Money Saving Tips for Buying Books in College

It's bad enough that every year, college costs continue to rise, but when you add your tuition fees, books, food and entertainment, you will quickly find out that it is quite difficult to manage your finances while attending college. Hence, in this article we will examine some of the practical ways you can save money when buying your college text books.

1. Get your textbooks early.
The trick for students to save money when it comes to buying textbooks is to get to the bookstore early. Bookstores usually offer a lower price for their used editions so if you are quick and resourceful you are bound to find great deals.

2. Shop for the books that you need online.
There are many websites that sell used books online. You can try looking at sites like Amazon.com and Craigslist to see if your book is for sale, just make sure that the text book that you require is of the same edition and is in good condition. Also if you are ordering it online, be sure to check the delivery by date, some books may take as long as two weeks to ship out, so beware.

3. Look at other places other than the bookstore
You can find great deals by searching off-campus bookstores, asking senior students, and by checking the notices on the school's bulletin boards. Also wait for the first week before searching for books as many students usually drop their courses and want to sell the books that they bought.

4. Buy from a friend.
This low tech solution will save you shipping fees. Find someone who's selling their books for the class you're about to take. Just check ahead of time to make sure the professor is using the same books.

5. Buy Used Editions
You can save a lot of money by buying older editions of the same textbooks. Older editions often can be bought dirt cheap online, sometimes for a penny plus shipping charges! The information between the newer and older edition is practically the same, so this is a great way of saving money.

As you can see, there's a myriad of ways by which you can save money when buying your college books.

Are You on the Lookout for College Scholarships? Here's What You Need to Know!

These are really tough economic times, this much is certain. If you're a college-bound student who knows that your parents haven’t even saved money for their retirement yet, you need to be proactive when it comes to finding financing for your pursuit of a higher education.

Sure, your parents may have set aside some funds as your “college money” but more often than not, the funds wouldn’t be enough to actually get you through college. The expenses involved are definitely extremely impressive.

This is exactly the reason why you need to gain as much information related to finding and applying for a college scholarship as you can. We will be going through the basic information that you need to know about college scholarships, as well as a slew of tips on how to look and apply for this type of financial aid.

How College Scholarships Work

Before diving deeper into the things that you need to remember when looking for a college scholarship, let us take a look at how things work. Basically, a scholarship is a type of financial aid award given to students so that they can pursue a higher level of education.

Unlike student loans, the funds that you will receive as a college scholarship do not need to be paid back. To give you an idea about where you can get a scholarship, let’s take a quick look at the institutions which award them to students:

- The university, college or other educational institution that you wish to enroll in
- Private companies
- Special interest groups
- Non-profit organizations
- Foundations
- Labor unions
- Religious organizations
- Other volunteer organizations

In addition, there are two types of scholarships that college-bound students can take advantage of: academic based and need-based scholarships. As the name implies, an academic scholarship will be granted based on a student's performance in academics or athletics.

Let's say that you are an academic scholar. There is a need for you to maintain a certain Grade Point Average so that you can receive the sum of money in question. On the other hand, a need-based scholarship is usually given to students as a result of their economic circumstances.

Tips when Finding and Applying for College Scholarships

Now that you already have an idea as to how college scholarships work, here is a quick list of the tips that you need to keep in mind when applying:

1. Check out the scholarship websites

Visit the official website of the college or university that you wish to attend and check out the scholarship grants that they offer. You can also visit sites such as FinAid.org, Scholarships.com, Ed.gov, Students.gov and Fafsa.ed.gov for more information about how you can apply for scholarships.

2. Go to your high school guidance counselor or college advisor for help

There are individuals whose job it is to help students look for a scholarship which is suitable for them, all you need to do is ask.

3. Exhaust all of the resources that you can use when finding and applying for scholarships

Your parent's alumni organization, the local organizations in your area, your academic department, your local college, academic associations and private foundations – the possibilities are almost endless when looking for a college scholarship, so don’t be frustrated if you think that you cannot seem to find one!

At the end of the day, what you need to remember is that every year, billions of dollars are being given to students from all across the nation in the form of college scholarships. The aim of these organizations, educational institutions and private individuals is to help college bound students just like you pursue a higher level of education. You just need to be persistent enough when looking for just-the-right-type of college scholarship for you.

