There’s a funny feeling we all get towards the end of the summer break: that little sickly ache somewhere inside because we know this period of freedom is about to come to an end. We probably first got it at age five, when suddenly we were being given things we didn’t really want: school clothes, crayons, pencils, books. Nice, practical items that we didn’t want because of what they represented.
That feeling never dies; it’s always lurking somewhere, but in our college years we can use it to make the future better. With the new, more mature attitude we have developed, such things must and can be dealt with. So how can you stay grounded during back-to-school season? Maybe grounded isn’t the best word, with its teenage connotations of restricted freedom for perceived misdemeanors, but in the modern adult sense, being grounded means keeping in touch with reality.
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance
The five p’s will apply for the rest of your life, as well as offer solutions during a financial emergency, so let’s look at the idea now. Are you going to turn up at college underprepared and destined to struggle while the other students sail through the year because they’re given themselves an advantage? That’s a sucker’s attitude. As much as it goes against the grain to even think about school when there is fun to be had, allowing your brain to be briefly soiled by practical considerations is a lot better than getting drenched when the deluge hits the fan.
Sorting Out Finances
You may be the child of a billionaire, but probably not. In that case, if you’re from the general population for whom money is an issue, funding your college years requires borrowing against your glittering future. It may be your first ever conversation about financing, but such interaction is necessary if you’re going to get to college at all. You’ve got the brain, now get the support, the fuel that’s going to power your journey.
Education financing are a fact of life for millions, and it all starts with reviewing Earnest student loans to sort out tuition payments. Establishing a good relationship with lenders can be key to establishing a sound path through life. The loan doesn’t have to be repaid until you’re out the other end, with a certificate and a photograph on your Mom’s mantel and a job under your belt. It comes to us all, so go with the flow and make it happen.
Buying Tools of Your Trade
You’re not going to need crayons and a pencil case, but you are going to need some books, and a laptop that’s up to the job. Of course, a phone that can help with both work and play, and that’s not to mention big bottles of shower gel and shampoo. Kitchen utensils? Maybe, depending on where you’re going to be living, and that brings us to budgeting.
Budgeting
You are hereby appointed Secretary of the Treasury, responsible for keeping your little ramshackle household going with food and drink and all the other glamorous requirements, right down to toilet paper. You can’t spend all your money right away because what happens next week, next month and next semester must be taken into account. So, work it out, get some figures that add up and stick to them.
Having Fun
You’re the world’s leading expert on this: no one knows how to make you happy like you do (maybe not, in fact, but that’s another story). Starting college means making friends; that is vitally important and consider this: everyone is in the same boat, so don’t be shy about talking to people. Join clubs and societies so you meet like-minded people. You can check these things out in advance on the college website and social media pages.
You can probably also see what bands are booked for the coming months, and this is the time you can go see anyone you like and get home whatever time you get home. The only repercussions are with yourself and your academic performance, which you may find is impaired if you don’t get a little sleep now and then. Seriously, you are also officially Secretary of Health as well as Entertainment.
