—t

il une \-

 

a

12

 

Sous & AY oar

10 ways to maximize your college experience

 

By Grace Neptuno

ometimes it’s about leaning
S to manage your money.

Sometimes it’s about the life
lessons. A good college experience is
one that is made up of both. Here’s
10 ways to keep one eye on your
money and the other on fun:
1. Get some money
Apply for grants. Be ruthless but
be modest. But be more ruthless.
These applications want to hear
what makes you the best candidate
for their buck. Tell them in epic
prose about your iron character,
your determined will, and your
Oscar-winning made-into-a-movie-
dreams-for-a-better-world-utilizing-
your-Sports-Science-degree. For a
complete list of grants and bursaries
available, visit the Financial Aid
office or apply on line at http://www.
douglas.be.ca/services/financial-aid/
scholarships_awards_bursaries.html
2. Save some money
Here’s a little trick of the rich:
When they get some money, the
first thing they do is...save some.
If you have a part-time job, re-
direct a small amount into a savings
account. Sign up with ING Direct
and automate it. Even if it’s only $20
per pay-check. When you get your
student loan, save $100 and mark
it “ For Emergencies”. When you
get birthday money, save 10% of it.
Although the amount doesn’t matter,
it’s the habit of saving that counts.
3. Find Free or cheap
entertainment
Have you been to the new DSU
building? It’s been re-vamped and
re-vitalized. Perfect for light social
gatherings involving academic
discussions on the obscured Herman
Melville references in Halo. Or
pub nights. Visit the new campus
connection website http://www.
douglife.ca/ for free and almost free
campus events.

Have lots of friends? Have very
little space in your apartment?
Nothing says party like 30 college
students cramped into a craigslist-
decorated basement apartment.

While this type of entertainment
isn’t always the most neighbour-
friendly, it’s cheaper than going out
and you'll get to know your friends
really well.

4. Don’t sign the dotted line

For the love of the Cylon gods, do
not get a credit card. There is no
foreseeable reason for a college
student to have a credit card. Ever.
If you have already been tricked into
a student credit card, do not use it
again until you have paid the full
balance. Then cut it up. If you can’t
keep yourself from using the card
over and over, freeze it. Really. Put it
in a container full of water and stick
it in the freezer. It'll take ages to
defrost the next time you want to use
it and that may be just enough time
for you to rethink your purchase. Or,
send it home to your parents with

a note that says “I did a bad thing”.
Whatever you do, don’t get another
one.

5. Eat at home, make your lunch,
and learn to cook.

The folks over at simple-green-
frugal-co-op.blogspot.com came

up with a large list of meals to

make with a roast chicken and its
leftovers. That’s the stuff college
dreams are made of. Buying

your own food, taking out some
cookbooks from the library, trying
the recipes and bringing in your
own lunch are not just cheaper and
healthier alternatives, you will pick
up a surprising skill that most young
adults of Generation Tech lack:
cooking.

6. Start looking for jobs even they
are not directly related

There is an Undergrad urban myth
that once we’ve graduated from

a selected program, jobs in the

field stop existing. It’s a matter of
evolution. The smart Undergrad

will pay a quick visit to the Co-Op
office to chat about finding creative
options using their potential and
current skills to ensure that when
they do graduate, they don’t just
limit themselves to the “Marketing
Industry” or to the “Public Relations
Industry”. They will be on the

lookout for any opportunity
to use their knowledge, not
just their qualification.

7. Disconnect

Want to make some real
friends? Stop texting, get
off Facebook and call your
friends. Go see them and
give them hugs.

8. See an Academic Advisor
This is one of the best things
you can do to protect your
GPA and your hard-earned
tuition money. Checking in
with an advisor at the start
of each academic year will
help you stay on track, create
goals and plan your courses
so you don’t end up taking
Business Calculus instead of
real Calculus.

9. Start asking the Big
Questions

No, not “Who Wore it
Best?”. The questions

that show your college
instructors that you’ve been
thinking about what they
taught and how it applies to
the outside world: “How
does the current political
climate in the DRC mirror
conflicts in the Asian-
Pacific? Are they related to
or isolated from each other?”
Ask your History instructor
then ask your Political
Science instructor. Watch
them fight. But make up your own
questions. This kind of attention

to your courses demonstrates that
you are thinking, making you stand
out. You become memorable, like
an academic wet dream. Use your
knowledge of vectors and linear
maps to put a small child to sleep.
The point is to spend time applying
what you’ ve learned to daily life.
Look for links in information from
other courses. After taking an
academic writing course, I’ve got
to tell you, it’s become that much
easier to spot rhetoric. Or has it?
10. Have a great time

Not in the “back of the limo” sense
of the word. And not in the blow

 

all your money on cheap beer and
seeing “Inception” eighteen times
sense. But in the way that makes
you feel like life is full. Yes, there
will be times you’ll regret (and

have to spend the morning “un-
tagging” yourself) but they’re almost
always preceded by that moment
where you don’t want to leave just
yet because it’s just too much fun.
These moments don’t have to cost
money either. Enjoying English Bay
at sunset with your friends, borrow

a classic movie from the college
library and watch it together, learn to
make pizza dough. After all, Trooper
said it best: “We’re here for a good
time. A long time.” Enjoy yourself.

a