4 Ways to Pay for Your Degree Without Getting a Job

As if college itself wasn’t stressful enough, nothing can weigh on the mind like crushing loan debt. Having a job to alleviate some of that financial pressure would be nice, but when you’re an architecture student studying 30 hours a day, where will you find the time for a regular job?

Luckily, there are plenty of ways for you to earn some supplemental income while you’re contributing the majority of your time to your studies.

Selling Unused Clothes

This plan sounds quite tedious, and it can be if not executed properly. Sorting through your clothes is exceedingly mundane, even when it’s just to put them away during the laundry process.

And remember, you have to make time to study, so you can’t waste any of it separating old clothes from the rest. You need an efficient way to market the clothes you know you can get rid of, and that people would want to buy.

Image by Nikolay Frolochkin

Utilizing social media is an effective way to market your clothing, as well as set up and close sales. All it takes is a little legwork. Take a picture or two of the article of clothing and post that picture to a group in Facebook, direct message it to people you think would be interested in it, or post it on Instagram using the #ShopMyCloset hashtag.

And if you don’t have the time to sit down one afternoon and sort through all of your clothes, kill two birds with one stone. When you’re doing your laundry (your clothes have to be cleaned eventually), pay attention to what clothes are left sitting dormant in your closet and drawers.

More often than not, these are clothes that don’t fit you anymore, or that you’ve simply forgotten about. No matter the reason, they would be much more useful in the hands (or on the body) of a person who would actually wear them.

Volunteering for Scientific Studies

This is the method that is most likely to net you the highest amount of money in the shortest amount of time. Research institutions all over the country are constantly looking for test subjects to take part in experiments for new drugs, studying diseases and even sleep studies.

For as much as thousands of dollars at a time, you could offer your body and health in a variety of ways, such as battling the flu, lying down in bed or donating bodily fluids.

You can participate in experiments that allow doctors and medical students to understand how our bodies fight diseases, and others that allow them to observe sleep patterns. No matter the experiment, most researchers are more than willing to fork out some extra cash to keep them from having to become the experiment subject.

If you don’t really mind being a lab rat, go ahead and take the money!

Selling Your Car

Before you say it, no, this isn’t a suggestion that you sell whatever car you have right now. Obviously, if you need a car in order to function, you should have a car.

But you don’t have to have a nice car. An easy way to raise money that could be dedicated to paying for school is to sell a classic or vintage automobile.

There are many models made before 1971 that have market values in excess of $19,700 today. The 1967 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in particular would rake in an incredible $136,000 in 2016.

Sure, you look pretty sweet cruising around town in a classic ride. But you know what’s even sweeter? Relief from $100,000 in student loan debt.

Tutoring

You’re already studying anyway, so you might as well teach other people how to become better students, especially if their particular struggle is in a class you passed with ease.

College students will be very willing to pay you to help them pass a test, write a long essay or even improve their overall grade in a crucial class.

Your hours can be whatever you want them to be, and there are no contracts or limitations to how much your workload can be from month to month. If you know everything about the SAT, ACT, and subject tests, then you can help future college students as well!

The best part is that the better you are at tutoring, the more referrals you’ll get, thus increasing your earning potential. You’re basically getting paid to study, and help others get better at studying. You never know, you might even help your own grades at the same time!

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Change Your Major - Or Change Your School? How to Decide

We’re a few months into the new school year, and it’s official: You hate it. You would rather have dental surgery every day than spend one more minute on campus. The worst part? You have no idea what went wrong. On paper, everything seemed perfect.

At this point, you may be thinking about packing it in. Maybe you’ve thought about transferring to another school and starting over. But before you make a life-changing decision — and take on all of the stress and expense that goes with it — take a few moments to determine the real source of the issue.

The Problem Is Your Major

When you applied to college, you may or may not have had a clear vision of what you wanted to do with your life. Either way, you were most likely encouraged to choose a major, with the caveat that you could change it later on if you wanted.

