Can I afford these shoes? Can I take a trip for spring break? Should I go out to dinner with my friends? As a freshman in college, money is always on my mind. But don’t worry, there are many ways to make and save yourself money.

In order to make yourself feel better about buying things, I recommend getting yourself a job on campus. The little extra cash can be good for spending money or helping to pay for your tuition. It can definitely be hard to balance schoolwork and a job but I highly encourage it. Look into finding a job you are passionate about. Your job should be something you look forward to in between classes. Once you find a job, figure out the amount of hours that are good for you to work. You don’t want to work too many hours during the week because then you will not have time for homework and studying. 

I also suggest taking advantage of all the free opportunities that are on college campuses. Check out your school’s schedule that will provide you with dates and times of events. There may be a singer or comedy show presented at your school. Most events offer free food. You would be surprised! Doing things on campus can be great because you are getting the most out of your experience. After all, you paid to go the school! Take advantage of what is offered. If you want to leave campus, look into see if your school has a bus system that can bring you to local areas off campus. There might be a calendar of events for your local town with free things to do.

Another thing to look into is scholarships either offered online or through your school. There are many broad scholarships opened to all undergraduate students and scholarships that are offered for a specific major or minor you may be in. Utilize search engines of scholarships through Fastweb, Scholarships.com and College Board. If you can’t find much success online, consider going to your college’s office of financial planning where they can help you. They may be able to give you tips for programs through the school that offer you money. You just need to ask around school and dig deep because scholarships are not always easy to find. 

Now, if you want to shop there are so many ways to spend your money wisely. If you have a Target near your school sign up for Cartwheel rewards which gives you discounts on Target items. Also sign up for Unidays which offers student discounts from stores like Urban Outfitters to Levi’s jeans and so many more. It is a really great way to save you money. You may also want to consider looking into selling your clothes. There are great websites out there to help you such as Poshmark, Thredup and Ebay.

While you are in college try not to stress money. You will figure it out!

Start the college process early- The sooner you get it over with the sooner you can enjoy your senior year. The process can be long and tedious but worth it when you find and get into your dream school. 

Work on you resume- You will need to make a resume which will contain all of your activities and organizations you were involved in during high school. During the application process some schools will ask you for your resume and others won’t but you should submit it anyway. It is always better to go the extra mile. Also, if you don’t know how to start with a resume ask your guidance counselor or use online resources! 

Applying to schools- Make sure when you are applying for colleges that you consider safety schools and reach schools. It is always important to have a university to fall back on if your first choice does not work out. Make sure you utilize sites such as College Board to help you narrow down your searches. Consider the location, programs and clubs and organizations offered through the colleges. You want to make sure you look into all the opportunities that are offered. Also, enjoy the college process. It is an exciting time and you want to make it worth it!

Visiting colleges- I highly recommend visiting as many schools as you can because that is the only way you will get a feel if it is a university for you. You will learn information on guided tours that you wouldn’t have known otherwise. Also, make sure you contact your admissions counselor and they might be able to set up a visit where you can sit in on a class that you intend to major in. Another thing to do when visiting schools is walk around campus and ask students about reasons why they attend the school. This will give you a first hand feel of the institution. Another thing to do while visiting colleges is to try and visit when school is in session so you can see the campus in action.

Apply for scholarships- This is really important! There are so many scholarships offered in high schools that are directed towards seniors so there will be a better chance of you winning. You should also look into local town scholarships and national scholarships. Honestly, every little bit counts. You would be amazed. If you keep applying you are bound to win some. If you are struggling, the internet has so many helpful tips as well as there are so many books written to help people win scholarships.

Don’t believe everything you read or hear- This is a general rule of life but during the application process it is important to follow. Just because you heard one bad rumor or stereotype about the school it does not mean the school is bad. Keep an open mind.

Consider taking the ACT/ SAT again- If you have the chance to improve your scores take advantage of it! Improving your score by a few points or few hundred points could allow you to get a bigger scholarship at an institution.

1. Yogurt with blueberries and strawberries and granola

- Personally, I eat Chobani Vanilla Blended Non-Fat Greek Yogurt but plain is definitely so much more healthy. I also put some Kind Granola with toasted coconut and throw in some all natural almond.

2. Multigrain Cheerios and bananas sliced up with 1% milk

3. Whole wheat toast with almond butter and fruit sliced on top with a glass of orange juice

4. Avocado toast on whole wheat bread and a poached egg with a glass of orange juice

**** I suggest right after you wake up drink a big glass of water with lemon. As much as you don't want to it is good for your body.

For years it has been on my bucket list to wake up early and go to the Today Show to see someone preform. I put in for VIP tickets to see if I could get them for Dierks Bentley and low and behold I did. I had the option to bring a guest so I asked Sophia. We woke up at 3 am to take a 4;07 train. The train was surprisingly packed! Once we arrived at Penn we then walked to Rockefeller Center and waited on a VIP line. After an hour of chilling we got moved near the stage and we were really close. At around 6:30, Dierks came out and sang a little before the show aired which was a nice surprise. Then, after standing for sometime Dierks came out for the show along with the Today Show anchors. Matt Lauer has been my idol since day one. The night before Sophia made me a sign that said "when I grow up I want to be Matt Lauer." I held the sign up and he said to me "you already are grown up." What he said really made no sense but I don't care MATT LAUER TALKED TO ME! After the show, Sophia and I went to Central Park and took a nap! I will forever remember this day.