cash.
Monday, January 18, 2010
MONEY TIPS- MAKING SOME EXTRA CASH PT. 2
OK. So since most of us are college students, I have an idea. With the green movement that is going on right now throughout the country and even the world, I have a great solution to help the planet, and make some extra cash.
Chegg.com will buy your old textbooks that are laying around your dorm or apartment or wherever you are. All you have to do is go to their website and enter the book you have, and you can make some extra cash, FAST. Also, if you use the code "CC111294" they will send you an extra $5.
You can also rent books as I have mentioned before for nearly 75% off the cost of buying them, and with the code "CC111294" you can get an additional 5% off.
THE BEST PART- The best part is that Chegg will plant a tree for every book you buy or rent. What's cool about this is that you get to choose where the tree goes! So check it out and rake in some cash!
Chegg.com will buy your old textbooks that are laying around your dorm or apartment or wherever you are. All you have to do is go to their website and enter the book you have, and you can make some extra cash, FAST. Also, if you use the code "CC111294" they will send you an extra $5.
You can also rent books as I have mentioned before for nearly 75% off the cost of buying them, and with the code "CC111294" you can get an additional 5% off.
THE BEST PART- The best part is that Chegg will plant a tree for every book you buy or rent. What's cool about this is that you get to choose where the tree goes! So check it out and rake in some cash!
MONEY TIPS- HOW TO MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH!!!
Well, as you all know college students are generally broke/ poor and need money. Usually freshmen students will disagree, that they don't feel like they are broke or poor. That's because they are still riding out their graduation money, and mommy and daddy or who ever is still helping them out. This greatly slows down by your sophomore year, and even more so if you live off campus. So I am going to give you some advice for making money, other than a job.
The first thing you can do to make extra cash is by doing just about nothing. Give plasma. Plasma in the liquid part of the blood. The process is similar to donating blood. They take a small amount of your blood, run it through a machine, the machine separates your platelets and blood cells from the liquid plasma. Then the important platelets and blood cells are returned to your blood stream and they keep the plasma. This process doesn't take much time, ususally just under or around an hour each time. So, how much can you make? Well, you can make close to $300 a month, that would be if you "donated" twice a week every month. So if you don't mind needles, try it out.
The next way is "Trash for Cash". This is a great idea if you are living in a dorm or apartment building. It's simple, all you need is an empty cup, and a huge lawn and leaf sturdy garbage bag. You take the bag and cup door to door and tell them that you are collecting trash and would take their trash for a donation. If they ask what the money goes to, tell them the truth, spring break, beer money, ramen noodles, you know, the important stuff. So, how much can you make? Well this isn't something you do every day, more like once a week, so you can make in my guess anywhere between $15 and $50 a week depending on the size of the building you live in.
This next way might take a little more effort, but can bring in a lot more money. Apartment referrals. An apartment referral is when you tell another student about an apartment complex and you reccommend it to them, and refer them to the office. Basically you say, "Hey, you still looking for housing for next year. Go check out (insert rental company here), it's a great place and they have an affordable rate." Give that person the phone number and have them tell the company that you referred them. This takes being more social than others and you may not get any money right off the bat. The best time to start trying to get referrals is as soon as the year starts because students have to find housing fast in order to get nice houses and apartments. So, how much money can you make? Around $100 per referral. Keep in mind though, you don't make money just because they call, they have to actually sign a lease and move in there.
Well that's all for now. Look forward for the next blog coming up in the next couple days on having a job, and maybe a few more easy money tips. If you liked this blog, leave a comment and tell me what you think!
The first thing you can do to make extra cash is by doing just about nothing. Give plasma. Plasma in the liquid part of the blood. The process is similar to donating blood. They take a small amount of your blood, run it through a machine, the machine separates your platelets and blood cells from the liquid plasma. Then the important platelets and blood cells are returned to your blood stream and they keep the plasma. This process doesn't take much time, ususally just under or around an hour each time. So, how much can you make? Well, you can make close to $300 a month, that would be if you "donated" twice a week every month. So if you don't mind needles, try it out.