How to Make Your College Admission Essay Stand Out

Should you write your college admission essay as if your life depended on it? Since being accepted to a good college plays a huge part in what your future will look like, you might as well be writing your college essays as if your life depended on it. But, what if you don't have a flair for words? How are you supposed to come up with a 500-word or 1,000-word college admissions essay? Read on to find out exactly how this can be done.

The Importance of Writing Your College Admission Essay

Before letting you in on how you can make your college admissions essay stand out, let us first take a look at how important it is.

First of all, you need to remember that applying, in this case, is very similar to applying for a job. The competition is quite stiff, especially if the other students who are applying have the same grade point average as you.

As you go through your college application, the administrators will need something more than just outstanding test results, good grades, glowing recommendations and a long list of extracurricular activities. Basically, it is your college essay which will add that personal touch to all your other credentials. It's the factor which puts a face – or at least an impression – next to the name on your college application papers.

College and university administrators want to have as diverse a student population as possible, so you need to tell them about what makes you special as a person, a student and a future graduate of the educational institution that they represent.

Tips on How to Make Your College Essays Stand Out from the Rest

Now that you already have an idea about the importance of writing your college essay and presenting your accomplishments in a unique and memorable way, how exactly can you go about doing this? What are the things that you need to keep in mind while writing your college essay?

Here are a few steps that you need to keep in mind:

1. Start writing early

One of the most common mistakes that senior high school students make is putting off writing their college admission essays for the last minute. As soon as you determine what the college of your dreams is, you can already search for tips on how you should write an admission essay for that particular educational institution.

Make a rough draft as early as you can. Once you already have the specific requirements, you can polish your college admission essay.

2. Create an outline so that you know the order by which you can present your ideas.

Whether you have a flair for words or not, it would definitely be to your advantage if you create an outline for your college essay. First, learn about the requirements or list down the questions and base your outline on that. This will make it easier for you to present your ideas in a concise manner, without missing out on any major points which may just help you get into the college of your choice.

3. Think about what you should include in your college admission essay

Now, the most important part is answering the following question: what do I write in my college admission essay? The rule of thumb is to be as honest, fun and unique as possible. Leave the reader with something to remember you by.

4. Don’t turn your college essay into a retelling of your academic accomplishments – your records will show that

Instead, lean more towards the personal side of things. Tell the story about an accomplishment that you are proud of, reveal something unique that you are good at, let the reader in on what you are passionate about. Naturally, all of these facts about yourself should be presented in a unique way, using your own words and voice.

To sum it all up, your college admission essay will stand out only if you allow yourself to stand out. Make your opening or ending sentence dramatic, don't write in a boring manner, since your goal is to grab attention and stand out. Also, write as honestly as you can. Oh, and don't forget to proofread!

Making the Decision between Living On Campus or Off Campus

If you're a senior high school student who is already looking forward to leaving home and “living the college life”, you may want to consider the fact that there are dozens of details that you need to attend to.

Aside from choosing which college or university it is that you will attend, you also need to decide whether you will be living on campus or off campus, if you will be a full-time student or take on a part-time job and the list could go on and on.

We will be taking a look at one particular aspect of your college life that you need to seriously think about: whether you will be living on campus or off campus.

On Campus versus Off Campus Living: The Pros and Cons

Just as it is when making any decision, it would greatly help if you’d consider the pros and cons of each option that you have. Let's take this particular topic as an example. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living on and off campus? Take a look at the following list:

1. The pros and cons of living on campus.

When you ask anyone who has already gone through the rigors of college life, one of the most common pieces of advice that you will get is that you should experience on campus living during your first year in college.

It does make perfect sense, because by living on campus during your freshman year, you will get to experience everything that your college or university has to offer. You will get to discover what students do in the middle of the night – are most of them sound asleep, or do they take advantage of the no-parents environment? How about during exams week? Will you be able to get enough privacy within the campus to ensure that you will get the study time you need?

To sum it all up, the main benefit of living on campus is that you will get a stronger sense of what that campus is all about as a community of students. You will also be able to connect easily and much more quickly with other students by living on campus. Finally, there will be a shorter commute time and all of the facilities that you need within the campus will be much more accessible to you.

So what are the disadvantages of living on campus? Aside from the fact that you need to bear with having a roommate, you will also be constantly surrounded by students. Sharing your living facilities with other students is not always a great experience, especially when you’re extremely tired but can’t get some well-deserved sleep due to the fact that the music just won’t stop.

