College: Organization Class 101

Okay, I bet I can guess how many times you’ve been told that you need a better organization system when you head off to college. Sadly, I was that kid too. I carried around one binder and all my classes where in that binder and it was a huge, huge mess.

Well, I am not necessarily here to tell you that you need to get a better organization system, but I am here to give you tips, tricks, and hints on how a better organization system can and will make your life a lot less messy.

Utilize your agenda

Most colleges will give you a free planner, so take advantage of it. This book should become your best friend when all else fails, so get acquainted with it. However, every single professor will give you a syllabus, or have the syllabus posted online.

If you don’t know what a syllabus is it’s the course outline of what is expected of you during this course. It will give you information such as what reading you have to do, what you will be going over, when are your tests, papers, etc. If you write things down in your planner and look at it on a daily basis, this will help you see what is on your agenda for that day or week, so you can plan accordingly.

Reminders

You and just about everyone else in the world has a smartphone, why don’t you use to well, be smart? Along with your planner, also stick important reminders in your reminders feature. Yes, the feature that not that many people tend to use. This will help you have an in your face reminder when important things such as papers and tests are due.

Study schedule

Now you are probably wondering, what a study schedule has to do with organization. Well, if anything, take this lesson from me. In order to do great in college, you need a study schedule. Yes, this is basically your backbone. You need to organize your life to fit in your study time, so you can complete your tasks on your reminders, and have some quality time with your planner. However, this doesn’t mean you need to plan for a 2 hour study session either, you can always have 30 minute sessions too, depending on how well you do with your sessions.

Bring color into your life

Color, color, color! Did you know color can keep you organized when it comes to your classes? You will end up taking anywhere from three to five classes a semester, which means it can be quite confusing when it comes to handouts, homework, reading, and overall just studying. This is why color coding your life can be helpful. I know, when you had a rough night and you wake up 5 minutes before class starts, you need to grab your things for your first class, well, if you color coded your class like I suggested, you will be able to grab and go with little to no thought.

Be backpack ready

This is a wonderful tip, especially if you are the type of person that just kind of gets up and goes. Keep your backup stocked with paper, pencils, calculators, highlighters, post-its, and anything else you use on a regular basis. This way no matter what class you are in, you will always have the supplies you need.

Write everything

Write. Down. Everything. This is absolutely vital. If someone tells you about a study session, write it down. If your professor tells you about your upcoming pop quiz, write it down. Don’t count on your memory because chances are you will forget it.

Avoid procrastination

Trust me, I know it is hard, but you have to overcome this. Yes, I will admit I am the number one procrastinator out there. Just about everything, I do and write, tend to get on the back burner for a while. However, if you stay ahead of your schedule, it will thank you. It will give you time to enjoy life when life happens. However, this is my little way of not procrastinating, but procrastinating some at the same time.

Be an active student

Having a good relationship with your professor is pretty vital to your education. You want to come to class on time, pay attention, and participate when you can. If you are having trouble throughout the class, do not hesitate to go up to your professor and ask them to clarify what you are having difficulty with. That is why they are there, to be honest. Plus, the more time you spend with your professor, the better chance, they may write up an awesome recommendation.

USB

A USB should be your knight and shining armor. Yup,  I said it, your knight and shining armor, not the boy down the hall that has, well, amazing cologne. When all else fails, a USB will save your life, not literally, well, your school life, if you want to be exact. Trust me on this one, carry one around because you won’t know when the computer system at school is acting wonky and it will not let you print out your paper.

College: Financial Aid

Congrats on deciding to attain a higher education. If you haven’t done your research already, you probably found out that college can be quite affordable if you choose to fill out the financial aid form. Again, I want to give kudos to you for wanting to learn more about this financial aid.

As luck would have it, more than $238 billion in financial aid is available throughout the United States to help pay for college for those who truly need it. By filling out your financial aid application, also known as FAFSA, this is the first step in applying.

Nonetheless, here is all the information you need to know to fill out your FASFA correctly the first time. I know how important it is to have your FASFA done right the first time, so you can get the money you need to further pursue your education.

Source: Wikipedia

What is a FAFSA?

