College is
more than just grades and hanging out with friends. The value of a college
education is all about learning and preparing for the competitive job marketplace.
However, college students can easily find excuses to not make any efforts that could
potentially contribute to future success. By preparing yourself early on in
college, you will not only have more money in your pocket during college, but
also be better prepared for the real world once you leave. Here are some tips to get you started:
Manage Your Budget Wisely
As they
adjust to living in a new environment away from home, most students find it
really hard to effectively budget their spending. Additionally, students who do
set a budget plan typically take more than a month to do so. Clearly, then, it
is important to be organized and to have a smart budget strategy in order to
efficiently save money in college. The earlier you learn to budget, the less
likely your money will be to escape you. When you first start allocating your budget
for each expense, try to be as strict as possible. However, impulse purchases and unnecessary
spending happen, so just try to slow the pace of another expense if you
accidentally over spend on certain items.
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| Learning to Budget in College Will Be Useful for Years TaxCredits.net |
Other common
money saving tips in college include recording expenses, taking public
transportation over cabs, trying not to dine out too frequently and renting cheap textbooks. Building smart spending habits and learning budgeting basics will
help you form a strong foundation for money management.
Start Networking Early
College is
the ideal time to start networking for your future career. A misconception
about networking is that only seniors and recent graduates network. However, it
is never too early to start making new connections. Unfortunately, many college
students do not take advantage of the networking resources offered by their career
centers. The career center is always a great resource to connect you with
professionals from a wide variety of industries because of its established
links with past students, who can then put you in contact with potential
employers. Moreover, acquaintances who you meet via networking can be very
productive by providing you with a diversity of knowledge and backgrounds than people
with whom you are already familiar.
Before you
start meeting people, you need to be well prepared and make yourself worth
getting to know. Networking is a mutual gathering and sharing of ideas. If you
consider yourself a valuable resource then everyone can get value from meeting
with you. Do not just lead with
self-interest; you are also a great resource of information, ideas and
connection for others. So, attend every
networking event or career fair if possible. Even if you are not currently searching
for a job or internship, networking never hurts.
Social
networking has becoming increasingly important in addition to face-to-face
networking when it comes to job searching. For example, LinkedIn is a fantastic
professional networking platform that connects you with people who share your
interests. Also, more and more companies
are using LinkedIn to find prospective candidates. The beauty of a social
networking platform is that it provides you an easier way to connect you with a
potential employer or a direct referral.
An internal referral gives you a higher chance of obtaining the job
offer. Keep in mind that even if there are no current openings available, these
connections can possibly help you in the future. So, keep in touch with the
people you meet and do not miss out on any networking opportunities.
Excel at Excel
Computer
skills are fundamental to many businesses. Microsoft Excel is one of the most
useful, powerful and utilized product in the workforce. Being proficient in
Excel is a basic qualification on most job postings because Excel can be used
for so many different ways. Almost every industry employs Excel in everyday
activities such as data tracking and report generation. No matter what company
or position you are going for, there’s a good chance you’ll be working with
Excel documents. If your university offers a course or workshops in Excel training,
just to take it.
Author Bio: This post is contributed by Skyo,
an online site that helps college students save money with cheap textbooks and flexible rental options.
