Money management for college freshmen
The National Endowment for Financial Education has the following tips for college freshmen:
Turning your dorm room upside down looking for your course list probably won’t go over too well with your roommate. Organize your information now into one central location to avoid issues later. Important documents to keep should include transcripts, current health insurance policy, medical bills, renter’s insurance policy, financial aid information, loan documents, W2s, pay stubs, and past tax returns, among others. File these materials as you get them and you’ll avoid mounds of papers piling up on your desk.
Do you know what you’re paying for your college education? Even if your parents cover tuition and room and board, you’ll still have to pay for a few expenses. Seek out a sophomore or junior to talk to about what they paid for books, food, and other expenses to get a better idea of what lies ahead. For a budget worksheet to help with the numbers, check out the back of the free booklet, 40 Money Management Tips Every College Freshman Should Know, which is located at www.smartaboutmoney.org/40moneytips.
If used incorrectly or irresponsibly, credit cards can burden you with a lot of debt for a long time. When shopping for a card, look for one that has no annual fee, a low interest rate and a 20- to 30-day grace period (the amount of time you have to pay before interest is charged). Avoid cards that charge a processing fee or have low introductory interest rates that shoot up after a few months. Check out Bankrate’s credit card comparison tool at www.bankrate.com for help.
Separate needs from wants. Before you buy something, ask yourself: Can I live without this? You’ll be surprised how many things fall under the “I really don’t need this right now” category. Try to buy only what you need right now. When you are out of school and earning a good salary, you’ll be able to afford more of the things you want. But for now, it’s time to revel in the poor college student cliché.
With identity theft on the rise, take care to protect your personal information. Don’t give anyone your Social Security, credit card, or bank account numbers unless you know who they are and why they need them. If you are unsure, ask the person to send you a request by mail instead of asking for it over the telephone. Shred or tear up papers that have any of those numbers on them, as well as pre-approved credit card offers. Also, always review your credit card and bank statements for anything suspicious. Lastly, if your credit card has been stolen, call the security number of your credit card company and cancel the card immediately.
Being sick isn’t fun, but it’s worse to be sick and not know how your health insurance works. Before you head off to college, talk with your parents or guardian about your health insurance plan, what it covers, and where you can go for help when you’re at school. Also, check with your university or college about health resources on campus.
Make school your first job. A college education will give you the biggest payoff down the road so don’t let anything else interfere with it. Go to class, participate in discussions, get to know your professors, and make sure you get everything out of every class. After all, you’re investing in your education.
Pomp and Pageantry
UCO President Roger Webb generated chuckles today when talking to faculty about the university’s many accomplishments.
Chief among them was the crowning of UCO student Lauren Nelson as Miss America 2007. The reigning Miss Black Oklahoma and Mrs. Oklahoma also were UCO students.
The Edmond campus attracts brains AND beauty, Webb said.
“If you’ve got a son that’s a senior in high school, this is the place to be,” Webb quipped at the annual fall meeting of staff and faculty.
Executive Vice President Steve Kreidler had beauty on the brain as well. Before touting the university’s environmental efforts, he gave the signature Miss America wave to the audience — hand cupped then rotated slowly.
Thank goodness it wasn’t the ballgown competition.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
What’s Your Style?
Dorm dwellers have a new tool for decorating their digs.
Wal-Mart has launched a Facebook group, Roommate Style Match, where rooommates can jointly plan their dorm room decor.
Some features:
- A “Roommate Style Match Quiz” that allows roommates to take an interactive personality quiz to determine each roommate’s college decorating style
- Personalized shopping lists to fit your style
- The ability to mesh your style with your roommates
- Access to Wal-Mart Soundcheck
- A “Go Green” section
- A direct link to Walmart.com, where students can shop for merchandise
Is this a great resource for roomies, or another marketing trick by the giant retailer?
Tell me what you think and if you’ll try it at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Student Safety
Do you have a student in college?
A year ago you probably didn’t worry much about their safety on campus.
Then again, that was before the tragedy at Virginia Tech, which took the lives of 33 and reminded us that violence can occur anywhere, to anyone.
Universities and colleges across the nation have spent the summer updating and investing in school security plans. They’ve hired more police officers and counselors, expanded emergency communications to notify students and staff during an emergency. Some have even put locks on classroom doors.
But is your student actually any safer? And what can you do to help protect your loved ones?
I want to know your thoughts, your ideas. E-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
vaccinations
Remember the big to-do about the cervical cancer vaccination for 12-year-old girls?
We have all slept since then, and the now 23-minute news cycle has moved on to young Hollywood’s rehab stints and other socially important happenings, so I can sympathize if the vaccine, Gardasil, sounds more like a plant nutrient stick than a three-cycle injection.
However, with school starting again soon, I’m wondering if parents are opting to have their doctors go ahead and give their daughters the vaccine as part of their regimen of back-to-school immunizations? Are parents insisting this be part of the cocktail, although not required to enroll? Are doctors pushing the vaccine? Does anyone care anymore?
If this is familiar to you, e-mail me below or call (405) 475-3364.
Glue for You
I’m not a student but I love the school supply aisle.
The bounty of brightly colored notebooks (one subject, three-subject, wide-ruled) the pegs of pens (retractable, felt, ball point) the little plastic pencil sharpeners that never really work, the big big box of crayons.
Who says school supplies are only for kids? Grown-ups can find treasures as well, often cheaper than at the local office supplier.
We all need paper, and that Helly Kitto notebook will be a cute addition to my desk. Purple pens are a fun ways to write a note to a co-worker. And for my “must meet deadline or else” days, there’s the Super Woman eraser set, which might not make me work faster but makes me smile.