Unfortunately, all college students are expected to contribute to their college tuition. However, this all depends on how much you and your family financial situation, also known as Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Basically, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA is a form from the U.S. Department of Education requirement to determine your family’s EFC. All in all, the government then will conduct a “need analysis” on the financial information you and your family provided, such as assets, income, and any other information deemed financial.

Then your application will be looked over by a federal processor, which then releases your results electronically to your school's financial aid office.

FAFSA helps colleges determine your eligibility for state, federal, grants, college sponsored financial aid, loans, and work study programs.

Eligibility

Just about every student is eligible for some kind of financial aid, whether it be a low-interest Federal Stafford, parent PLUSloans, or a federal grant. Doesn’t matter about income nor the circumstances, provided that you:

•       Is a U.S citizen, an eligible non-citizen, or a U.S. national
•         Provided a valid U.S. Social Security number
•          Attained a high school diploma and/or GED
•          If you are a male between 18 to 25, you are registered with the U.S. Selective Service
•          Filled out the FAFSA form
•          Do not owe any money on federal student grants
•          No student loans are in default
•         Also, you cannot be found guilty for possession or sale of illegal drugs during the time you are receiving financial aid.

Applying for aid

To be considered for financial aid, you need to complete your FAFSA before the deadline. However, you should know that different states, universities, and college's awards students with a variety type of aid, such as college and state sponsored grants, work study programs, and loans.

Also, some states and even some colleges will require you to file another form for aid, you will need to check with your college financial aid department for their requirements.

Deadlines

You can start filing your FASFA in the beginning of January. However, if you want to really get a head start on your FAFSA, you can use FAFSAFirst in the fall. FAFSAFirst will then submit your form to a federal processor when the filing begins in early January.

One thing you need to know is, federal aid is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis, so the earlier you file better chance of you getting the most out of the aid.

Many states, colleges, and universities have filing deadlines as early as the first weeks in January.

Also, keep in mind that your college and/or universities have deadlines to file your FAFSA. You will want to pay close attention to the deadline. You don’t want to miss the deadline because you can lose any and all opportunities to receive financial aid for that school year.  All in all, if you are unsure, call up your college financial aid department.

Nonetheless, financial aid can definitely make paying for school much easier. Always keep in contact with your financial aid department, especially if you are not sure of their deadlines. 

Broke College Student Benefits

I won’t say every college student is broke because that is a cliché. However, most college students don’t have much money waiting to be spent or any money at all. With that being said, you and I both know college isn’t cheap and can cause student debt and much more.

I do not by any means, want to scare anyone or change their minds about going to college. I will admit, going to college can be quite fun because you will be in a pool full of people from different walks of life. It is not only a place where you will be attending classes 24/7, but you will learn a lot about different cultures, how to budget your own money, and eventually gain a great education.

But, here is the entire point to this post, being a broke college student does have its advantages. Let me tell you why.

Source: 401(K) 2012/Flickr

If you learn to live on less for your daily expenses, then while you’re in college and for the rest of your life you’ll be able to prioritize the things that are actually important to you. There are a million ways to learn to budget, and I am no expert. But here’s something to keep in mind:

For starters, if you are a broke college student like myself with no family to dig you out of any financial holes you may put yourself in, you learn to live on less money for your daily expenses. While you are living as a broke college student, you will learn how important it is to prioritize things that a) are important to you b) need to be paid ASAP and c) budgeting.

Number one rule to being a broke college student is it is a valid excuse. Yes, you heard it from me. It can be used as a valid excuse.

Now, as a college student, you probably think your goals need to only deal with a self-improvement, education, and experiences. However, not knocking on them and saying anything negative about it, but you have to think; you are investing your hard earned money and time to reach your academic goals. Yes, this does benefit you in a variety of ways, but why spend all your money on just that?

I decided early into my college life, that I would only spend money on things that I needed to live my daily life, neither nothing more nor nothing less. Everyone has an experience that they want to finally experience, am I right? Well, by doing this, you can not only learn to save a dollar, but you also will get to do things that you want to do. You are not necessarily making yourself unhappy because overall you have a goal and you are working towards that.

Basically, what I am trying to get at is, being a broke college student has its advantages. You will soon learn to be great with money and you will be savvy earning your hard earned cash too. Sometimes, you just need a goal in mind to help you along the way.

Question: Do you believe there are benefits for being a broke college student?