2. The pros and cons of living off campus.

Next, let us take a look at the pros and cons associated with living off campus. Depending on your budget, you have the option of having or not having a roommate. This setup will also allow you to have your own private space away from campus and it's usually less expensive than living on campus.

On the downside, the location of your off-campus apartment may not be ideal because of the longer commute. Also, you will not gain instant access to the school or university's learning facilities anytime you want to. Finally, security may be an issue because you won't be “covered” by the 24/7 security that students living within the campus have.

At the end of the day, making the decision as to whether you should live on or off campus is entirely up to you. If the pros of living within the campus far outweigh the cons, you should definitely go for the on campus living option. On the other hand, if you feel that you will learn more in a more private environment which is away from the noise of the campus, then an off-campus living option might be more suitable for you.

The Top 10 Things to Consider when Choosing a College

One of the most important decisions that you need to make prior to establishing a career for yourself is choosing which college to attend and what your major should be. Basically, the name of the college that you will attend will be some sort of 'brand' associated with you once you start looking for a job after graduation.

Make the Right Decision: The Top 10 Factors to Consider when Choosing a College

So what makes a college suitable for you as a student? Naturally, it will help you find a good job later on if you attended a college or university which is best known for that particular major, such as law, business, medicine or something related to arts. However, there are other factors that you should look into as well.

Take at look at the top 10 things that you need to consider when choosing the right college for you:

1. Which is the most convenient location for you?

Perhaps one of the first things that students usually consider when choosing a college is the location. How far away from home would you like to be? For the most part, students consider attending college to be their chance to live away from home and be on their own, in a sense, so they choose a college which is far away from home.

2. What is the size of college that you want to attend?

The physical size of the college, as well as the size of the student population, is another factor that you need to consider when choosing a college.

3. What type of college do you see yourself attending?

You can choose a college which is coed, pick one which focuses on a particular area, go to a research university, choose a public or private college and the list could go on and on: the possibilities are practically limitless!

4. What is the cost of attending the college?
You're lucky if your parents have been saving money for your college education. But if you want to help them out, choose a college which would not put a huge dent on the family's budget. Check out the academic or scholarship programs offered by the educational institution.

Naturally, it will be more expensive to attend a private college but you can still choose the private route if you can take advantage of a privately-funded scholarship.

5. How flexible are the requirements when it comes to majors?

If you don't have an idea as to what your major will be yet when you are a freshman, make sure that the college you will attend has flexible academic programs.

6. How many students enroll in the college per semester?

Did you go to a high school where there are a lot of students or a school where almost everybody knows each other? You may not necessarily enjoy the same environment in college, so by checking out the population of the college in question, you’ll know exactly what you’d be dealing with by choosing it.

Decide whether you want a smaller student population or if you want to lose yourself in the anonymity of a big college crowd. How about the college's athletics, activities and special programs?

7. Does your interests and skill level fit the courses offered by the college?

Check out the list of courses offered by the college. Do they have a lot of majors which are related to the field of study that you wish to pursue? What are the requirements that the college has for students like you?

8. Does the college offer a complete set of learning facilities?

Most campuses offer wi-fi access in certain areas so that you can do your research online. You should also check out facilities such as the library, the laboratories and the classrooms themselves.

9. How about the college's athletic programs?

If you have been playing a particular sport in high school or if you wish to be an athlete in college, you can check out the athletic programs and the scholarships offered by the college that you are interested in attending.

10. Do you feel safe and comfortable in the campus' learning environment?

Finally, it's never a bad idea to go with your instinct. If you feel that the campus' environment is fun, safe and comfortable, then go for it.

Always remember that you will be spending four years or so as a college student. As such, it should have an academic environment where your thirst to learn will be quenched.

But more importantly, it should be a college where you feel comfortable, so combine these 10 factors along with your gut instinct and you will be able to choose the best college for your needs as a student.

What Every Would-Be College Student Needs to Know

Perhaps one of the most stressful experiences that a would-be-college student goes through is filling out college application forms. Getting into the college of your choice is quite a challenge, especially considering the fact that you are in contention with other brilliant students from across the nation.

However, the good thing about it is that as long as you highlight your individuality as a student, you have a chance of grabbing a spot at a premier college or university. Most administrators prefer to have as varied a freshman population as possible, so everybody pretty much has equal chances of getting into the educational institution of their choice.

