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Posts Tagged ‘College Students’

In difficult economic times, a college student’s parsimonious lifestyle can teach us how to cut back.

I was extremely careful with my money in college. I knew how much I could spend, how long the money had to last, and where my best investments were. This vigilance didn’t stem from an innate conservative disposition—like most students I would have blown every last penny within hours had I more money coming in—but rather from simple necessity. I was in school. I had expenses. But I could only work part time, and the money was not good. I was poor.

Even now, nearly 10 years on, I am still paying back my student loans. Except for a couple of rare instances, the knowledge that I have to watch my budget never left. Sure, I have a decent job that supports me. I am able to pay my bills. My student loans are difficult, but I try not to complain. I cannot save any money. I cannot travel. I cannot eat out every night. But I am staying afloat.

I suspect many people relate to my situation. The media covers this topic relentlessly. Every day I read articles about people losing their homes, jobs and savings. It’s depressing. But it’s prevalent. Only a select few remain unscathed by our struggling economy. For the rest of us, it’s time to buck up. Our country’s over-spending and over-indulgence has pushed us into a recession. The time has come to adopt a conservative mentality. Remember college. Remember planning a tight budget. Now use what you learned. It’s one of the most valuable skills you have.

Students today are worse off. They face a higher cost of living, fewer jobs, scant loan opportunities and heavier course loads. And when they do get out of college, the debt they inherit will far exceed the debt I faced only 10 years ago.

The Poughkeepsie Journal published an article about the situation. Here’s a sample:

A flagging economy, tight credit and rising tuition are teaching college students some hard lessons these days. And their reward for surviving until graduation? A lean job market and plenty of debt.

“We are in a daunting time – not only because of the financial crisis and the credit crunch, but also because state budgets are being pinched as well,” said Kim Anderson of Got Tuition?, a nonprofit group that advocates for college affordability. “One of the first places that gets cut when there’s a downturn is support for higher education.”

Tuition and fees for in-state students attending a public or private school rose slightly more than the 5.6 percent inflation rate this year, according to a new report from the College Board, which tracks higher-education expenses.

For in-state students at a four-year public university, those expenses will average $6,585 this academic year, according to the College Board. For out-of-state students, the average will be $17,452. The average bill for private colleges will total $25,143.

No denial can penetrate these facts. The forecast is grim. But from our struggles we grow. We find creative alternatives, spend our money wisely, and plan for the future.

Every city is the United States is facing these challenges. Some cities, like Atlanta, have a large number of colleges and universities. A large student body requires a large pool of apartments and real estate opportunities. Fortunately, there are numerous services and organizations in Atlanta. Apartment Finder is a good choice. They have listings for apartments all across the Atlanta metro area, as well as colleges, like Georgia Tech apartments.

For today’s students, it is important to have a stable, comfortable apartment in which to study, relax and entertain. College is tough. The economy is tougher. But if people use the monetary pluck of a college student, we might just get through this thing in one piece.

During their last few semesters of college, many students start considering their career options. It is no secret that networking can help you land a job much more quickly but many students don’t know how to go about making connections.

A college internship can be a great opportunity for you to make connections. If your boss is an influential member of your community, it would be extremely beneficial to get on their good side and show your capabilities. It is amazing the connections you can make in your community through just a few months at an internship college with some effort on your part. One way to show your capabilities to your boss can be done through your job performance at the college internship. When your boss asks for your opinion on something, speak up. Employers want to know that you are actively thinking about the job and how to improve and develop things. Voicing your opinion will show them you have confidence in your views and aren’t afraid to communicate in your workplace. There is a fine line to walk here though because it would not be professional to voice your opinion in a negative way or other way where you have no authority that could damage your relationship with your boss.

If you are hoping for a job offer after you complete the college internship, you should probably ask your boss what the chances of this are. Of course, a job offer is always dependent upon your job performance during the internship college but you should probably find out if there will be any full time openings available after your internship term is over. If your main reason for taking on an internship college is the hope of landing a full time job at the same company after your internship, you should be sure there will be openings available so you are not wasting your time.

If you don’t want to pursue a full time job at the same company as your college internship but are seeking a job elsewhere, it can be very beneficial to ask permission to use the boss from your internship as a reference. Before your internship is over, and if you are confident that your boss was satisfied with your job performance, ask their permission to list them as a reference for upcoming job opportunities. Employers that are happy with your job performance are usually more than willing to be references for future job opportunities. A positive reference can have a lot to do with your being hired for a new position, especially if your former boss is influential within your community.

