It's Time to Go Back to School!
As we enter the middle of August, we must start to prepare for the fall season. The biggest change during this time is the beginning of school for most children across the country. School can be both exciting and scary, but it is not inexpensive. As we approach the new school season keep a few things in mind to make sure we get the most bang for our buck and ensure education remains money well spent.
Knowing What is Needed
Most families do back to school shopping; however some do it better than others. How much money do we waste every fall on things we want and don’t really need? It is important to treat ourselves to some luxury products from time to time but it is important that we get the essentials first. The best way to ensure we get everything we need in the budget we have is to plan. Spend some time making a list of what we need and what we would like to have. Make sure to arrange the list in a way where the essentials are at the top and are the first items purchased. Required books and supplies such as pencils and note books should take priority over the latest trends in fashion and book bags. Once a list is made, make a budget and do your shopping. When all the necessities are purchased you can see how much money is left over for the things we want.
Getting the Best Price
No one likes to over pay for anything, but many of us do every day. There is an easy way to avoid making this mistake, do research. Part of going to school is using libraries and other resources to solve a problem. Why not practice these skills early and research the items on our shopping list to ensure we receive the best prices. As stated above, having a list is important but how we use this list is equally as important. Do not just go to the local book store and buy the required reading, use the internet and see if there are more affordable options. There are tons of websites that sell used books for a discount and that is only one way to save some money. Looking at advertisements from multiple retailers, both online and brick and mortar stores, will allow us to see when items go on sale and might also help us find coupons to save money. So do not just go to the store randomly, do your homework and save some cash.
Investigate What we Already Have
During the course of the previous school year did we use all of our existing binders, how much paper is really left in them? Many of us have taken classes that don’t require as much writing as we thought and as a result most of us have binders that can be used again. If your spiral notebook is less than half used why not use it for another class? It is easy to create a divider in the binder. This works well especially for continuation courses such as math classes. By using the same binder for a college math class you might have information you need in the binder already. Many classes build on previous courses and using the same binder allows us to have all our reference materials in one place. In addition, do we really need completely new pens and pencils every year? Most of us already have the writing and drawing tools we need, we just don’t realize it. So take inventory of what we have prior to shopping. We can end up saving a lot of money by not purchasing things we do not need.
Using a Library
This is the hardest way to successfully save money during the school year because a library does not own enough books for everyone. However, libraries can be very useful to complete summer reading courses. This one is hard to do at the last minute but anytime a teacher assigns a book for summer reading check your local library. Most of the time teachers will not require you to bring the book to class but they do require you to read it. So make sure to check if a copy is available to borrow prior to buying. In addition many libraries now offer digital borrowing through applications such as Libby by Overdrive. An application such as this allows you to borrow digital copies of certain books using your library card. This is depend on your local library using the program and owning a digital copy of the book; however, you have nothing to lose by checking. So spend a few minutes, once again, and do your research to see if you can save money by not having to purchase a book you can borrow.
Take the Right Classes
Did you know that most colleges and universities make the majority of their money from first and second year students? Early classes are typically large lecture halls with a high number of students attending. It cost most large universities more money to conduct smaller classes for specific degrees later on in a student’s collegiate career. So it is extremely important that you do not pay for classes you do not need early on, only the school benefits from that. Make sure you meet with a counselor and have a plan on what you want to get out of your education. Pick courses that are required and will be helpful to obtaining the degree you want. One of the worst things new students do is take courses that won’t be relevant to their major later. If you are unsure what your final degree will be in start by taking the mandatory core classes that are required for any degree. This way you do not waste money paying for math classes or English classes that are not needed. Finally make sure you are confident in your course work load. Dropping a class mid-term will result in a mark on your student record and will cost you money because odds are you paid for the course already.
Enjoy your Time
Most adults long to be young again and look back on their time at school fondly. Do not waste the time you have at school. Whether it be grade school or college these are years that will impact our lives forever. Do not waste them by trying to get through school too fast. Take the time to cherish the moment but remember there is a purpose. What we do in school will follow us through life. Make sure to learn everything you can and get the experience you need to put yourself in a position to be successful later on in life. Play a sport and make some friends. The friends you meet will be important and many will be your friends for a long time. Help each other, teach each other, respect each other, and value each other. Do things together and remember who was there when you needed help. School is the foundation of our lives, enjoy it while it lasts and make memories you will carry with you for the rest of your life.