Budgeting for College

If you have kids, you probably worry about how you will afford to send them to college. With a college education currently averaging about $22,500.00 per year, finding enough dough in the budget to set aside a piece of change to help finance your child's future involves more than just basic math.

Even if you are lucky enough to have a child that can earn scholarship money, you should plan to contribute a significant amount of your own savings toward the college budget. Some estimates of financing a total four-year college education, and by total we mean the cost of tuition, books, food, room and board, etc., run as high as $200,000. With this in mind, you'd be wise to begin adding to the college piggy bank as early as possible.

What exactly is the best way for the average parent to put together enough pennies to add up to a college degree? Even if you are not able to finance the entire four years, any help you can give your college-bound child will result in a smaller post-college repayment bill. Don't sacrifice your retirement fund however. Just contribute what you realistically can and let junior worry about the rest.

So, think about your options. Socking away even $100.00 a month can yield up to $50,000.00 by the time your child reaches the halls of knowledge. Many people find that stocks and mutual funds are a best bet for college-bound investing and others swear by 529 savings plans. Your college savings route will likely depend on how much of your own personal budget you can reasonably contribute to the cause. Whichever route you choose, rest assured that there are many tax breaks to help you manage those tuition bills and student loan repayment plans are now more flexible than ever.

Rebecca J. Stigall is a full-time freelance writer, author, and editor with a background in psychology, education, and sales. She has written extensively in the areas of self-help, relationships, psychology, health, business, finance, real estate, fitness, academics, and much more! Rebecca is a highly sought after ghostwriter with clients worldwide, and offers her services through her website at http://www.wordsmithRJS.com

Health Tips for New College Students

Staying healthy on campus may be one of the more overlooked items of importance when it comes to college living... especially when there are more important things such as deadlines and midterms to be concerned with. But what many college students tend to forget is that on campus, illnesses run rampant especially in the winter. The risks are too great to avoid a daily dose of healthy reminders in order to stay healthy and not have to miss too much class for reasons that could have been avoided. Here are some tips to help college students stay healthy and going strong at the university.

First, before heading off to college, it would be a good thing to get your vaccinations in order. There is a big mix of completely different people from all around the world in close quarters with one another and disease and illness can be easily spread, especially when using shared resources like those of colleges and universities.

Put together a healthy eating plan. With the hectic schedule college demands, it is very easy to simply grab whatever is easy to eat such as a double cheeseburger and onion rings...every day. The dorms make it very easy to not only consume deep fried foods regularly, but in quite an amazing abundance. Try to focus on a healthy diet, sticking with fruits and vegetables and try to make those things, such as french fries, you know shouldn't be going into your body more like rewards than an everyday necessity in your diet.

Get enough sleep. Sleep is so important in order to keep yourself healthy. Many college students believe sleep is overrated, yes, I confess...but now I correct that mistake. Lack of sleep will only make things worse in the lines of illnesses and even academics. Yes, you may do just fine without sleep, but just think about how much more you will enjoy your college experience while potentially even doing better than you are WITHOUT sleep. No sleep = heightened risk of illness due to lower immune system defense and more.

Try to keep a regular exercise schedule. Sitting around and studying may exercise your brain cells but not necessarily the rest of your body. You can use the college gym or just take a run, but it is a good thing to get the blood circulating through your body and brain. This oxygenation will help improve your studies and will make many things a lot easier for you in the long run, not to mention boost your immune system.

Drink plenty of water. Many students tend to forget this and simply grab a soda. Let's see...you need a quick drink as you are on the go, ah yes soda machine! You stick your hand in your pocket to find only a little change left. "Oh man I forgot I had those other three sodas earlier. Darn, I am so thirsty and I need something for class!"

Keep a water bottle in your bag and keep it filled. It does wonders and not to mention helps keep your body healthy.