So don’t let the kids have all the fun. Add some sparkle to your plain-Jane work supplies. Except for the protractor — I never really figured that one out.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Back to Class
My stepsister Gabrielle just graduated from college. So for the first time in 17-years, she’s not in back-to-school mode.
No shopping for clothes, no book-buying, no scheduling classes that don’t start too early.
It’s the strangest feeling, she says, wanting to get ready for class, but not needing to. My advice, go buy some new clothes anyway. You’ve earned them.
But what about thousands of students yet to graduate from college. I want to know your back-to-school rituals. How do you get ready for the fall semester?
It’s been a long time since I was in college, but one of my best pre-semester moves was to give my schedule of classes a walk-through. That way I’d know if I really could get from the science building to the liberal arts building in 10 minutes. Also, nobody wants to be the geek frantically unfolding their campus map on the first day.
I’m planning a story with some back-to-school tips so I want to hear all about your ideas. And I’m sure there are more than a few freshmen, and their parents, who’d like your advice.
E-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Some NCLB responses
I wanted to share two responses I received after I posted thoughts on NCLB and whether Oklahoma was making more progress before the landmark federal law took effect. I realize two responses don’t represent anything close to the totality of views on NCLB, but they’re interesting nonetheless.
This is from Vicki Harbert, counselor at Tishomingo High School (The emphasis is hers; I’ve broken up the paragraphs.):
“No Child Left Behind is a wonderful idea in theory, but a dismal failure in reality. The truth is, there are children being left behind. It is utterly ridiculous to think that all children will achieve to set standards without regard to cognitive ability, economic status, English speaking or not, parental involvement, etc.
“I feel that rural schools in poorer counties in Oklahoma are at a distinct disadvantage in meeting the letter of the law in NCLB. Several reports I’ve recently read tout the fact that student achievement is rising due to NCLB. In actuality, teaching for the test is rising. Why spend time on topics that are not “tested,” even though a teacher may feel they are extremely important to growing a child of integrity, character and knowledge?
“Teachers cannot afford the luxury of a well-rounded education because of the constraints of NCLB. Counselors are being overwhelmed with paperwork, reports, training and testing preparation for the ones helping administer tests, helping students and parents with test anxiety (and even some teachers who feel like their jobs are on the line if their students perform poorly), in addition to the security of the tests! I became a school counselor to counsel and advise students, not to give tests!
“I will leave public education before I am required to add one more test to measure the “success” of NCLB.”
This one is from M. Gene Henderson, a retired 20-year superintendent from Missouri (I’ve changed a few things, but not much.):
“I’m a retired 20-year superintendent, 16 at Francis Howell of St. Charles County, Missouri. FH was the first school to operate a four-cycle, year-round program. We tested to discover the effect. Finally got smart and asked the teachers.”Teachers have already said it loudly and clearly. NCLB is a disaster on the way to a calamity.
“Each responsible administrator should interview a ‘random sample’ (all or 30) of a unit’s teachers. The interview questions should be constructed by interview, then interviews conducted by an (verifiable leader) administrator. Each school has its own result with, we would think, (would) overlap.
“Isn’t it a shame that test scores are sought instead of asking the teacher? Test scores, handled carefully, can tell some things about a group, but almost nothing we want to know about individuals. Too many of us think a number can reveal info about extremely complex matters. ”
Keep ‘em coming. Click below to e-mail me.
How Do You Manage?
Do you have any tips for shopping with kids?
Lots of families are shopping this weekend to take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday. I spoke to a few parents today, and they took various approaches.
Some took all the kids at once so they could try on items and complete shopping in one day.
Some took their children in shifts, so they could focus on one wardrobe at a time.
Some left the kids at home, and picked out the clothes they thought would best fit.
Vaden Twidwell of Piedmont was shopping for school uniforms for her two grand-daughters. Bringing them along would have cost her more, she said. “They put everything in the basket and pretty soon we’ve spent $300.”
I have two daughters, and find it’s easier to shop alone for the four-year-old. But the 9-year-old has her own sense of fashion and would prefer to pick out her own clothes.
When I must take them both to the store, I find it’s easier to put the toddler in a shopping cart and distract her with a toy or candy while I shop. It might not be the best parenting method, but it usually works.
How do you handle things? Send me your tips at ssimpson@oklahoman.com and I’ll share them with our readers.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Work Hazard
Memo to Boss: You knew this would happen.
Sending me to talk to shoppers on this first day of our state’s first sales tax holiday … well, that’s like sending the fox to the henhouse.
I couldn’t help myself. Surrounded by sales signs, and feeling peer-pressure from the enthusiatic consumers I encountered, I put down my notebook and picked up my checkbook. (For the record, I’m counting the buying time as my lunch break.)
But wow, did I hit the jackpot! Regular readers here know about my store coupon savvy. I had a 15 percent-off coupon for Kohl’s, where everything in the store was on sale — some things 90 percent off, plus there was the sales tax break.
I got two t-shirts for my girls, two dresses for my toddler, two shirts, a skirt and dress for me — all for $118.65. I saved $20 on sales tax alone. And then, I got a $20 coupon good for my next visit to Kohls.
Fellow shoppers seemed to be doing as well. The check-out line wasn’t long, but took awhile because some customers were really stocking up, buying dozens of items, their carts overflowing.
So, Boss, I’d like to go ahead and volunteer to do this story next year. And the year after, and after….
Memo to husband, balancer of all checkbooks: My boss made me do it.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer (and shopper extraordinaire)