Well, “later” has finally arrived, and you are miserable. You might be blaming your unhappiness on other factors, such as the other people on campus, your housing situation, the cafeteria food, but the fact is, if you hate what you are studying for 30-40 hours a week or more, it’s going to cloud your perception of everything else. Before you check out though, ask yourself these questions:

Why did I choose my major? If you only chose your major because you had to pick something, because you were pressured by your parents, or because you heard that you can earn a huge salary in that field, there’s a good chance that you will hate it. 

Do I like this subject? First things first: Every major is going to require coursework that you will find boring or pointless. It’s inevitable. But if you discover after a few classes that every class is dull, and that you just aren’t interested in learning more about the subject, a major change is in order. Consider this: Do you want to spend the rest of your life, or at least the next few decades, focused on that subject?

How are you performing? If your grades stink, you might be in the wrong place. Of course, poor performance could be due to lack of interest and effort, but if you are really trying and still can’t seem to catch up or grasp the information, you might be happier in another program. 

There is nothing wrong with changing your major; in fact, most college students change their program of study at least three times. If you’re truly unhappy, think about whether it’s due to your studies, and make the necessary change.

The Problem is Your School

Sometimes, the problem runs deeper than your coursework and you need to make a bigger change. Transferring to a new school is a big decision, but in some cases, it is the better one. If any of these apply to you, then a change of scenery may be in order.

You can’t study what you want. If you’ve decided that a change of major is in order, but your current school doesn’t offer what you want, you may need to transfer. Even if you have taken classes in a wide range of subjects without any clear focus, most colleges will allow you to transfer the credits you already have so you don’t have to start from scratch.

You can’t afford your school. Even if you love your school, if the bills are piling up and you are facing a mountain of debt after graduation, you might want to think about transferring somewhere more affordable. 

You’ve tried fixing issues and you’re still miserable. Sometimes, campus life just isn’t a good fit. If you’ve tried everything — and we mean everything — to be happy on campus, such as moving to a new dorm or off campus, joining different activities, and talking with your advisors and residence life staff, and it still hasn’t worked, transferring may be the right choice. There are times when you simply can’t fit a square peg into a round hole, and the sooner you acknowledge that, the better.

One of the best parts about going to college these days is that nothing is set in stone. It’s a time for exploration, experimentation, and self-discovery. So don’t avoid the hard questions when you are unhappy, and make all the changes you need to get where you want to be.

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Essential Informations for Pursuing Athletic College Scholarships

Venture onto a playground or into a gymnasium on a Saturday afternoon and it is likely that you will find several parents who are fostering dreams of their son or daughter parlaying their athletic abilities into a college scholarship. How realistic, however, is this dream? Not very, as it turns out--especially if you don't choose the right sport.


How Many Young Athletes Actually Receive Scholarships? 

The actual chance of any young athlete procuring an athletic scholarship is miniscule. According to statistics published by the NCAA, only 2% of high school seniors actually receive any form of athletic scholarship. Complicating this matter even further is the fact that very few of the scholarship recipients receive a full ride as part of any scholarship. The average yearly award for athletic scholarships, according to the NCAA, is less than $11,000 and only four sports, football, men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball even offer full rides. Participants in all other sports are forced to accept partial awards. This is done by the institutions in order to maximize the number of athletes that can participate in their programs. By offering partial scholarships, athletic programs are able to attract far more athletes. 


What Sports Offer the Best Chances for a Scholarship? 

Despite the extensive odds against receiving a college athletic scholarship, parents and athletes throughout the country continue to pursue this elusive goal. With this in mind, parents might begin to ask themselves: “What sport affords my child the best chance at receiving an athletic scholarship”? The best chance for a college athletic scholarship is in major sports, such as football and basketball. These sports remain the most lucrative for the institutions and, therefore, institutions are able to fund far more of these scholarships. Football programs are able to award 85 scholarships and basketball is able to award 13; very few of these awards go unused. Meanwhile, in sports such as soccer or baseball, the number of available scholarships is far more limited. In

soccer, for instance, schools are only allowed to give 9.9 scholarships a year to field a team of about 28 athletes while baseball programs are allowed to distribute only 11.7 per year for a roster that nears 36 athletes. Clearly, the athletes that participate in the major sports are afforded a much greater opportunity to procure a scholarship than those participating in the minor sports. 