In regards to the "communal living" aspect of college, make sure you are cautious of all the different people who use the restroom at your dorm. This is not home where mom may clean up after you. The college restrooms are, indeed, cleaned once a day or so, but they can get dirty really quick. Wear flip flops in the shower and make sure you try to avoid placing things on the counter tops such as razors that you may be shaving and such with. Be sure to wash your hands regularly in college as well.

Even though it may be rather difficult to remember to do all these things, this is not all. In fact there are many other tips at our website and more. But all I am trying to say in this article is to simply be a little more cautious about staying healthy in college in order to help you stay healthy as well as others. Good luck with all of your future college endeavors and stay well!

S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for BackToSchoolNetwork.com. The BSN Online Back To School Guide is a premier college back-to-school information platform that provides individuals with a quality in-depth look at college living and the associated products, services and information available today. Visit us today at http://www.BackToSchoolNetwork.com and subscribe to our Free Member services.

What Do The US Border Patrol And College Have In Common?

Cave Creek Arizona - I was driving from Phoenix to San Diego for a conference. It was a nice drive down Highway 8. A stack of music CDs and a fistful of highly caffeinated drinks.

Well I was surprised there were three, yes three US Border Patrol checkpoints. At the second checkpoint an eager officer was stopping all the traffic for inspection and questions.

I stopped, turned off my radio and rolled down the window. He looked at me and with authority told me "Let me see your citizenship papers."

My response was "Umm-ahhh, I have an Arizona drivers license." I had visions of Cops the TV show; me handcuffed and slammed into a patrol car.

I was wearing an Adidas t-shirt, Oakley sunglasses and a baseball cap. How much more American can I look? Now for those of you who never met me, I am a stereotypical person. I look like most business people with a conservative hairstyle and look. I was born in New York and grew up in Northern California. So the only accent I have is a California one, dude.

It turns out the Border Patrol Agent was a car buff like myself. He asked me a couple questions about the car and then said to have a nice day.

Now here's my point. When you, the student are in the interview process you need to be ready for anything. Remember the Boy Scouts motto "Be Prepared!"

Here are the top most popular questions asked in a college admissions interview.

1. Why do you want to go to (school name) or study (your major) at (school name)?
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3. Where do you see yourself in 10 (number) years from now?
4. What do you think about President Bush (political figure) or war in Iraq (current event)?

There are reasons why they ask these questions. Now they may be worded differently but for the most part it is the basics of the question.

The first question is really to find out what the student can contribute to the school and if the student put any thought into which schools he/she is going to attend.

The second question, you need to have an answer for the "weakness" and be able to turn it into a positive. Such as, 'my weakness is I am lazy. And knowing this I put in a lot of effort to accomplish my task early so that I can be lazy without worry that I need to finish my project.'

The third question, where do you see yourself in 5-10-15 years is to show the school that you have direction. Not exact, like I see myself in a house with a white picket fence, 2 kids, 2 cars, a boat, working at XYZ Company. They want to see that you have thought about where you might be in the future and that you have some kind of plan.

The fourth question is to see if you have an opinion and see if you are aware of the world around you. So if you are not familiar with who is running for political office or major current events; now is the time to get involved. Read the News Paper, watch the news and review the news websites.

My first point is "be prepared." My second point is find common ground and interest with the person who is interviewing you. With the US Border Patrol Agent, we connected with a common interest, cars.

It is okay for you to ask questions in the interview. Most of the people interviewing will be alumni. So you can ask them, why did they go to that school? What did they like best about it? What was their most memorable experience in college? From this you may find a common interest or at least something that you can ask further questions.

When getting ready for college remember the motto: "Be prepared."

J.D. Wyczalek is the founder of AZ College Planning. For more information visit http://www.PayForCollegeWithoutGoingBroke.com

Life for college students can prove to be a very hectic and stressful time. Learning to sufficiently recognize stress and deal with it in a positive way can have an enormous impact on a student's college experience in general. Falling grades, confusing assignments, struggling relationships with friends, and being away from familiar scenery can all have a serious impact on the amount of stress an average student experiences.