Factors Would-Be College Students Think Are Their Hooks

So while you are putting together your credentials for your college admissions, how exactly can you discover your 'hook'? Before diving deeper into that, let us first take a look at the typical things most senior high school students think they need in order to be admitted to a good college:

1. Excellent grades

Sure, you may have been a straight A student in high school, but someone who has a more interesting list of extracurricular activities with a mixture of A's and B's on his or her transcript may have a better chance of getting accepted than you.

Remember that it takes more than just being in the honor roll or taking hard classes for you to be accepted at the college of your choice. Think about all of the other students from across the nation who have the same set of grades that you have and who will be competing against you. What sets you apart from the pack? As a student, offer more than what your transcript of records indicates and you should be all set.

2. Perfect or almost perfect SAT/ACT scores

This is one of the most common mistakes that college students make. They think that just because they got a perfect or an almost-perfect score at the standardized tests, they can consider themselves accepted. This is not the case at all. Again, you are more than just your academic scores.

3. Recommendations, application essay and college interviews

Another mistake that most students make is thinking that getting glowing recommendations from outstanding personalities is the way to get to the college of their choice. Application essays and college interviews do count, but not as much as the real factors that will hook you to the college or university of your choice.

The Real Score: Tried-and-Tested College Admission Tips

So if it's not your SAT scores, your grades, your application essay or how you did at the college interview, what are the possible hooks that you can use to be admitted at the educational institution of your choice?

First, you can highlight the things you love doing. Think about that one advocacy, longtime hobby, part time job or accomplishment that you were so passionate about in high school.

Second, highlight your most outstanding personal accomplishments, such as being an accomplished cook or being a good leader. Talk about being in love with the place where you grew up, a vacation which has so far been the highlight of your life, your ethnic heritage, how good an athlete you are, how much your mom or your dad have been raving about the school or how you would like to follow in their footsteps by studying at the same college.

All in all, discovering your hook to getting into the college of your choice is all about pinpointing your interest, passion, a hobby or a personal experience which sets you apart from all the other college students – and proudly but matter-of-factly telling the admission committee about it in your college admissions application. To sum it all up in two words, your hook to getting into college should be your very own personal "wow factor".

The Importance of Campus Visits

You wouldn’t rent a house or an apartment without seeing it first, would you? The same thing applies when you are choosing a college. No matter how much your parents are urging you to go to a particular university or however solid the reputation of a college that you have your eyes on is, you still shouldn't make that final decision without paying the campus a visit first.

The Numerous Benefits of Campus Visits

So what exactly is so important about campus visits? What are the benefits that you will get to enjoy as a result of scheduling one for you and your parents or you and your friends?

First of all, you can make a fun yet valuable road trip out of your campus visit. If you are planning to attend the local college or the nearest university in your area, even the simple act of dropping by and checking it out would give you a feel of the campus environment.

Second, a campus visit will eliminate any surprises about the educational institution that you plan on attending. Sure, a college might look great in a brochure or a pamphlet but after visiting, you might not like the 'feel' of the campus at all.

Did you know that there are even horror stories of some students going by the reputation of the school alone and applying without paying the campus a visit? Once the student got accepted to a prestigious university, he found out later on that it was an all-male school – which he did not like at all. A simple campus visit would have solved this problem.

Tips to Remember when Planning a Campus Visit

Now that you already understand the importance of campus visits, here are a few tips that you need to keep in mind when scheduling one:

1. Come prepared.

Your campus visit will be of no use if you don’t come prepared. Prior to the day that you're supposed to pay the college campus a visit, make sure to read the literature provided for incoming students.

Bring your transcript of records, just in case you are able to schedule an interview with the admission officers. If you have any questions about the academic requirements or the athletic/academic scholarships that the college offers, write them down. This way, you will be able to make the most out of your visit.

2. Take note of your visit, and even snap a few pictures

Just as it is when you are purchasing a product, you are actually paying for the service provided by the school when you go to a college. So if you want to get the best value out of your or your parents' hard-earned money, make a comparison between the benefits and rates offered by each college that you will visit. Bring your camera along as well, taking a few photos and reviewing them later on definitely can’t hurt.

3. If possible, spend a night at the college

Talk to the students and spend the night at the residence hall if possible. This way, you will have a feel of how it is to actually study there and this should play a big role when making your decision.