Whether you are hoping to land a job at your internship company after your college internship has ended, or willing be looking for a career elsewhere, it is always beneficial to establish connections. Your internship employer can be a great ally in your job search, so find a way to get noticed and get on their good side to secure a positive reference from them after your internship has ended.

Parenting college students during their college years should include encouraging internships. The college years are a once-in-a-lifetime experience for emerging adults. Moms and Dads serve as good advisors when they encourage their students to seek out internships in fields of their interest.

College internships are generally summer employment opportunities that offer job exposure in a particular field of interest, giving college students an introduction to important people who may, in the future, become valuable contacts. It is important that parents remind their students that contacts have contacts. Every contact may know someone else who will be able to provide the student with subsequent employment opportunities.

Parents should stress the importance of having a job experience. Their student will gain experience while making valuable contacts through college internships. Job mentors can also provide references that will be needed when the student is seeking a job after graduation. Always be building your resume. Great advise to college students.

Parenting College Students – Assess the Profession

Maturing young adults learn about themselves and about life through out their college experience. Summer jobs provide the job exposure necessary to assess the profession of their choice. College internships can also be experiences through which students determine whether they enjoy a particular job experience sufficiently to make it a career.

A winning strategy for success suggests that college students should be encouraged to seek internships. This experience may open their eyes to experiences they otherwise would never have considered.

Parents should encourage their student to push through their discomfort and “Try it, you might like it.” Actually the student may be very surprised. When a student is being productive, the parent’s tendency to worry about binge drinking, late night partying, and other potentially harmful behaviors is reduced. Through the internship process young adults have an opportunity to develop both financial and time management skills. This is a real life experience that cannot be learned in a classroom.

Parenting College Students – Heartfelt Advice

Encouraging college students to have real life experiences puts them on the right path for life. The value of internships is a strategy for a lifetime of professional success. College internships can be an opportunity for students to have a foundation for their adult working careers.

Mentors familiarize the intern with the mechanics of a profession, and then they can help groom the young adults for success in their chosen field. The parents provide encouragement and support needed for adult children to perform at an optimum level. The best part of an internship is it can place a student in a favorable position for hire upon graduation.

Post graduation, a potential employer needs to know that a graduate has the potential to be a good employee. The employer needs to assess whether the graduate can be successful in a work environment. Can they get along with others? If there is no work history and no internship, the potential employer has nothing that tells them this applicant can come to work every day. A graduate with a 4.0 grade point average but no work history may lose out getting hired to a graduate with a 3.0 grade point average with a work/internship history.

Internships often turn into a major job success for graduates. Additionally, it decreases the anxiety that often accompanies the hunt for employment upon graduation. It is a “Win-Win” situation. The new graduate has immediate employment and the employer gets an employee that will quickly adapt to the work environment.

When students look for ways of gaining valuable experience while still in college, they often have trouble realizing the benefits an internship can have. With so many internships underutilizing their interns and limiting their development, students may begin to lose hope in ever finding a valuable way of gaining knowledge and experience that will help them in the real world. When a student does find an internship that works, however, the benefits can be tremendous and have lasting effects on the student’s career.

With a college internship behind them, students will feel more confident and ready to take on the challenges the real world will surely throw at them. Feeling confident in their abilities is half the battle when it comes to impressing potential employers and interviewers. This will ensure that students make good impressions on their interviews and have something of substance to talk about when they meet with employers. Employers will grow tired of hearing the same stories and same experiences from their applicants and will take pleasure in speaking with a student who has gone through a college internship and can tell stories and share experiences from it. This will allow the student to stand out and hopefully land the job they want.

With so many students entering the job market and looking to begin their careers through similar paths, the job market can be competitive and tough. Getting started is sometimes the hardest part of a career, so having a little extra help never hurts anybody looking to land the job they really want. With a college internship under their belt, students will be ready to take on the real world and make an immediate impact on the company they are hired by. Bosses will love to see the initiative of young employees when they make a difference almost right away. The acclimation period is often much shorter for students who have gone through an internship program and have some familiarity with the real world and the way the business world works. Understanding business relationships and the challenges the real world throws around will help students better adjust to their new lives.

Learning leadership is a big part of a college internship. Students that take job skills away from the experience will be better off than those that are limited to filing, data entry and getting coffee. While these internships may offer some level of introduction to office life, it does little to prepare students for the business world. These lame internships may not really teach students anything about the real world and does not give them much of an opportunity to develop job skills and learn the way business relationships are managed and maintained.

Students who understand these things and learn a bit of leadership in the process are better prepared for job interviews and the real world. Life can be challenging and managing their personal life with their professional life is a huge part of adjusting to this. With a college internship, students will be better prepared to handle these things.