Pursuing an Athletic Scholarship: Stockvault

Participating in Minor Sports

Participants in the minor sports, which are really any sport other than football, men and women's basketball and men and women's soccer, are forced to either accept a small slice of the total cost of their college expenses or play for the mere joy of participation. Athletes in such sports face the reality that even with some financial assistance they still must shoulder a considerable portion of their educational expenses.

Those lucky 2% who are fortunate enough to procure an athletic scholarship obviously represent only a small portion of the number of athletes participating in athletics on the high school level. More than 600,000 girls participate in high school track and field, yet only a little over 4,500 of these athletes receive any form of scholarship assistance and, while over 330,000 young men play high school soccer only about 2,300 attended college on some form of athletic award. 

The bottom line is that those parents on the playground or gymnasium on Saturday hoping to finance their child's education with an athletic scholarship should also be keeping other options open. Despite the very slight--yet very real--possibility of a full-ride athletic scholarship, avoid relying solely on that option as a method to pay for college. All parents should encourage their students to keep up their studies and remain actively involved in school or volunteer work. It's also encouraged that parents spend time looking for scholarships with their children. Regardless of athletic ability, a student who actively participates in class and spends time looking for additional scholarships stands a much better chance of paying for (and succeeding in) college.

Byline: Herbert Caldwell is a freelance writer with a special interest in education, sports, scholarships and other kindred topics; serious athletes should consider viewing the marvelous resources at Lupo Sports.

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Is Using an Essay writing Service Ethical?

Many students often rely on custom essay-writing services to get their paper or essay written within the specified deadline. They choose this option for many different reasons – they may not have sufficient time to research or lack the knowledge to write a compelling essay. Whatever the reason, these essay-writing services are increasingly popular.

However, it is important to point out that there are also certain ethical issues associated with the idea of using these writing services. In almost every educational institution in the United States, using these services is considered a form of cheating. There is another viewpoint as well – some people think cheating is wrong only if it affects other people. In case of essay writing services, a student gets better grades for their essays and the school itself enjoys better reputation; therefore, you cannot say the idea is wrong or harmful. Professor Richard Gunderman in his article for The Atlantic magazine said that: "These services have names such as College-paper.org, and Essayontime.com. Bestessays.com claims that "70% of Students use Essay Writing service at least once [sic]" and boasts that all its writers have M.A. and Ph.D. degrees."

Are there instances when using these services is harmful?

By digging deeper, you will realize that there could be a few situations when using essay-writing services may affect others in a negative way. For instance, if your school asks you to write an essay and grades you on a curve, then it may affect hardworking students, as their work may not be as

impressive as the one submitted by the student who has asked a professional to write him/her an essay.

Similarly, there is another instance when using an essay writing service is not good for others. For instance, a student who has not invested any time and effort in writing an essay and still secures good grades for submitting a professional written essay, he/she will cheapen all the hard work done by those students who didn't use an essay writing service. Moreover, if it is found that students in any particular institution cheat a lot, it will affect its reputation and, at the same time, will also make things difficult for those who have worked hard to get their degrees.

Photo: Stockvault

The Existence of Essay Writing Services

Interestingly, many people doubt the existence of essay writing services. It is due to this particular reason that you cannot talk much about the ethical side of essay writing services when many people don't take it as a problem. It is quite the same as it was witnessed during the Great Leap forwards in China.

 During this period, millions were dying and people were worried about the seriousness of the problem. On the other hand, there were political leaders who were completely unaware of the severity of the issue. You can see the same thing happening with the essay writing services, as many people are bent on discussing the ethical and moral aspects of these services but many others are reluctant to take it as a problem.

Essay Writing Services are Ubiquitous

The biggest problem many ethical people have to deal with is that they cannot do anything about these essay-writing companies, and that's mainly because they are present everywhere in the world. That's the reason why it is hard to take a stance on a problem that is not just an American problem.

In fact, most of the companies serving people in the United States are based in a foreign country. This raises another question: will these services be unethical if the money stays in the country? Some believe that no one in the United States would consider it a problem if these companies pay taxes to the American government on the money they make. It is true that you are not doing anything illegal to buy or sell essays, which is why many people don't take it as a problem at all.

