I don't know if you know this, you might, but college textbooks are expensive! I thought it was over exaggerated, but no! I spent over 200 bucks on textbooks this semester! I can't believe that it costs that much every semester!
Sometimes, your college will be cool, like mine, and have a buy-back program. Here, at the end of the semester, if your books are being used again the next semester, they'll buy them back for up to half of what you paid for them...some believe that's a rip-off, but I've done searching online, and it's not much better to sell them online.
Another annoying thing is that some classes don't even use the books they tell you to buy! I mean, seriously, we're college students on a budget; don't tell us to spend $100 dollars on a book we won't even open during the semester! Luckily, some colleges will have a refund policy that extends into the semester, so you can find out if you need the book and return it for a full refund. I have done that several times already.
Another thing I wish someone had told me about my school's specific way of doing things is that computers make mistakes. My school has this program where teachers assign the books to the classes, and then this program pulls the books assigned to your classes and puts them in a nice, organized list for you. Unfortunately, no one told me that sometimes the lists get lost in translation, so when my book-list changed three days before classes started, I went and returned the old books and bought the new ones. Come to find out at the beginning of the semester, though, I really needed the old ones, so I had to go back to the bookstore and return the new ones and get the old ones again (this is why I love the return policy, though the lines are beastly).
So my advice to incoming freshman: even if it costs an extra hundred bucks, buy everything on your list, even if it changes, and then wait until the first day of class to find out what you really need, then return what you don't. (Unless you're school doesn't have a return policy, then I really feel bad for you, and I think you should bring that up to someone who should hear it.)
Some more advice:
1. If your books are outside of your major, it's often-times much cheaper to rent textbooks than to buy them. Often you can rent them for half the price, which is what you'll end up paying for bought books, even if you resell them at the end of the semester. New textbooks lose half their value in the first semester. Renting is a good option, as long as you don't write in the book (which you shouldn't do anyway if you're going to sell it back). However, for books in your major that you might need again (like math books for me), I'd suggest getting new ones that will keep.
2. Dealoz.com I LOVE THIS WEBSITE! It is an online comparison tool that will search all the deals online and compare them side by side. They will also show you any coupons available to apply to that website or book. This will help you to find the cheapest textbooks you can. If your school doesn't already do this, find out how much your textbooks cost through the school, then go online and look for cheaper ones. Especially for the really expensive ones, you will most likely find cheaper options online.
3. E-Books. This is something that's started up in the last couple years, and is starting to get some wind. E-books are not the way to go if you can't handle staring at a computer screen for hours on end, or like writing in your textbooks. Also consider, though, the Nook© and devices like that, which are also up-and-coming. I don't believe too many textbooks are available on E-readers, yet, but that is something to look for in the future. E-Books are nice because they are often MUCH cheaper than a textbook (no paper costs) and they will stay on your computer, even if you switch computers. Most E-books are yours to keep, but you do have to watch out for rented E-books. If you like E-books, renting is ok, but it's usually not too much cheaper than buying an actual E-book, and they take it away at the end of the semester. It's just personal preference, really.
4. Student-organized buy-backs. Some schools will have this set up through their server, but you might also be able to find them online. Certainly Amazon™ and Ebay™ are similar to this. What this is is a way for students to sell their textbooks for more than a store would buy them back and a way to buy textbooks for cheaper than a store would sell them. That seems counter-intuitive, but it works. Students understand the financial situation in college better than stores do, and so are more likely to find a middle price that is cheap enough for buyers and still gives sellers a nice sum in their bank accounts.
One last note about textbooks: Many, if not all, courses require a specific textbook. Many will give an ISBN number. What confused me is that books, and anything really, actually have two ISBN numbers, a 10-digit and a 13-digit. They are different. It's not just a matter of three numbers at the beginning or end, often its also a difference in the last several digits. Do not get confused if a book's ISBN number is different than the one you were given. Usually, if you search for the ISBN number at an online bookstore, they will tell you both the 10- and 13-digit codes, and this is useful to know which two codes apply to the same book, in the event that a website only gives you one. Also remember that E-books will have a completely different ISBN number, so you'll have to use your best judgement.
