Sunday, March 27, 2011

COLLEGE INSOMNIA!

Virtually everyone college-aged or older has experienced it.  That horrible thing that makes it impossible to rest.  OR when you finally CAN fall asleep, you've spent so much time freaking out about not being able to sleep that you don't get much before it's time to get up.

I'VE FOUND SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR ME!   Some chamomile tea has made me so relaxed I could drift off to sleep any time now.  I HIGHLY recommend it.  personally I got some sleepytime tea, but I'm sure almost any kind will help.

Insomnia help is ALWAYS relevant, am I right? I'm right!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

AM I GOING TO GET MESOTHELIOMA IN THE DORMS?

Dorm life can be incredibly fun, but is incredibly daunting, depending where you live.  If you live in a very old room, you might be worried about getting mesothelioma or something from the asbestos you imagine lives in the walls.

If you don't have a good college fund backing you up, or you want to be thrifty, the older dorms are often a small choice.   It's highly doubtful you'll ACTUALLY get some crazy disease like mesothelioma from anything in the walls.  you might get meningitis, but that's why you get immunizations before freshman year!  

The less flashy dorms are often the best choice, because they're simply cheaper, and you'll more than likely have an easier time getting into them.

But overall, a dorm room is what you make it.  Sure, my room may be haunted by the ghost of some former student named Rodrigo, have 'DEATH HELP' carved in huge letters in the door and have strange happenings all the time,  but that doesn't mean it can't be fun!

Ways to make money in college!

First, and most obviously, GET A JOB! A job is the most reliable source of income for most people.  even minimum wage could be enough to support a good lifestyle in college, when coupled with grants, scholarships and possibly loans.

But if job hunting is leaving you empty-handed, what then?

  Well, if you're proficient in a subject, become a tutor! Tutors can often easily make $10-20 an hour, if not more.

If you're not so proficient in any subjects (or not good enough to help others with it) you can always sell things you have lying around online, on sites like craigslist or ebay.

And if you run out of material things to sell, your body makes a wonderful thing called BLOOD PLASMA, and you can sell it at biological centers all over the place.  The place near my campus will buy a pint of your blood for $15 to start, and will offer an addition $5 each visit.  So, the first time you get $15, the second you get $20, the third time $30, and it continues at this rate up to $35 a session.   Sounds great for someone who is willing to give up their blood, doesn't it?! The only issue I've encountered is that the supply for plasma is much greater than the demand.  You might need to wait outside the doors on a monday morning if you want to get in for your first session.  Getting your foot in the door is the hardest part!

CREDIT CARD DEBTS!

For me, college loans are a nightmare in themselves.  So why add the debt from a credit card on top of that?  most credit cards have ridiculous interest rates, especially the ones marketed to college students.  I often see credit cards with well over 20% interest rates, which is MIND-BLOWING!  If you don't have the money to buy something, DON'T BUY IT! It's that simple!

Avoid getting into debt during college.  Is getting a new stereo now worth not being able to buy a new car later in life because your credit is horrible?  Absolutely not!

MY school isn't THIS bad, but a LOT of it holds true!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbsdlSpA2GU


As the last line says, 'if we were a good university, we wouldn't have a commercial!'

Friday, March 25, 2011

PAYING FOR COLLEGE!

paying for college is easily the most stressful thing I've ever had to deal with.  Even if you can get a lot of financial aid, there's still a lot of paperwork you have to deal with!  My school requires first year students to buy a crazy expensive meal plan AND requires that we live on campus our first year.  Ridiculous, right?  Well, a few tips for making your money last in college:

YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO THAT THEME PARK!
YOU REALLY CAN LIVE FOR A WHILE ON RAMEN!
Save every cent you can, it all helps.  I literally just barely made a payment one month because I was able to scrape together the last $0.80 I needed from around my room!

And don't do what I did and buy a really expensive computer.  I really love it, but the money could have been put to much better use.

REMEMBER: YOU HAVE TO PAY BACK STUDENT LOANS! It isn't just free money!

Coping with the College Conundrum!

College is an amazing time for growth, in terms of both academics and maturity.  Along with every week comes a new challenge, and along with it a new opportunity.  Hopefully with this blog I'll be able to share my experiences, and hopefully someone out there will find them interesting!