These people also have other concerns about using these essay-writing services. For instance:

·      One common concern is that you shouldn't be using these services because you will never know anything about the writer – there are good, bad, and average writers, and the money a company asks for doesn't tell anything about the quality of the writer. 

·      Another ethical aspect of the problem is that many companies ask you to pay a lot of money, but the price is usually not relative to quality – you often get substandard work.

·      Almost everyone is aware of the fact that no one can stop them from using these writing services, but if they get caught, they will face serious consequences – you may be rusticated from your school and have your credits stripped from you. 

·      These writing services can affect the grading curve, which will ultimately be devastating for good students who will fail to find a place in their preferred colleges. 

·      Yet another nasty object is that most of these essay-writing companies are unregulated, they may be offering third world and Middle Eastern terrorists a way to make money. It may be a concern, but you can overcome the issue by getting to know the company you're buying from. 

·      Another unethical thing associated with the problem is that the whole idea is quite useful for richer students. Considering the price these companies charge, not every student can use their services, which is why a rich but an average student can get good grades. 

·      One important ethical problem is that many people use an education visa to come to America and then involve in illegal activities. They purchase essays from online essay-writing companies to stay in the college.

The fact of the matter is that there sure are several ethical aspects of the problem, but it doesn't mean you cannot use it for ethically sound reasons. If a student falls ill for a few weeks and the deadline for submitting an essay is fast approaching, asking a professional company to write an essay would be the best bet. What it means is that it is hard to make any concrete decision – it basically depends on how and why a student contacts these essay-writing companies.

Korah Morrison, UCLA student, owner of Blogoloola blog.

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Getting Health Insurance While Studying Abroad

When preparing for a study abroad trip, health insurance probably isn’t in the forefront of your mind. But whether you’re a U.S. citizen traveling to another country, or an exchange student studying in America, health insurance is one necessity that shouldn’t be overlooked. Here’s why you should have health insurance while studying abroad.

For those studying abroad in the United States

Not only is getting health insurance important when studying in the United States, it’s required for exchange students by the U.S. Department of State. Health insurance for those studying in the U.S. must cover these requirements, as stated by the D.O.S.: coverage of at least $50,000 for each accident or illness, coverage for evacuation to the student’s home country of $10,000 and a deductible of $500 at most.

Many U.S. universities provide health insurance for exchange students, but it does help to do research first and find options for reliable health insurance for international students in the U.S. Although you might think the costs of staying insured are high, or you doubt anything could happen to you while you’re in school, the cost of being uninsured and requiring hospitalization in America is much higher than taking precautions and paying for good health insurance.

Gingerbread House in Prague

For those studying abroad outside the United States

While medical insurance isn’t required for U.S. citizens to study abroad, it’s smart to purchase a policy that will cover you while abroad. A typical medical policy in the states doesn’t cover healthcare outside the United States, so obtaining another, short-term policy is needed if you want to avoid high medical bills. For example, a medical evacuation to the United States could cost around $50,000.

If students require prescription medication while overseas, they should bring letters from their doctor or physician stating the need for the drug, in case the drug is considered a narcotic overseas. Also, make sure that medications brought overseas are in the original containers and labeled properly.
Studying in another country can be a life-changing experience. By making sure you’re covered during the trip, you won’t have to worry about having to pay for expensive medical bills in case you need hospitalization overseas. Stay covered and enjoy a safe trip abroad!

By: Kristine Esser

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Tips for Traveling as a Teen

Most young adults, from teens to college students, have some form of wanderlust. The need for independence coupled with the mystery and romance of traveling to a foreign country grip young hearts and minds. There are major benefits to traveling across the world — without parents — that you can't experience by staying at home. Parents worry for their young adult's safety and do so with merit, but there are many ways to satisfy both teens and parents. By taking the time to prepare and setting specific goals for your travels, you can have a fulfilling, life-changing trip and keep your parents happy.

