Author: Michelle Jackson

4 Money Truths I Wish I Knew In College

Posted on by Michelle Jackson

I was the first person in my family to go to college. At least in a ‘regular’ way, at a young age! Both my parents attended college, but as fully mature adults.

My mom decided to go to college after she and my father divorced. Every once in a while, I would end up going to class with her.

While she worked on her degree, I worked on my second-grade homework.

Fast forward 10 years, and I found myself graduating from high school at age 17 and making my way to a college that I had never seen before, but that had awarded me a lot of money. There was no way I wouldn’t attend.

I was the first kid in my family to take the traditional route to college.

I studied AP English and history, did too many extra-curricular activities to count, and was incredibly prepared – except when it came to one huge thing: money.

I had no idea of all of the money-related issues that would come up, and no one in my family was aware of the financial issues that I would face.

Before You Arrive

You will begin experiencing the costs of attending college up to two years before you arrive. Students will start paying for standardized tests, and they’ll shell out hundreds of dollars just to submit college applications.

Before taking the SAT, see if you are eligible to receive a fee waiver for the test. According to the College Board website, if you are eligible for a fee waiver, you will also be eligible for four college application fee waivers for eligible schools. You will have to do some research to figure out which schools will waive the fee.

Once You’ve Applied

Start looking for as many scholarships as you possibly can. If you play the harmonica well, there just might be a scholarship waiting for you!

There are so many scholarships out there. Be the person who finds out about and applies for the random scholarships that you qualify for, and actually win the money because no one else thought about applying for them.

You can use apps like Scholly, developed by Christopher Gray, to help you find scholarships that are right for you.

Lack of Financial Skills

Lacking financial skills made me easy prey for credit card companies who enticed students with t-shirts, backpacks, and other useless stuff that we thought was necessary at the time.

Many schools now have offices dedicated to helping students manage their finances, so don’t feel weird if you lack money management skills. Start with the financial aid department to see what money management resources you can access on campus. Begin reading personal finance blogs and websites like CentSai.

Holidays Cost Money

I never returned home during my college years because it cost money to fly, and I didn’t have any money to spare. I did visit a friend’s home in NYC (I went to college in New York State). But I never imagined that I would never see home for four years due to my lack of money.

The problem with staying on campus during the holidays is that many universities will shut down the majority of their dormitories to cleaning and fix things.

You will typically be given notice about this, but many students may find themselves scrambling for a place to stay when the dorms are closed. Fortunately, I almost always lived in dorms that were open during the holidays.

The other issue with staying on campus during the holidays is that the majority of the dining halls will close, as well. So you may find yourself having to eat during very limited hours of the day, and you may need to purchase and prepare your own food, even if you have a campus meal plan.

It was tough being a broke kid on campus, but I now know that I wasn’t the only one. Hopefully, these tips will help you anticipate and avoid the financial pitfalls that I experienced in college because I had no one to show me the way. Now you have some guidance!

 

The article 4 Money Truths I Wish I Knew In College originally appeared on CentSaiAdulting.

What I Wish I Knew At My First High School Job

Posted on by Michelle Jackson

I remember it as if it happened yesterday: my first job in high school. I was fed up with asking my mom for money, so I decided it was time to find a job. My mom didn’t want me to work and cautioned me that once I started working, I wouldn’t be able to stop. What she feared was that it would take me away from my schoolwork.

I was in no mood to listen to anyone, not even to my mom. I just wanted my own money.

My job search began in earnest and I landed a job making sandwiches at the mall. I loved it. I loved the camaraderie, I loved the money, and I loved that first step towards adult independence.

I worked hard making sandwiches (I find it tough to look at a roast beef sandwich nowadays with good feelings), cleaning, and helping customers. But it was hard work. I had to clean stuff, help customers, manage cash, arrive on time, and learn how to budget and save my money.

I discovered that customers weren’t always easy to work with – especially when they were hungry. My clothes always smelled like food, and after making the first five hundred sandwiches, I no longer loved sandwiches so much, either.

But behind all those annoyances, I was being shaped for the future. Working at the local sandwich store was among the many part time jobs that I took on during high school.

But each one was a stepping stone to a future career.

For high school students preparing for adulthood, your first job is an important milestone for a number of reasons:

  • Learning how to manage your own money. This is huge. You will experience the sting of discovering what FICA is (Federal Income Contribution Act) and the conversation about actual take-home pay versus money earned.
  • You learn how to work. You would think that work is “easy,” but there is a process to being a good employee. You have to show up on time and you’re now accountable to your coworkers.
  • You learn to be responsible. It’s similar to learning how to work. Employees are responsible for learning company talking points, safety standards, and the mundane tasks that keep the business running.

Many people would say that you have to be careful about the type of job that you decide to take up. I disagree. Even an entry-level, part-time job can teach you a number of transferable skills that can be used later on in life.

Let’s face it, a lot of people are terrible workers.

You know, there’s the person who stands and whines all the time, the person who hustles, and the brownnoser.

Figure out what type of worker you would like to be. And you don’t want to be any of the three mentioned here!

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this year that the youth labor force had increased dramatically in July. Those young people are well on their way to building their future careers and wealth.

The younger you start saving, the more time you have to grow your wealth.

Your first job is also your formal introduction to personal finance matters. When you proudly hold that check in your hands, you also notice the deductions and begin to ask questions about money, taxes, and fairness!

After all, when your mother gives you an allowance, it comes with no strings attached. While making sandwiches, you realize that there are forces out there that you need to battle, and building a pile of savings is one way to win.