Credit card companies have changed their marketing strategy recently, electing to go after young consumers instead of targeting folks with established credit history. This is exciting for students, but it can also be a scary proposition. If used responsibly, credit cards can be used as a building block for better credit. If you get the wrong card or you use it without proper discretion, then your credit card could be the beginning of the end for your credit rating.
Start small
As a college student, there is absolutely no reason to go nuts when picking out your first credit card. Sure, a $2,000 credit line might sound nice, why on earth would you ever need that much? Having that much credit is a recipe for disaster if you aren’t used to having a card. Instead of going for the most over the top offer out there, choose a smaller line of credit and work your way up to something more substantial. Once you get the hang of making payments every month and how credit cards work, then you can start using it more.
Reading the Small Print
With so many offers coming in the mail and through email, students might be tempted to bypass the important details that make each card unique. Though they might all have fancy advertising and many of the cards will feature some of the same deals, they are not created equally. Make sure to take the time to read all of the small print and figure out the different details associated with each card. For instance, how long is your grace period? Does the card feature an introductory rate that will change over time? What happens if I am late with a payment? These are all questions that have very important answers and it is in your best interest to make sure that you know each and every answer before signing on with a card company.
Stay away from multiple cards
Even if you are the most responsible user of credit out there, having too many cards can make it very difficult for you to gain other types of credit in the future. Everyone knows that late payments and missed payments will take a toll on your credit history over time, but few people talk about the fact that having a lot of credit will make it hard for you to get student loans or more important lines of credit in the future. When it comes time to finance a vehicle or purchase a house, you want lenders to know that they are dealing with a responsible person. Having too much credit tied up in credit cards can detract from that.
Student credit cards can be a blessing or a curse, depending upon what you do with them. Make your choice carefully and when you get your hands on a card, use it responsibly. Otherwise, you could suffer from long term consequences associated with ruining your credit score.
Selling back textbooks can be a great way to recoup some of the costs of the outrageous prices of textbooks. Unfortunately school bookstores usually only offer a fraction of the original purchase price, and in turn sell it again for a nice profit at the expense of students. With May being the biggest month for textbook buyback, now would be a good time to publish the results from our study that compared online textbook sellers. While this study mostly covered where to buy the cheapest textbooks online, we also looked at other items of interest, such as: which site offered the highest buyback price.
In the study, we named Textbooksrus.com the best place to Sell Textbooks. Students should definitely check out this service and get a quote on their books, as more than likely it will be a better price than the College Book Store can offer.
Here are the results from our study, looking at buyback prices. What is nice is that there are online textbook sellers that offer a guaranteed buyback on most books, giving you piece of mind that you won’t be stuck with the book at the end of the quarter.
For reference, the textbooks used in this study are:
Title
ISBN
Book A
Biology
0073227390
Book B
Contemporary Business
0324359292
Book C
Essentials of Psychology
0618713123
Book D
Intermediate Accounting
0471749559
More on the original textbook prices study can be found here.
Of course the price of both buying and selling textbooks can vary daily, in association with supply and demand. These prices are updated as of April 22, 2008.
Please note that when selling back your textbooks you are expected to keep the book in good condition and have all CDs that were included with the book, or you may not get your full price.
Another good site to check out is WeBuyTextbooks.com. Although they weren’t buying back all of the textbooks used in this study, they still offered a textbook buyback that was higher than average. Just remember all textbooks will be different per vendor. To maximize your return check out a few of the top textbook sellers and see what they have to offer.
There will come a point in your college career where you will be given a writing assignment that will make you stretch your thinking, in order to be more creative. A lot of students excel in informational and research writing, as you just have to draw facts and present the information in your own words. However with creative writing, you will need to break out of your comfort zone and write something that is imaginative and inspiring.
Characters
When creating your characters for your story, make sure that you describe them fully so that your reader can capture an image. Be specific, making sure to pay attention to details about your character such as, “Wendy always wore a polyester shirt” or “Robert was famous for his southern accent.” Little details like this will help your reader clearly visualize your characters.
Structure
A lot of creative writing revolves around short stories and novels. The key to writing an engaging piece is to have an introductory paragraph or chapter that pulls in the reader. The first few sentences of a story will either make your reader put the story down, or make them want to read more. Throw in a little bit of description filled with suspense or maybe even a secret that may be revealed later in the story. Introduce your characters and describe them to your readers. Your goal is to get the reader to be interested enough to actually keep reading.
Climax and Ending
Every story, whether it is a short story or a novel, will have a climax. The climax of a story is where the dramatic high point occurs. You should be leading up to this point throughout the beginning of your story. If your narrative will be revealing a secret, then this is where it should be spilled. After the climax, the story should reveal the resolution of the climax, and finally end the story.