Why Teens Should Travel

One of the most difficult parts of traveling across the world without your parents will be convincing your parents that it's a good idea. Fortunately, there's an arsenal of resources at your disposal to help you out. Traveling will help you grow as a person, broaden your horizons, immerse you in a new culture and give you experience looking after yourself. It's going to be a challenge that will force you to be self-sufficient. If you're traveling with a group, you'll have to learn to live closely with people not from your household. It's a great way to prepare yourself for your experiences in a college dorm.

Ways to Travel

Volunteering Abroad

Want to travel and gain valuable experience that looks good on a college application or resume? Volunteer abroad. What could be better than traveling to a beautiful remote country? Giving back to the community while you're there. Help alleviate poverty, protect wildlife, teach kids to play sports, teach ecological sustainability or help impoverished and at-risk children.

WWOOF

The World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms helps people find organic farms to volunteer at. You can spend an entire summer taking care of dairy cows in France or just spend a week or two earning your keep at an organic orchard in Germany. You negotiate the terms of your visit directly with your host, so you always know exactly what you're getting into.

House Sitting

Use a service like MindMyHouse to hook you up with house sitting opportunities around the globe. Homeowners can have a hard time finding someone to mind their pets, plants and home while they're away, but this service lets them find people willing to take care of their stuff in exchange for free accommodations. Check it out if you want to travel but can't afford to stay in a hotel.

Taking a Gap Year

One of the most popular reasons for teens to travel is to take a gap year. Take a year off after high school and backpack across Europe, Asia or South America. There are hundreds of places you can go to find information on backpacking, including guides for every country out there and how to save money on your travel.

Kafka Statue in Prague

Travel Tips

Budget: Unless you get a job during your trip, you'll be living off limited funds. Figure out how much money you have to spend on food, travel and sleeping accommodations, then take your leftover funds and divide them by how long you'll be there. That's your daily spending limit. If you go over one day, you'll have to make up for it later. Wait to buy your souvenirs until the end of the trip, so you can focus on having fun, not pinching pennies.

Be safe: There are hundreds of guides, blogs and websites out there that will alert you to dangerous countries, cities and districts. Before you go on your trip, look up each of your destinations and find out what areas you need to avoid. Do your research on general travel safety tips and stick to them. Learn from others wisdom and keep yourself out of danger.

Use a checklist: Keep a list of everything you need to do to prepare for your trip. You don't want to get to the airport and realize you don't have your travel itinerary or an updated passport. Make a list for things you need and want to do while you're overseas, too. Make sure you take care of the things you need to do before you do the fun things.

Research: Take the time to learn about whatever country you're heading to. Pay special attention to the culture. Learn what phrases, gestures and clothing are taboos so you can avoid them. Take the time to learn a few phrases in the native language, like "Where is the bathroom?" and "I'm lost. Will you help me?" They can save you embarrassing and stressful situations.

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The Affordible Care Act: Where do College Students Fit In?

Lately, President Obama has spent a lot of time touring the country to discuss the economy and the middle class as well as touting the benefits of his landmark legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Poor and middle class Americans will likely benefit the most from the ACA with its system of subsidies and tax credits for purchasing health insurance, which is something that the president is keen to highlight.

Less positive attention however, is paid to those individuals who are in the process of gaining the skills necessary to enter the work force and embark on a career, namely college students.

With all the stories in the news about sticker shock for young people buying health insurance, many college students are skeptical, wondering how the ACA will help them, if at all.

The good news is that there are many provisions in the ACA that are aimed at helping young people, so that they too can transition into the lives they hope to lead, without worrying about healthcare.

Admittedly this is a tall order, and though it is still unclear as to how exactly the implementation of the ACA will play over the next few months, let’s looks at some of the ways so far that college students can benefit.

 Medicaid: Big Changes, For The States That Want It

One of the ACA’s more controversial and celebrated provisions is one that calls for the voluntary expansion of Medicaid on a state-by-state basis.

The expansion would allow adults who do not have children to apply for and be covered by Medicaid, a first in the history of the service.

Medicaid, for those of you who don’t know, is a taxpayer and government funded healthcare plan for people whose income is too low to be able to afford private health insurance.

