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Going to college is certainly exciting. Without having to live under your parents’ home rules, you have complete freedom to do what you want. However, with this freedom comes responsibility – which is where many students make big mistakes. Some of these mistakes can have a negative impact on your studies and your future, whilst others can simply be costly and could result in you resorting to extra loans. Here are just 10 of the biggest mistakes to be wary of.
Not learning to budget
Whilst there are grants and loans available to help with living costs, most students find that these barely cover accommodation fees – especially if you’re not living in a dorm. This means that you have to learn to budget if you want to be able to afford food and general supplies, not to mention college supplies like books.
Some people take a strict approach to budgeting, recording every single purchase and spending hours shopping around. This may be effective, but it’s boring and most people don’t have time for it. All you need is a loose budget and the willpower to not spend money on things you don’t need like designer clothes and constant trips to Starbucks. Prioritise the essentials so that you don’t find yourself unable to eat or falling desperately behind on credit card bills.
This brings up the important element of debts. If you have a credit card, make it a last resort and don’t get into a habit of using it like a debit card. Learn the stack method when taking on debts so that your highest interest loans are getting paid off first and not building up.
Buying all your books brand new
Some courses require buying a lot of books. When acquiring these, don’t buy brand new hardbacks – you’ll soon run your funds dry.
First, check the college library where you may be able to take out books for your course for free. Your library may only have limited copies, which means it can be a bit of a race to take out books once you get your reading list, however it will save you a lot of money (providing you return them on time!).
E-books meanwhile are the second cheapest option. If you’ve got an e-reader or tablet, this could save you a lot of money opposed to buying physical books. If you don’t have an e-reader or a tablet, investing in one could be worthwhile, although you may want to do this at the beginning of your studies.
Used books are the third option to consider. You may be able to find cheap second-hand copies online or there may be a used book store for students on campus.
Not taking advantage of student discounts
Students are entitled to all manner of discounts – it pays to ask about these discounts wherever you go. Retail chains, cinemas, restaurants, laptop manufacturers, public transport services and gyms may all offer student discounts. Some cell phone providers even offer discounts to students from certain universities, whilst there are insurance companies out there that offer lower rates to students with good grades. These can all result in huge savings.
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Letting the partying disrupt your studies
It’s no secret that college students like to throw a party – and there’s no reason why shouldn’t make the most of your college experience by partying it up. However, you need to ensure that there’s a healthy balance between leisure and studies.
A lot of college students get into a bad habit of skipping classes and hoping they can catch up. It’s all too easy to not go to that 9am lecture because you’ve been drinking the night before. Some professors don’t even call out registers, making it very easy to skip classes without being found out. However, you could pay for it in the end when it comes to an exam and you don’t understand an important topic because you weren’t able to ask your professor.
Becoming a hermit
Not every student spends their free time partying – some go the opposite way and become hermits, staying in their dorm room and playing video games or bingeing on Netflix or trawling social media. Because you haven’t got your parents nagging you to go outside, it’s very easy to become a hermit and stay indoors all day, which can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health.
There are lots of activities to take advantage of on campus (not just partying). You can try joining clubs such as sports teams, the college newspaper and various hobby societies. Alternatively, you could try exploring the neighbouring area and making the most of the local attractions. All in all, make an effort to get out of your dorm room and meet people and try new things – you don’t want to graduate and feel that you didn’t make the most of your experience.
Being too relaxed with personal security/safety
Crime can be a big issue on campus. This includes everything from theft to sexual assault. Don’t fall trap to being too trusting of your fellow students, because you could pay for it later.
There are lots of things that you can do to feel more secure on campus. These include simple measures such as always locking your dorm room putting valuables in a safe to prevent theft. Various apps meanwhile can be useful for allowing people you trust to track you whilst walking out alone at night. Take particular care in how much you drink – many people have crimes committed against them whilst intoxicated, whilst others may be more encouraged to commit crimes themselves. If you’re not a responsible drunk, always get a friend to accompany you when you’ve had a few drinks or consider cutting down on the booze.
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Adopting an unhealthy diet
Leaving home can also result in many students trading in ma’s healthy cooking for junk food. If you live on campus and have a dining hall, make sure that you’re not gorging yourself on the unhealthy options every night. If you’re in an apartment and in charge of preparing your own meals, make sure that you’re not settling for take-out pizza on the regular.
There are many ways to eat healthy whilst on a college student budget as this guide proves. Cooking healthy meals does take more work, but it will get you into a good habit of cooking healthily that will set you up for the future.
Failing to screen your social media
Be careful of letting others post embarrassing drunken pictures of you on Facebook. Whilst it may seem like innocent banter at the time, these pictures could come to haunt you in the future. Many employers use social media to assess applicants and an incriminating photo could harm your chances. In fact, even mortgage lenders are considering applicants’ Facebook history nowadays before taking them on.
If a photo goes up that is more embarrassing than fun, contact the uploader to delete or at the very least untag you. Consider tightening up your privacy settings too so that non-friends can only view limited information.
Not keeping communication with friends and family back home
A lot of students get so caught up in their new college life that they forget to keep in contact with old friends from back home. Worse still, some students stop talking to their family. As much as you may feel like a new person, don’t neglect these people in your life. Your parents in particular will want to know that you’re okay – put their paranoia at ease by ringing them up once in a while.
Not considering your career options until you graduate
It’s okay to start college with no idea of what career you want. However, you don’t want to wait until graduation to then start thinking about careers. Colleges have great career resources that you should take advantage of whilst you are there. There could be career counsellors working for the college who can help you to find the best suited career for you. Universities also often attract job fairs and conferences from companies looking to hire staff – make sure to take advantage of these events.
You may also be able to bag extra skills and experience whilst at college that could help you to secure a job afterwards. Local college clubs could come in handy – for example, there could be a debate club worth joining that could look good on your CV if you have plans to become a lawyer. Look for work shadowing and voluntary work in your college area too that may be related to your ideal career.
