undiscoveredartist

Here is a list of all the mistakes I made when I began college and ways you can avoid some of the pits I fell in.

Mistake Number 1: Starting college at a four year university or private college.

How to Avoid Making this Mistake:  I cannot stress this enough! DO NOT OVERLOOK COMMUNITY COLLEGE! I will break it down for you. I paid around $250 per credit hour to attend Baker College. If I would have just went to community college I would have paid $67 per credit hour. That is a savings of $183 per credit. If you were to attend full time year long at the price of $250 per credit for 3 semesters your cost is in excess of $9000 when you consider fees, books, etc. You may be looking at well over $10000 in expenses. Compare this figure with the tuition cost of $2412 per year at a Community College. You may be looking at around $3000 in expenses. I know so many people that get rooked into the Baker College, Online Art School pitch.

Every time I hear of a student entering private school or a university at the freshman level, I CRINGE!!! Remember, this is your money, every dime of it. Don’t let anyone, including a college advisor tell you what to do with it. They are not the ones that have to pay it back. They are the payee, remember that!

Benefits of Going to Community College

(Your results may vary, but I still stand by the value of Community Colleges.)

1. Savings - Forget the “status” of going to a university. You can save almost 3 to 1 on tuition costs.

2. Value - I received a BETTER education at community college than I did at the four year college. My art classes were just as comparable to those I took at U of M and in the case of Baker College, far better!

3. Your financial aid will go farther - I go 3/4 time and receive a check for over thousand dollars in Pell Grant (free money) every semester. Your tax situation may vary of course.

4. Quality Facilities (Your situation/college may vary of course) - My Community College (West Shore Community College in Scottville, MI) invested in a new library, bookstore, cafe and student center. We also have a recreation building with a pool, fitness center, racket ball, etc.

5. Online Classes - Yes! You can go online to class just like the popular online college at a cheaper cost!

6. Better Credits - My credits from community college were more respected than my Baker College credits. That means that after you receive your associate degree you can transfer those credits to a university. My community college offers several transfer programs that work directly with universities and private colleges for a four year degree. See your advisor for more information.

There are so many more benefits than I can list right now!

Mistake Number 2: The Unsubsidized Loan

How to Avoid Making this Mistake: Don’t touch them! I don’t care how desperate you are. If going to your school of choice is so costly perhaps you need to look at mistake number one. I took out Unsubsidized loans and now I have accrued $6000 in interest which ate up my loan eligibility this year.

Mistake Number 3: Aggregate Loan Amount

If you are making mistake number one or two, it is likely that your aggregate loan amount is going to skyrocket due to high tuition and interest. Monitor your debt, only borrow Subsidized loans which are loans that the government pays interest on while you are in school.

Mistake Number 4: Textbooks

When I went to Baker, I purchased at full price several books that were outdated to begin with. When I went to sell them, of course, nobody would by them back; they were outdated by industry standards.

Here is an example: When I took a multi-media class, I paid for a Photoshop 5.0 book when the current standard was Photoshop 6. Even the instructor was miffed. This past semester, I purchased a business marketing book for $110. When I tried to sell it, they were no longer buying it! This happens, so before you shell out so much money, BUYER BEWARE!!! This is how book stores make their money.

My recommendations to save money on textbooks: Network with some friends, family and other students. Trade books or buy them from the student. Chances are, they are willing to sell them at a far cheaper price than you will pay at the book store.

Another suggestion is Amazon.com. You can save a lot of money. Still another suggestion (you may not like it) is to not overlook the old editions. I found several older edition textbooks at a church garage sale for 25 cents a piece. I bought them all and found that even though the edition was a bit older, I was able to use my U.S. History book, World Civilizations book, Sociology book and others. Even if you are the type of person that likes a pristine book to begin class with, you can’t deny that 25 cents is dirt cheap for a textbook. Hey, that means more money for that college t-shirt or MP3 player. Here is another option: Your public library! Yes, once or twice I was able to borrow a textbook at the local library. Often you have to get it by inter-library loan, but if it saves you a hundred dollars, why not! I have even heard of people finding textbooks on the web in .pdf format. This probably is illegal, so use caution/don’t do it.

Mistake Number 4: Transportation

I must have spent a great deal of money driving back and forth. If I could do things differently, I would look into sharing rides. Post a notice on the school bulletin board, you may save a great deal of money. In my case, I networked with my family. We took classes at the same time and took turns driving.

Mistake Number 5: Setting Yourself Up for Failure.

I dropped out of college when I was eighteen because I couldn’t handle the course load and the pressure. You may argue (as I did), “Well when I was in high school I went eight hours a day, I can do it, blah, blah, blah”.

My suggestion: Go part time the first semester to see how you like it. It is likely you will get the entire amount in loans, usually only your grants divide in half. You will not mind this since you are saving a great deal in frustration. Test the waters, play it safe. After that first semester you will know what you can do.

Mistake Number 6: Scholarships

Apply often! Even if it seems you don’t have a chance. If you meet the requirements, give it a shot!

Mistake Number 7: Work Study

Work Study is an excellent way to support yourself while you are in college. I have worked in the library and the art department. The perk of it is, you pay no taxes on the money so you always know what your paycheck is going to be. Lay aside your pride, who cares what other people think! I am in my thirties and thought I was the oldest work study. Turns out there are older people than me doing it. You can’t beat the convenience, you will have an employer that will work around your school schedule, what could be better. I get $7.60 an hour when I work, and when you compare that to many jobs that are out there, that is not too bad!

In closing, I hope my little list is of some help to you. As a junior in college, there are many things I wish I would have done differently. I have used up my loan eligibility due to taking out unsubsidized loans and going to a more expensive college. My bachelor degree may be a distant dream for now. I advise as many students as possible to not fall into the pits I fell in, and it makes me feel good that my story can affect someone else. So, monitor every dime! I know that looking at thousands of dollars may seem abstract to you, but imagine that money in your pocket or bank account. You wouldn’t throw it away if it were safely in your account, so why throw it away just because the school facilitates it?

The reality is, folks, there are plenty of things that they don’t tell you in college; and it is my intention to level the playing field.

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