Currently, the annual income requirement in most states is 100% above the federal poverty line, per family. The expansion will raise that requirement to a considerably higher 138% above FPL, which would mean that more people stand to benefit from Medicaid.

Although the expansion is not mandatory, New York and New Jersey are among the states that have already begun expanding their policies, and 26 states in all are either on board with the changes or leaning toward expansion.

You may be able to receive benefits under Medicaid, once the ACA comes into full effect in January 2014.

Photo: Stockvault

Student Health Plans

Most accredited four year colleges and universities in the U.S. offer health insurance to their students at a reduced rate, during a given period of enrollment. You may be familiar with these plans, or you may already be enrolled in such a plan.

The ACA requires that all healthcare plans provide coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions, and a list of health services are to be covered as well. These services, which include prescriptions, emergency medical, and mental health services, are currently not covered by most student health plans.

The end result: SHP’s aren’t going anywhere. And it looks like they will be better under the ACA.

Catastrophic Insurance: The Risky Choice

Many students don’t benefit from student health plans, and may be wondering how they can find healthcare that protects them from a big medical expenses at a low cost. Catastrophic insurance does just that.

Catastrophic Insurance Plans are cheap, and they are set up to shield you from paying thousands due to major unforeseen medical emergencies.

The problem with these plans is that it’s a one-way street: you pay less to prevent a disaster, but common health services like regular checkups are not often covered. For this reason, this option is not recommended unless you know what you’re getting into, and you’re sure it’s the best choice.

Mom and Dad May Be Able To Help

If you’re a working student trying to make it on your own, you may be too prideful to ask your parents to help with your insurance. But in actuality, it might be your best option.

In 2010, the ACA implemented a provision that allows adults to remain insured through their parents’ insurance policy until age 26. This was of course great news for millions of Americans. If your parents are working and have insurance, and you’re not yet 26, it’s worth exploring this route to healthcare.

If All Else Fails: Subsidies

The Affordable Care Act requires states to have an online marketplace in operation by October of this year that will allow individuals without insurance to purchase it so as to comply with the individual mandate.

Aside from not having to pay a fee, the bright side of the mandate is that tax subsidies are available for people under the age of 65. The government calculates how much you can save based on your annual income, number of dependents, and marital status.

The Henry J. Kaiser foundation has set up a subsidy calculator that will give you a quick estimate of how much you can save, so you can know going in, what breaks you’re entitled to.

Conclusion: It’s Not So Bad After All

Despite the warranted concern of many young Americans, it appears that healthcare reform is indeed on their side.

This knowledge is not yet enough to lessen concerns about the future that many Americans have, but it is enough to help them move forward without hesitation, into an option that will give them some security, in a time of extreme and relentless uncertainty.

Michael Cahill is the Editor of the Vista Health Solutions Blog. He writes about the health care system, health insurance industry and the Affordable Care Act. Follow him on Twitter at @VistaHealth

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Buying and Selling on Craigslist to Finance that College Education

Not interested in working that traditional job while in college or need to supplement your income because your job isn’t paying enough. Buying and then selling products bought on Craigslist may be the perfect answer for you.

First you should choose between higher and lower priced items to sell. The higher priced items have a much greater ability to earn higher profits. You will need the higher profits to offset the expense in buying the items (think gas prices). Also, with a lower priced item, you have a much more limited ability to increase the products worth.

For instance, let’s say you buy a lawnmower, that originally costs $200 new, for $50. You decide to fix it up. How much more can you expect to sell the lawnmower for? Maybe $100.  Now let’s say the lawnmower was $1000 new. You pay $200 for it. You fix it up and culd probably sell it for $500. That’s $300 in your pocket instead of $50 – and for the same amount of work!

So, what productss are best for buying and selling? First think about what your area of expertise is. Do you have an interest in mechanics? Then maybe dirtbike or bicycle may be just the thing for you. Are you interested in sports equipment? Then look at name brand exercise equipment.

Speaking of name brands, it’s always best to stick with name brand products because you will have the largest section of the market interested and they will be willing to pay the highest prices for them. For instance, let’s say you are interested in buying ellipticals machines since they are a hot fitness item. If you search for ellipticals on Craigslist you will find tons of them priced anywhere from $25-$3000 plus.
 