College textbooks may seem like a big, confusing hassle, and they are, but there are tools out there that will help you save frustration and money, you just have to look for them. And be willing to spend the time; a 10 minute search could save you quite a bit of cash.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Day Two: Packing!
I don't how your parents decided to do it, but my parents decided that once we move out, our room becomes something else. They have this plan of what the house will become as each of us leaves home. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally in support of that, it doesn't bother me in the least to not have a room at home. I'm not using it, so they might as well, but what hit me hard was the packing I had to do.
Packing a room to move and store is not like packing for a trip. I can throw a bunch of clothes for a week in a suitcase in about fifteen minutes and be ready for just about anything. But packing a room is a whole 'nother ballgame; it involves careful, longterm thinking. As pretty much everyone knows, apartment rooms, and especially dorm rooms, are smaller than your average household bedroom. A lot smaller. When packing, you must think about everything twice and truly decide what you will and will not use over the next several years, because every centemeter counts in a dorm room. I mean really, there is only so much stuff you can cram into half a 12' x 19' room and not feel completely claustrophobic when you enter! Basically, you can probably fit about five-six* boxes worth of stuff, not including clothes and bedding, comfortably into a dorm room. The question now becomes: what can you fit into five or six boxes.
I personally had so much trouble with this question that I gave up entirely and simply packed anything I thought I might need over the next four years. Unfortunately, this left me with around ten boxes which I then had to resort later, when I moved in. I took more to college with me than I left at home in storage...and that wasn't the brightest idea I had ever had, to say the least.
So now we come to this: what I wish I had known then that I know now. Someone should have taken me They should have told me that I really wouldn't use all the books I brought or all the random school papers I thought I might reference. I haven't even unpacked four of the boxes and I feel no need to. If I could do this over again, I wouldn't have brought all the pictures I did, for there isn't room on the walls for them; I would not have kept so many worn down clothes out of personal attachment. I would have stored more than I packed, and this is the rule of thumb I would give to incoming freshmen.
I heard it said that college a place to start over. I've also been told that while you change in college, you should still be the same self you've been all your life, with maybe a few additions that make you better. I would say to new freshmen, as I stand on the other side of the move-in process, that all you really need are the essentials: clothes, hobbies, and maybe a few heirlooms, but that is it. Everything else, pack it. If you find that after a year you really wish you had it and can't make do without, then you have permission to bring it to college with you. It may seem extreem to leave so much behind, and your room may seem bare for the first year, but if you get involved the way you should, that empty space will soon be filled with the things that have made you grow and develope in new and exciting ways. In a way, college is a new start; you need bring only who you are right now. Don't forget the past, don't sell everything you own, but store it away as documentation of how you got to where you are and face the next stage in your life with a blank slate. You will fill it up with joys, regrets, excitement, and everything under the sun soon, but it is okay to start with less than you previously had.
I think if I had known this, it wouldn't have taken a month and a half to pack. It may still take a few weeks, but if all you're doing is packing storage boxes, it goes much faster than if you, like me, spend an inordinate amount of time deciding what will come and what will stay and then trying to get it all to fit in fewer boxes so it doesn't look like you brought a lot. Set out five boxes and start putting the essentials in them; if there's room later, you can add a few extra items meaningful to you, but don't bring something unless you feel extremely attached to it or you are certain you will use it within three months.
College is a huge adventure, an amazing journey, and a trial of yourself all in one. Don't make it harder on yourself by bringing a lot of baggage with you when you start.
*Numbers are arbitrary, and can vary depending on the size of your boxes and how much shelving is present in the room.