Poetry
Poetry is difficult to write, as it is more delicate and emotional. Poetry is usually based on the writer’s experiences or life events. The best poems are usually those that do not rhyme and instead, just let the ideas flow. Try to be a little mysterious with the poem and let your reader create the meaning. Poetry is more of a free form that is more flexible, yet is much harder to write.
Creative Writing Tips
Be descriptive. This is the most important part of creative writing. Strong descriptions of characters, settings and events will make or break an author.
Be imaginative. Try to think of plots and ideas that are not common.
Collaborate. Ask peers, friends and family for ideas and advice. Try to gather the type of storylines that people would want to read.
Creative writing is a difficult form of writing to produce. Since it is not based on fact or research, you have to flex your mind a little bit and be imaginative and original. However, it is the most interesting type of writing to read, so if you can capture your niche and create your flow, you can come up with a good story that will entice and engage your reader.
As a college student, you will be required to do a lot of writing, no matter what your major. Writing can be a daunting task for students who feel that their skills are not up to par or feel overwhelmed by the thought of a five page paper. If you follow some basic steps and tips, then you can craft a quality essay no matter what the topic.
ESSAY STRUCTURE
There are many different types of essays that you may be asked to write. Some common types are expository essays, research essays, argumentative essays, and persuasive essays. However all essays follow the same basic structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction: this should include your thesis statement, also known as the main idea. You should make this statement interesting enough to keep your readers attention and make them want to read the rest of the essay.
Body: The body of your essay should consist of the points that support your thesis statement. This is the “beef” of your essay.
Conclusion: This is the part of your essay where you will quickly summarize your main idea and briefly retouch on the ideas in the body of the essay. You do not want to leave your reader hanging, therefore make sure you that you conclude your essay in a way that finalizes your thoughts.
PROCESS
Instead of sitting down and trying to write your essay from start to finish all at once; you may want to follow a specific writing process that will help you organize your thoughts and ideas.
Brainstorm: Jot down your ideas for your thesis. If you have not been assigned a topic, then this is the time to think of one.
Research: Go online or to the library and start to do some research. This will help you gather your sources and help expand your ideas.
Outline: Now that you have your topic, thesis and ideas, you can outline the structure and order of your essay.
Draft: Use your outline to produce a rough draft of your essay.
Proofread: Go through your essay and check for spelling errors and grammatical inconsistencies. Hand your paper over to a peer or family member and have them do the same.
Revise: Use your rough draft as a reference to clean up your essay.
Final: Read your essay over one last time and make sure it is up to your standards.
TIPS
Make sure that you addressed the requirements of your professor, such as word or page count, margins, font and/or double spacing. You can have a perfect essay but not following basic formatting instructions can negatively impact your grade.
If you have a question or need help, do not hesitate to ask your professor or a student peer. Asking questions about things you are unsure if will ensure that you understand the given assignment.
Finally, do not stress or get overwhelmed. Sit down, relax and take your time with your assignment. Do not wait until the last minute or rush through the writing.
The Cover letter is a very important piece to the job application process and probably the most neglected by the job applicant. The cover letter introduces yourself to the employer and shows your interest in obtaining a position within the organization. Cover letters personalize your resume and allow job recruiters to get a better feel for who you are by showing your true interest in the desired job. It reflects your personality, your attention to detail, your communication skills, your enthusiasm, your intellect, and your specific interest in the company to which you are sending the letter.
In reality, writing the perfect cover letter tests your skills in business writing. Being able to write and communicate in the business world is a whole new ballgame and is something that is looked at in the professionalism of your cover letter.
Just about all resumes are produced in the same list style format and can be pretty plain and boring to read and go over to the typical employer with dozens of resumes. Most prospective employees seem to spend most of their time perfecting the resume, and after all that detail the applicant is usually too burnt out to spend ample time producing a high quality cover letter.
Your resume and listed qualifications may change slightly according to the job you are applying for, but it’s the cover letter that is unique to each job opening. A new cover letter must be perfected for each new position you find interesting and is required for a successful job search.
Cover Letter Tips:
Express your interest in the organization and why you are sending a resume.
You want to sell yourself in the cover letter to convince the reader to check out your resume and better yet, get a job interview.
Briefly share your education and qualifications for the desired positions.
Include a follow up statement in the closing, something like, “I will contact you early next week to discuss this job opportunity.”
Check out Sample cover letters to get a good feel of how a typical cover letter should appear.
Always ensure the letter is addressed to an individual, if possible.
Make sure the cover letter is clear, concise, and well organized.
Cover Letter Format:
A Cover letter follows typical business letter guidelines.
The typical cover letter is about one page with three body paragraphs.
1st Opening paragraph: State why you are writing; how you learned of the organization or position, and basic information about yourself. This is the most important paragraph as it must be written to catch the employer's immediate interest.
2nd paragraph: Tell why you are interested in the employer or type of work the employer does and how it relates to your background. Mention specific qualifications which make you a good fit for the employer’s needs. This is an opportunity to explain in more detail relevant items in your resume.