Photo: Stockvault

So, why not take the cheap no name $25 elliptical and sell it for $500? That’s a nice profit! Unfortunately that won’t happen. Buyers spending $500 on an elliptical know they can get $25 elliptical day in and day out. These buyers aren’t looking for a cheap elliptical. They are looking for name brands that have a great reputation (like Precor). Now, consider buying that $250 Precor elliptical and selling it for $750. That’s a very nice profit for very little work.

So how do you find these great deals? Craigslist search engines like CLGenie is great for this purpose. Basically you enter your area of the country, the product and how much you are willing to pay. Then you are emailed results as soon as they are listed. Be quick about responding to the ads or you’ll lose out on some great deals.

So, here’s a list of products that you should have great success buying and then selling for a quick profit:

1.     Cell phones. Best to stick with phones you have some knowledge about so you can check that they are functioning completely.

2.     Bicycles. If you know the basics of bike repair then this is a great option. Stay away from the cheap bikes as there’s very little profit in them.

3.     Computers. Do you know the ins and outs of computers? People are always upgrading so there are always tons on the market.

4.     Furniture. There is a lot of money in furniture. If you stick with modern classic furniture like Le Corbusier or Eames you’re sure to make great profits. Watch out for knock-offs being sold as the real thing.

5.     Power tools. Many times you will find people selling their entire collection of power tools. This is an ideal buy as you can sell them piecemeal at a substantial profit.

And just a couple of final notes. Always be careful when you deal with Craigslist because it can be a strange place with strange people. Also be on the lookout for people selling junk and mis-describing products. It doesn’t happen much but does happen. And also, have fun!

Kimberly Lawson. Kimberly Lawson is the director of marketing at www.Boostapal.com & www.BoostaCause.com. Boostapal is a website where teenagers earn money when their family does their everyday shopping online.  BoostaCause donates a percentage of every shopping dollar to the member favorite non-profit, church or charity.

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Being a Green College Student

The idea is everywhere. Being “green” is as important as ever and everyone wants to do things to be less wasteful and help the environment. However, what if you are on a college student budget and can’t afford that new top of the line hybrid vehicle? Here are something you can do to be a “green” college student AND save yourself some money in the process.

eTextbook

Make the switch! Traditional textbooks are not only heavy and a pain to try and lug around, but they are expensive and will put a huge strain on your pocketbook. Transitioning from traditional textbooks to online textbooks and course materials will not only lighten your load, but they will save you a significant amount of money. Renting etextbooks compared to buying its traditional hard cover or paperback counterpart will in most cases reduce your textbook costs by half. 

The environment also benefits from etextbooks. A common occurrence with textbooks is that a new edition will be released and often times the new edition will contain only grammatical or spelling corrections and not actually any new material or information. This is a huge waste of paper and trees, especially when there are five or even nine editions of a particular text. An etextbook on the other hand doesn’t require any additional paper or printing to release its newest edition. It is just digitally updated instantly. 

Recycle: Stockvault

The 3 R’s and Paper

Unfortunately there’s not much you can do to get around using paper. You are a student after all, and some teachers will require you to do assignments on paper or do an essay that requires you to print it out and hand it in. However, you can reduce the amount you use. For instance, even if your professor wants a printed copy of your assignment, don’t write out your first, second, and third drafts. Do all your drafting, editing, and revising on a computer or laptop and only print out the final draft, the one you will end up turning in.

You don’t just want to use less paper though. Reuse old paper. Before you through the paper in the recycle bin make sure both sides have been used up. If one side is blank, you can use it as scratch paper for figuring out math problems for example. Post-It’s cost money. Instead take that piece of
paper that has once side blank and cut it in half twice. Do that with several sheets and staple them together. Now you have a scratch pad for jotting down quick memos, and it didn’t cost anything to make it!

Of course, once a piece of paper has been used completely make sure it goes in that blue recycle bin instead of the trash can. Once it’s full just take it down to your local recycling center.