Packing a room to move and store is not like packing for a trip. I can throw a bunch of clothes for a week in a suitcase in about fifteen minutes and be ready for just about anything. But packing a room is a whole 'nother ballgame; it involves careful, longterm thinking. As pretty much everyone knows, apartment rooms, and especially dorm rooms, are smaller than your average household bedroom. A lot smaller. When packing, you must think about everything twice and truly decide what you will and will not use over the next several years, because every centemeter counts in a dorm room. I mean really, there is only so much stuff you can cram into half a 12' x 19' room and not feel completely claustrophobic when you enter! Basically, you can probably fit about five-six* boxes worth of stuff, not including clothes and bedding, comfortably into a dorm room. The question now becomes: what can you fit into five or six boxes.
I personally had so much trouble with this question that I gave up entirely and simply packed anything I thought I might need over the next four years. Unfortunately, this left me with around ten boxes which I then had to resort later, when I moved in. I took more to college with me than I left at home in storage...and that wasn't the brightest idea I had ever had, to say the least.
So now we come to this: what I wish I had known then that I know now. Someone should have taken me They should have told me that I really wouldn't use all the books I brought or all the random school papers I thought I might reference. I haven't even unpacked four of the boxes and I feel no need to. If I could do this over again, I wouldn't have brought all the pictures I did, for there isn't room on the walls for them; I would not have kept so many worn down clothes out of personal attachment. I would have stored more than I packed, and this is the rule of thumb I would give to incoming freshmen.
I heard it said that college a place to start over. I've also been told that while you change in college, you should still be the same self you've been all your life, with maybe a few additions that make you better. I would say to new freshmen, as I stand on the other side of the move-in process, that all you really need are the essentials: clothes, hobbies, and maybe a few heirlooms, but that is it. Everything else, pack it. If you find that after a year you really wish you had it and can't make do without, then you have permission to bring it to college with you. It may seem extreem to leave so much behind, and your room may seem bare for the first year, but if you get involved the way you should, that empty space will soon be filled with the things that have made you grow and develope in new and exciting ways. In a way, college is a new start; you need bring only who you are right now. Don't forget the past, don't sell everything you own, but store it away as documentation of how you got to where you are and face the next stage in your life with a blank slate. You will fill it up with joys, regrets, excitement, and everything under the sun soon, but it is okay to start with less than you previously had.
I think if I had known this, it wouldn't have taken a month and a half to pack. It may still take a few weeks, but if all you're doing is packing storage boxes, it goes much faster than if you, like me, spend an inordinate amount of time deciding what will come and what will stay and then trying to get it all to fit in fewer boxes so it doesn't look like you brought a lot. Set out five boxes and start putting the essentials in them; if there's room later, you can add a few extra items meaningful to you, but don't bring something unless you feel extremely attached to it or you are certain you will use it within three months.
College is a huge adventure, an amazing journey, and a trial of yourself all in one. Don't make it harder on yourself by bringing a lot of baggage with you when you start.
*Numbers are arbitrary, and can vary depending on the size of your boxes and how much shelving is present in the room.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Day One: Junior Year
I'm sure you've heard the saying that Junior year of high school is the worst? Well, when I heard it, I didn't really believe it. Especially when I had a fairly simple schedule, comparatively. What this saying doesn't tell you about is the college-prep you're supposed to do. In fact, few people will tell you to start preparing for college Junior year. I don't mean the ACT and SAT, those are state-mandated and so completely unavoidable. I wish someone had told me to start applying for colleges and scholarships my junior year, or even earlier.
"Applying for colleges a year early?" you say. "They don't even allow that." This is true. But if I started compiling a list of all my accomplishments and random, elusive awards and achievements that may have any sway over my eligibility my Junior year, or even earlier, I would have been saved alot of late nights spent trying to remember and scrounge around for anything that would make it more likely for me to get into my college of choice. In fact, I think parents should give their children an "Accomplishment Book" when they are about 8 so they can start recording every little award they get, from 8Th Grade Continuation to "Happiest Camper" award at summer camp. Honestly, some of the middle school and junior high activities are getting so far advanced, they almost count for college credit. In any case, they often count toward scholarships. It's be easier if we started keeping track from the very beginning.