3rd paragraph: Express that you would like the opportunity to interview for a position or to talk with the employer to learn more about opportunities available within their company. Include your plans to follow up. Let the employer know that you are happy to provide them with any additional information needed. Thank the employer for her/his consideration.
Other job application tips:
Include a picture of yourself. This will make you more memorable and will give a face to countless amounts of applications employers receive.
Is Your Career at a dead end? Why you should consider going back to College.
Whether you have been in your present career for one year or ten years, you may feel like you have hit a dead end. You may notice that there is no more opportunity for you to advance or you have hit the top of your salary range; however you may long for more challenge and diversity in the workplace. Hitting this brick wall happens to a lot of people and it happens often. Some people just deal with it and continue to count down the years until retirement, whereas others long for a change. If you are looking to advance your position at work or maybe even change your career then maybe going back to college would benefit you.
What are the Benefits?
Taking one class or pursuing a whole new degree can positively affect your career in many ways. You will be updating your skills, which you can then reflect as so on your resume. If you have a degree, then you can pursue a higher one, which may in turn yield you a raise. Going from a Bachelor’s Degree to a Masters Degree will make you more valuable and will help you negotiate more money or a better position within your company.
Tuition Reimbursement
Check with your employer to see if they offer tuition reimbursement. Some companies will foot the bill for their employees to take classes. Usually there is a stipulation where you have to obtain a certain grade in the class; however it is still worth checking with your employer. Be sure to also check if you have to take certain classes or if they will pay for any and all classes. If your employer does not offer this service, then ask them if it is something they would be interested in providing to their employees. Also be sure to fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This will determine if you are eligible for grants, scholarships or federal education loans. Upgrading your degree or advancing your skill set may be well within your reach if you do not have to pay for the expense.
Is Time an Issue?
If you think you do not have time to attend a college class as well as work and still take care of your family, think again. Online education is growing rapidly. More and more schools are offering classes online and some schools even offer the convenience of completing your entire degree via your computer. Some schools also offer “hybrid” classes where the class is held online, however you would attend one in-class session per week. These types of classes are perfect for working parents with little time to spend on a college campus.
TIPS
If you choose to pursue an online degree, be sure to check to see if the school is accredited through the U.S. Department of Education. Doing a little bit of extra research will ensure that you are enrolling in a school that is academically legit.
Speak with an Academic Advisor at the college that you are considering. Doing so will ensure that your college credits from previous schools will transfer smoothly.
Once you have your new degree or if you have finished upgrading your skills, then negotiate. Talk to your employer about a raise or promotion. Use it to your advantage.
It is important to be happy in the career that you have chosen. Being unhappy can lead to stress and other health related issues. There are a lot of educational opportunities for working individuals; take advantage of them and make yourself more marketable.
Applying to college is more than just the application and essay; there is sometimes an interview process as well. Administrators at your intended college may want to get to know prospective students on a more personal level by putting a face to the name. However college interviews can be a little intimidating, especially for the shy student. So what can you expect and how can you ace the interview?
Interviews can vary from individual one on one sessions to group open house sessions. Sometimes these interviews are requested by the school as part of the application process, and other times a student can request the interview, perhaps to make their individual application stand out. Whatever the reason for the meeting, you want to make a great first impression.
QUESTIONS TO EXPECT
Administrators at schools use the interview process to ask a variety of open-ended questions. Like a job interview, there are some questions that are pretty much standard in a college interview, such as:
What made you apply to this college?
What is your favorite subject?
Have you done any community service and if yes, what?
What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
What are your future goals?
Who is your role model and why?
How do you plan to balance college classes, activities, and a social life?
There may be more challenging questions and some that may even seem like verbal essays. Some schools may even get a little personal by asking about your family and home life. Just answer honestly and thoroughly and you should have no problems sailing through the interview.
TIPS
Dress business casual. Do not over do it, however do not wear jeans and a sweatshirt. A nice pair of slacks and a jacket for young men will work and a knee length skirt and casual blouse for ladies will suffice.
Come prepared. Bring your high school transcript and if you have any college credit, bring that transcript as well. Be prepared to explain any discrepancies in your records such as less than stellar grades, or numerous absences.
Bring a list of questions. You probably have a few questions about your prospective school, so write them down and bring the list with you to the interview.
Be on time. Make sure that you are early or on time to your interview. Tardiness is frowned upon and any reason you have for being late will just make it sound like you are making unnecessary excuses.
The college interview process should not be a scary or intimidating event. This is your chance to bring your paper application to life by putting a personality with the name. This is also your opportunity to explain to the admissions staff how and why you are a candidate for their incoming class. Just make sure to be prepared, do not be nervous, and relax. You should have no problems acing the interview and receiving that sought after acceptance letter.
Selling back textbooks can be a great way to recoup some of the costs of the outrageous prices of textbooks. Unfortunately school bookstores usually...
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