The first week of college can be an incredible experience for new students. There are countless people to meet, unfamiliar places to see and new things to do. It’s an exciting and unforgettable experience.
That first week is also a time of money-saving opportunities. Even though most students have already signed up for their financial aid packages and signed off on loans by the time they’re sitting in their first class, that first week offers opportunities for students to improve their finances and set themselves up for a better job after college.
Here are four things that students can do during their first week of college to keep costs low and build opportunities.
[See: 15 Financial Steps to Take Your First Year After Graduation.]
Check the bulletin boards outside of your classes before buying textbooks. This is something that you can do before your first day of classes, though you’ll often find the most success on the first day. Go to your meeting room for each class and look around the inside and outside of the room for a bulletin board, which will often have a few fliers for used textbooks for the class you’re taking. Usually, the price here will be substantially lower than what you’ll find online, as students using this tactic to sell books are often hoping to make a few more bucks than they would selling them online. That means you’re paying less than you’d pay on the internet because you’re cutting out the middleman.
With these offers, the early bird gets the worm, so find your classrooms a day or two before the first class meeting. This will help you navigate campus later on (meaning you’re far less likely to be late on your first day) while also giving you a chance to get some cheap textbooks.
Check out lots of student organizations. During the first week or two of classes, student organizations of all kinds will be holding meetings designed to attract new members from the incoming class. That typically means lots of free pizza, snacks, beverages, drawings and other perks. Plus, it’s a great way to test-drive several groups to see which ones click with you.
During your first week or two on campus, attend meetings with a bunch of organizations that seem interesting to you. Enjoy their free food, find which ones click and become active in those groups. Not only will it help you to build strong relationships with people in those areas of interest (and if you choose matching organizations, within your major and eventually your career path), it also gives you an opportunity to build up some solid leadership experience and have some good material to add to your resume once you graduate and start seeking that first job.
[See: Dear Younger Me: 12 Financial Truths We Wish We Knew Earlier.]
Fill up your calendar with scholarship application dates. This is a very important task that many students tend to overlook. Scholarship application deadlines are spread throughout the year and many scholarships are awarded mostly on the basis of who remembered to apply for them. Spend some time researching a bunch of scholarships, then add their application deadlines to your personal calendar. Set up reminders so that you remember them several days in advance. This enables you to remember scholarships as they come due and not forget to apply for them.
A pile of little scholarships can take a huge bite out of your student loans, so this little task can pay enormous dividends if you follow through on most of those scholarship deadlines. Remember, however, that if your student aid package includes grants, you want to be sure that scholarships will help your financial aid package, so a quick stop by the student aid office might be worth your while before you apply for loans.
Get a coffee maker. This might seem like an unusual tip, but if you’ve walked around on a college campus in the last decade, you’ve seen countless students carrying around cups from Starbucks or local on-campus coffee vendors. If you buy coffee with any regularity, that cost is going to add up fast.
Instead, get a coffee maker for your dorm room and make yourself coffee in the morning before you go to class. Buying ground coffee beans and some creamer will help you save money on your morning coffee. Of course, not drinking coffee at all is the least expensive option, but with the prevalence of the caffeinated beverage on college campuses these days, it may be hard to avoid it altogether.
[See: 10 Big Ways to Boost Your Budget — Without Skimping on Your Daily Latte.]
If you combine these strategies, you’ll drastically cut the cost of your food, drink and books and set yourself up for enormous college savings and career benefits down the road. Even better, you can do all of these things during the first week on campus.
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4 Financially Savvy Things to Do During Your First Week of College originally appeared on usnews.com