The next way is "Trash for Cash". This is a great idea if you are living in a dorm or apartment building. It's simple, all you need is an empty cup, and a huge lawn and leaf sturdy garbage bag. You take the bag and cup door to door and tell them that you are collecting trash and would take their trash for a donation. If they ask what the money goes to, tell them the truth, spring break, beer money, ramen noodles, you know, the important stuff. So, how much can you make? Well this isn't something you do every day, more like once a week, so you can make in my guess anywhere between $15 and $50 a week depending on the size of the building you live in.
This next way might take a little more effort, but can bring in a lot more money. Apartment referrals. An apartment referral is when you tell another student about an apartment complex and you reccommend it to them, and refer them to the office. Basically you say, "Hey, you still looking for housing for next year. Go check out (insert rental company here), it's a great place and they have an affordable rate." Give that person the phone number and have them tell the company that you referred them. This takes being more social than others and you may not get any money right off the bat. The best time to start trying to get referrals is as soon as the year starts because students have to find housing fast in order to get nice houses and apartments. So, how much money can you make? Around $100 per referral. Keep in mind though, you don't make money just because they call, they have to actually sign a lease and move in there.
Well that's all for now. Look forward for the next blog coming up in the next couple days on having a job, and maybe a few more easy money tips. If you liked this blog, leave a comment and tell me what you think!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
CHOOSING A MAJOR- OPEN MINDEDNESS
When choosing a major, it is good to be open minded. Too many people go into college with a set mindset of "What I want to be when I grow up", well you really aren't grown up yet, and while it is good to go in with an idea of what you want to do, don't force yourself to enjoy it. I went through this myself. I applied to my university with a major that really interested me, but the week before my freshman year started, I saw dollar signs in another major, I thought I could make a lot more money doing that instead. So I change my major from what I enjoy, to what would make me money. HUGE mistake!? (not really). I am glad I did though. I only was in that major for one term, and I met a lot of people that I am still friends with, got general knowledge on a subject that I would normally know nothing about, and took a couple interesting classes that I wouldn't have other wise taken.
I didn't force myself to enjoy the major and program. It just wasn't for me. Turns out, it wasn't for over 60% of the freshmen who went into that program because that's how many transferred into another major. I went back to the major I originally applied for, and I am extremely happy. I ended up having to take another class that I wouldn't normally take, and now I am double majoring with that class.
WALK AWAY WITH THIS- Don't feel like you have to pick a major based purely on money, your parents, what your friends are doing, or what a boyfriend or girlfriend may be doing. Find something that makes you happy. I know you hear that a lot when referring to jobs, but with college it's easier to find an enjoyable major than it is to find a job straight out of high school that you enjoy. Be open minded. If you take an elective class for example Anthropology or Psychology, or hey even German Studies, and you really enjoy that class, take another one. Meet with the professor of that class and talk to them about possible double majoring, minoring, or even changing your major all together. College is all about choices, and learning from those choices.
I didn't force myself to enjoy the major and program. It just wasn't for me. Turns out, it wasn't for over 60% of the freshmen who went into that program because that's how many transferred into another major. I went back to the major I originally applied for, and I am extremely happy. I ended up having to take another class that I wouldn't normally take, and now I am double majoring with that class.
WALK AWAY WITH THIS- Don't feel like you have to pick a major based purely on money, your parents, what your friends are doing, or what a boyfriend or girlfriend may be doing. Find something that makes you happy. I know you hear that a lot when referring to jobs, but with college it's easier to find an enjoyable major than it is to find a job straight out of high school that you enjoy. Be open minded. If you take an elective class for example Anthropology or Psychology, or hey even German Studies, and you really enjoy that class, take another one. Meet with the professor of that class and talk to them about possible double majoring, minoring, or even changing your major all together. College is all about choices, and learning from those choices.
Monday, January 11, 2010
MONEY TIPS- PAYING THOUSANDS FOR SERVICES YOU DON'T NEED!
Here's a money secret for you. This is something that the student services and financial aid offices don't want you to know about.
Many universities charge you for services that you don't necessarily need or use that can cost you THOUSANDS!!!
Here is my experience from just recently as an example of some cost that you may be getting charged for that you can have removed.