Transportation

So you already know you can’t go splurge on a brand new hybrid vehicle, but there are other ways to go green while saving money instead of spending it. If you live close enough to campus walk or ride a bicycle to class. You won’t be contributing to pollution, you will be saving money on gas, and you will be improving your health with exercise. 

If you live farther away however, you might need alternative transportation. Instead of driving your own car, you can ride the bus. Again you will be cutting back the amount of automobile pollution and saving money. Many places offer student discounts for monthly bus passes. Pay a onetime fee at the beginning of the month and have unlimited access to bus rides. 

Another option you have is getting to know others on campus with similar schedules and setting up a carpool. If you were able to get enough people to join in, you could end up driving only once or twice a week.

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College Graduation: Determination over Duration

“I wanna go to college for the rest of my life,” the words of Asher Roth from his song I Love College. We get a lot of input about how wild or enjoyable college life can be from the different things we hear and see from the media. Say for example the introductory sentence, movies like Van Wilder and things like that. Although, how true can these claims be? Yes, life before college graduation can be a party but what if you’re actually falling behind because of it?

It is a struggle to keep up with classes while all you want to do is skip class and have fun with friends. During your days in college, that’s when you start to feel independent and rebellious. That’s not really much of a problem since everybody goes through that though some go through it later in life. The issue here is to counter that before it gets worse.

Most college students believe it’s too late for them. It shouldn’t be, because it never really is. What has happened in the past is a learning experience, most especially those mistakes you’ve done like wasting time getting drunk. As ridiculous as it may seem, committing faults in while in college is better – better than having to commit them after college graduation where stakes are higher.

While people believe that the ultimate goal of college is to graduate, that’s where they’re wrong. The whole point of going to school is to learn. College is no different. This is when you realize how to put things into order and apply the things you’ve previously learned, in real life. So no, it doesn’t matter how long you take to graduate college for as long as in the long run you understand and fix your mistakes, you’ll get there.

And, with the fact that you’re already screwing around surfing the net, allow us to help you out with certain advices that will keep you on track and keep you from sinking.

Writing on Chalkboard: Stockvault

Begin by asking yourself why you’re in college in the first place. Usually, our choices and goals are influenced by family and friends. Often times we get pushed into college without even being certain so we’re not really in the proper state of mind set when we start. But that’s okay. As previously stated, these things help us grow and now that you’re in the right mind to process all these, it’s time to ask yourself what you actually want to get from college.

By doing so, you can turn yourself around and set things straight. You get a better perspective of things thus giving you more reasons to set goals properly. Not only that, you get to understand yourself more – assess your capabilities and weakness and work your way around them.

Now that you can recognize your needs and wants for your life in college, build a routine. Building a routine allows you to manage your time better. This way you can allot time for your studies, socializing, and more importantly, sleep. Turning your college life around doesn’t mean you have to let go of things you like, things that make you happy. College isn’t punishment, for crying out loud. The stuff you hate and things you enjoy, when incorporated equally into your life, makes you a well-rounded person.

With an improved self-control, you can set higher standards for yourself. This may seem like asking for too much but you have to be aware that when you target a higher benchmark, if you do miss it, there’s a certainty you’re less likely to fail. If you aim for something greater, chances are you’d reach your primary goal which is the passing. Make sure you’re not any higher than your grade.

Other than that, don’t forget to take breaks. After all, you’re only human. Even machines need time to cool down – you do too. These breaks should be your time to recuperate and relax. There’s no point in being hard on yourself. Let’s face it; student’s that overwhelm themselves with studies and pushing themselves on the very edge of their limit tend to fail because of the stress they get themselves into. It’s only logical to give it a rest sometimes.

Finally, remember, college is supposed to be one of the greatest times in your life and students are bound to get distracted at some point but it’s never take the easy way out and flunk college graduation. Who knows, one day this’ll all be just a fond memory and it’ll be your turn to buy gifts for college graduates.

Author Bio:

This article is by Gabrielle Nicolette Roales, a recent graduate of Fine Arts major in Advertising Arts who now works with GradShop as a content writer. Gabrielle plans to take up a Master’s Degree in Psychology in the near future and aspires to motivate students to pursue their education.

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College, how long should you stay in college?, surviving college, Tips and Secrets

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