That's another thing: scholarships. I wish someone had at least told me to start thinking about them and researching them when I was about 10. I might not have listened, but maybe I would have at least looked for ten minutes. Have you ever looked on the Internet for what kinds of scholarships are out there? They're giving them out to freshmen now, if you know what to do! I wish someone had shown me those. Instead, I was scrambling to find any scholarship that would give me any amount of money to put towards tuition. Unfortunately, so was every other incoming freshman. There are some scholarships where you have to have been doing something for years, and that's great if you naturally are drawn to some obscure activity, but for those of us who can't play chess very well or don't spend an inordinate amount of time on Twitter, there isn't too much left except essay contests. I found a scholarship that gave you quite a bit of money...if you had a well-read blog. How many high-school students would think to get a blog going? I didn't! Wish someone had forced me to write one as a freshman...
Anyway, I digress. All-in-all, between scholarship searching, applying for college, ACT, SAT, and worrying about Senior year, Junior year is definitely one of the hardest of High School. Maybe someone will wise up one day and warn the freshmen what's in store and end this downward cycle of stress and ulcers...
"Applying for colleges a year early?" you say. "They don't even allow that." This is true. But if I started compiling a list of all my accomplishments and random, elusive awards and achievements that may have any sway over my eligibility my Junior year, or even earlier, I would have been saved alot of late nights spent trying to remember and scrounge around for anything that would make it more likely for me to get into my college of choice. In fact, I think parents should give their children an "Accomplishment Book" when they are about 8 so they can start recording every little award they get, from 8Th Grade Continuation to "Happiest Camper" award at summer camp. Honestly, some of the middle school and junior high activities are getting so far advanced, they almost count for college credit. In any case, they often count toward scholarships. It's be easier if we started keeping track from the very beginning.
That's another thing: scholarships. I wish someone had at least told me to start thinking about them and researching them when I was about 10. I might not have listened, but maybe I would have at least looked for ten minutes. Have you ever looked on the Internet for what kinds of scholarships are out there? They're giving them out to freshmen now, if you know what to do! I wish someone had shown me those. Instead, I was scrambling to find any scholarship that would give me any amount of money to put towards tuition. Unfortunately, so was every other incoming freshman. There are some scholarships where you have to have been doing something for years, and that's great if you naturally are drawn to some obscure activity, but for those of us who can't play chess very well or don't spend an inordinate amount of time on Twitter, there isn't too much left except essay contests. I found a scholarship that gave you quite a bit of money...if you had a well-read blog. How many high-school students would think to get a blog going? I didn't! Wish someone had forced me to write one as a freshman...
Anyway, I digress. All-in-all, between scholarship searching, applying for college, ACT, SAT, and worrying about Senior year, Junior year is definitely one of the hardest of High School. Maybe someone will wise up one day and warn the freshmen what's in store and end this downward cycle of stress and ulcers...
College 105
You know those movies, where a completely unknown someone writes a blog and becomes famous and followed by millions? I've dreamed that I would do that, but I don't expect to. I don't even know if anyone will see this, but maybe it will help me in some odd, un-relatable way. Writing is therapeutic.
I was trying to think of what to write about. What do I have to say that no one else does? I've had teachers and people in my life who say that everyone has something unique to give, but I've not really ever felt like I had anything really, truly unique to give the world. So, in thinking of what to write about, I decided to just go with the major happening in my life: college. The most major first EVER.
So, as of now, I think this blog will be a list of firsts, cool links I've found, reviews, and things I wish someone had told me three years ago...
I was trying to think of what to write about. What do I have to say that no one else does? I've had teachers and people in my life who say that everyone has something unique to give, but I've not really ever felt like I had anything really, truly unique to give the world. So, in thinking of what to write about, I decided to just go with the major happening in my life: college. The most major first EVER.
So, as of now, I think this blog will be a list of firsts, cool links I've found, reviews, and things I wish someone had told me three years ago...
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