My university was charging me $360 per quarter for health coverage, $50 per quarter for mental and physical health services, and $8 per quarter for legal services. Now, those are great if you don't have coverage of your own, or if you really need the health services, but I don't need them, so why should I pay for them. This totals $418 per quarter, or $1,254 per year, or $5,016 for a 4 year degree. Now, I prefer to keep the legal services, because let's be realistic, it's college. There's a lot of potential trouble, whether you're at fault or not, and for only $24 a year, I'll keep it. However, that's a lot of money to spend on services that you didn't ask for or don't need. You can get these services taken off of your bill simply by asking. GOOD LUCK.
Parents- Call the university's registrar's or financial aid office and ask for a breakdown of all student costs and fees.
Students- Go to the university's registrar's or financial aid office and ask the same thing, and find out if you can cut some costs. Also, you may need to take your medical insurance card.
PS. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the blog!
PSS
Did you know that the average student will spend over $500 per term buying textbooks? Seems like an awful lot of money to buy textbooks that often get opened one time, right? Well, with Chegg.com, you will save hundreds!
So stop wasting your money and start renting from Chegg.com. I’m on the bandwagon and I’ve saved enough to buy all my term papers! Not really, but I have saved some serious cash by Chegging my books. I have a promo code that will save you an additional 5% off your total order, useCC111294.
Want proof?
Essential Biology by Campbell, Reece & Simon is $83.18 if you buy it on Amazon.com. If you rent it on Chegg.com, it’s only $11.78. That’s a savings of over $71!
It’s so simple, just search for the books you need and place your order. Chegg will ship them to you fast and at the end of the term you ship them back for free. What’s really cool is that they plant a tree for every book that you rent.
Don’t forget to visit Chegg.com and use promo code CC111294.
Many universities charge you for services that you don't necessarily need or use that can cost you THOUSANDS!!!
Here is my experience from just recently as an example of some cost that you may be getting charged for that you can have removed.
My university was charging me $360 per quarter for health coverage, $50 per quarter for mental and physical health services, and $8 per quarter for legal services. Now, those are great if you don't have coverage of your own, or if you really need the health services, but I don't need them, so why should I pay for them. This totals $418 per quarter, or $1,254 per year, or $5,016 for a 4 year degree. Now, I prefer to keep the legal services, because let's be realistic, it's college. There's a lot of potential trouble, whether you're at fault or not, and for only $24 a year, I'll keep it. However, that's a lot of money to spend on services that you didn't ask for or don't need. You can get these services taken off of your bill simply by asking. GOOD LUCK.
Parents- Call the university's registrar's or financial aid office and ask for a breakdown of all student costs and fees.
Students- Go to the university's registrar's or financial aid office and ask the same thing, and find out if you can cut some costs. Also, you may need to take your medical insurance card.
PS. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the blog!
PSS
Did you know that the average student will spend over $500 per term buying textbooks? Seems like an awful lot of money to buy textbooks that often get opened one time, right? Well, with Chegg.com, you will save hundreds!
So stop wasting your money and start renting from Chegg.com. I’m on the bandwagon and I’ve saved enough to buy all my term papers! Not really, but I have saved some serious cash by Chegging my books. I have a promo code that will save you an additional 5% off your total order, useCC111294.
Want proof?
Essential Biology by Campbell, Reece & Simon is $83.18 if you buy it on Amazon.com. If you rent it on Chegg.com, it’s only $11.78. That’s a savings of over $71!
It’s so simple, just search for the books you need and place your order. Chegg will ship them to you fast and at the end of the term you ship them back for free. What’s really cool is that they plant a tree for every book that you rent.
Don’t forget to visit Chegg.com and use promo code CC111294.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Money Tips- Cheap Textbooks!!!
ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS- RENT YOUR TEXTBOOKS REALLY CHEAP AT CHEGG.COM AND RECEIVE A DISCOUNT USING THE COUPON CODE CC111294
Parents, students, spread the word, use this code and get a discount. This is really a great site and the code is re-usable as many times as you would like. I know what it's like to be a broke college student and needing to get the most of your money. Check it out and save some cash!
Parents, students, spread the word, use this code and get a discount. This is really a great site and the code is re-usable as many times as you would like. I know what it's like to be a broke college student and needing to get the most of your money. Check it out and save some cash!
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