Look at some of the facts:

Stress a student can experience can often make a college student sick. Stress has a very profound effect on the effectiveness and ability of the immune system to fight germs and common airborne ailments such as colds and coughs.

As much as 75% of college students, who saw a doctor, saw one based on common symptoms of stress and exhaustion. Based on this, The University of Wisconsin has done research to show that the five largest causes of college stress disorders include peer pressure, competition, separation from family, freedom, and choosing a major or career.

With the joys of freedom and opportunities to make new social connections, comes the financial burden. If the whole college experience didn't cost enough, now students are being tested financially in a time where reading the fine print and comparing a few simple interest rates can mean decades paying it back or years re-establishing your credit rating.

The most obvious method of cutting down the stress is identifying it at the source. Some things you cannot do much to avoid such as homework, tests, or shifts at work; however, you can set certain times to do each of these activities that create the least amount of conflict in your schedule. Have you signed up for an extracurricular activity that is sucking up your time and taking away from the time to get things done you need to? Drop it! In the end, it is the grades, your networking, and overall health that determine a successful experience.

Other useful ways to take a stand against the stress in your life include making to do list to effectively manage your time, spacing out assignments so you focus on each one the best you can, and don't be afraid to talk to teachers, friends, or tutor labs to help you when you need it most.

Having alone time and time with your friends is different, and a combination of both is vital to most individuals that want to keep refreshed, recharged, and content. Also staying in contact with friends from high school and family members at home are two things that can be done to keep from feeling alone, defeated and stressed.

If you think you may be the only one around you that is experiencing stress, think again. Don't be afraid to seek some help with a counselor or medical specialist if you think the stress is becoming unbearable. These people are there to help and would gladly help you restore your sense of well-being.

Tom Tessin is an author for FINDcollegecards.com that is geared toward students looking for a college student credit card

Get Your Priorities in Order to Find the Best Schools

Finding good schools, colleges and universities is a relatively simple process if you have your priorities in order. There are many choices of degree programs, fields of study and trades that you can learn, and practically every form of higher education is designed to help you get ahead. If you are ready to find the best schools in the US or Canada, take a good long look at your vision for the future and start thinking about how gaining post secondary education could help you achieve your dreams.

Almost all forms of adult education have some admission prerequisites. Even your local trade school or vocational school will almost always require at least a high school diploma to be eligible for enrollment. Many colleges are willing to accept a GED in place of a diploma, and this is welcome news for those who are anxious to get higher education.

A good place for many to begin would be community colleges where undergraduates can get a taste of campus life and earn Associate degrees in a variety of interesting fields of study. You do not necessarily have to pick a major right off. If you are undecided, you can begin accumulating general education credits that can later be applied toward an Associate degree program.

The next level of education is the Bachelor degree, readily available at most colleges and universities. Bachelor degree programs can take up to four years, and they are designed to concentrate studies for a well-rounded education that encompasses laboratory work and practical aspects of the specific field of study. Many schools will allow the student to take a double major at this point, such as a business major with a concentration in information technology (IT), for instance. A double concentration can provide many future rewards, but the demands are extremely rigorous. The average adult student is more comfortable acquiring college degrees one at a time, at a steady pace.

If you are already working or simply unable to attend classes a traditional college, you might be surprised to learn there are hundreds of good, accredited online schools to consider. Today's top colleges and universities will often provide online courses designed to allow students to follow a flexible learning path to get respected degrees and diplomas.

Perhaps you are a graduate student looking for graduate schools to earn your Master's Degree or even Doctorate Degrees. There are a number of excellent colleges and universities offering graduate degree programs to help you attain your goals with a few additional years of concentrated study. These terminal degree programs provide in-depth instruction for those wishing to enter professional fields of scientific research or education.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on our website.

Copyright 2008 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.

Finding your way down the right academic path is probably the most important trip you will ever embark upon, so take your time. Search for good accredited Schools, Colleges, Universities on our website and contact several of them today. They are eager to hear from you and will quickly respond to your request for complimentary information to help you make good decisions.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. Find Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.