4. Explore the campus on your own

There will probably be a guided tour but make sure to squeeze in the time to explore the campus on your own. Read the bulletin boards, call in to schedule a class visit or simply walk around so that you get the complete campus visit experience.

At the end of the day, keep in mind that you will be spending four years of your life at the college that you will be attending, so it is extremely important to schedule a campus visit before making your final decision. Don’t blindly rely on what others are saying, don’t let the reputation of the college trick you into thinking that it represents the best choice for absolutely everyone.

Think about it this way: life is all about making choices and being responsible for your actions. Choosing a college is one of the first tests you will be facing as an adult. Your friends, teachers and family members can indeed help you make an informed decision but you will be the person who ultimately has to invest 4 years in order to obtain a degree. Keep your mind open and try your best to make an informed decision. Don’t limit yourself to simply reading a brochure, be proactive and pay the potential college of your dreams a visit. Organize things carefully and do whatever you can in order to turn your visit into something extremely productive.

How to email your Professor?

So its 12:30 Pm and there you are at the computer trying to refresh the email inbox page. The big test is tomorrow and your Professor still hasn't replied back, but why? Contrary to popular belief, that your Professor wants you to fail, the problem could stem from the fact that your email never reached him/her. Hence, the purpose of this guide is to show students how to write an effective email to their Professors.

The From Field
Always use your University or College email address when sending an email to your professor. This not only assures the professor that you are indeed a student but also avoids your email from getting put in the spam box. Many Universities and Colleges now employ a system of only allowing emails to be received from certain domains anything else (hotmail, yahoo...etc) is either automatically put in the spam box or is forwarded to the Professor as a potential spam.
Example:
Astudent@university.edu

The To Field
This is the single most important field, if you mess up in here there you can kiss your email good bye. Avoid putting the Professor's name with the email (A Prof ), since not all emailing system can handle this format. It is always best to send your email to the Professor's University or College account, since that is the email account that your Professor checks, or should check, the most. And again before sending the email double check to verify that email address was typed correctly.
Example:
Aprof@universtiy.edu

The Subject Field
The subject field should be of the following format:

CollegeName-CourceCode-Title-Subject

CollegeName: Is the name of your post secondary institution (America Learning College, Boston University…etc). Yes I do realize that this may seem a bit redundant but it is important. Most Professors (Usually new Professors) teach at one or more Universities and Colleges at any given term, and the email from those institutions gets forwarded to one main address, usually their ISP email address. So to keep things organized its best to write the name of the College or University in the Subject Field.

CourseCode- Is the code name of the course (MTH140, CPS124, GEF345…etc). It's best to keep the letters Capital and no spaces between the number and letter.

Title: Over here you type in the title of your subject. (Test 1, Midterm, Exam, Assignment 5…etc)

Subject: Over here you type in what concern or problem you might have (Due Date Issue, Missed Test Issue, HW Problem #45…etc). Remember to keep it brief, no more then 5 words.

Example:
Boston College-MTH140-Assignment 4-HW Problem #45

The Text Body Field
Try to keep things simple, clean and to the point. By that I mean no 2 page emails or fancy fonts and color, remember your first priority is to convey your message not to show off your email editing skills. Start off with writing the Professors name (Prof C.Mcgill, Prof U.Stan…etc). Move on to the subject of your email, as a reminder restate the Course Code and Title Field (During the Monday's MTH140 class you stated for Assignment 4). The next line should state the problem or concern. Remember to provide details and avoid repetitions. Its best to end the email with a salutatory statement (Thank You, Yours Truly..etc) and use your name, student number and College or University name as signature.

Example:
Prof C. Mcgill,
During the Monday's MTH140 class you stated for Assignment 4 question #41 to use the second derivative theorem. However, I am having trouble as to how to find the delta X? In particular, during the situation when time is 3 seconds and delta Y is 0. Do we set delta Y to Ymin and solve from there?

Thank You
_________________
Any Student
#:0101010101
Boston University

Things to Keep In Mind
- Give a minimum of one weekday for Professors to reply back, before sending another email.
- Avoid sending multiple duplicate emails at any one given time.
- Try to send emails during weekdays and if possible during the Professors office hours.
- Try to be respectful and Professional (i.e. no offensive language, spell check…etc).
- Avoid taking out frustration by spamming the Professors email box.

Article By Arif