Image
File
ou made it out of high school and out of Mom and
Y Dad’s house. You made it into college. You even
have your own money from loans and your summer
Job. You are now an adult. Sort of.
Managing all the aspects of student life, especially on
your own, can be an overwhelming task. Couple that with
the pressure of having to make your own financial decisions
and you may just decide to pack it all up and head back to
Mom and Dads basement suite.
The first taste of freedom and the responsibility of
managing your own money can be exciting, frightening and
dizzying. For some, knowing that you are now responsible
for buying everything that you need can be a stressful
experience. For others, thinking that you can now spend
your Own money on anything you want may lead to a
spending frenzy, followed by amnesiac wonderings halfway
through the semester, “Where did all my money go? I was
sure I still had enough to pay tuition
before the deadline!”
Before you whip your wallet out to
pay for a round of Legendary Burgers
or call your mommy to pick you up
from this horrible, horrible place called
growing up, reduce the stress of handling
your own finances or calm your debit-card-trigger-happy
finger down by learning some basic money management
techniques.
Create a budget
What a filthy word. “Budget,” you’re thinking, “Yeah,
right. You mean restrictions.” Not always. Creating a
budget allows for controlled spending and can serve as a
tool to recognize your spending habits. One of the benefits
of creating a budget is starting the habit of being more
conscientious about where your money is going. The silver
lining is that as long as an expenditure is budgeted for and
the amount budgeted is as close to reality as possible and
you stick to that amount then the starving student image
may just dissolve into an urban myth. And here’s the silver
lining on the cloud of controlled spending: you can actually
have a budget category for fun!
Budgeting doesn’t have to be tricky, it just requires
a little basic math and an honest look at your spending
habits. If you’re used to having your parents or someone
else take care of your spending, there are plenty of tools
and resources available to help you with your budgeting
decisions. Here are just some websites available to students
to help with the basics of budgeting starting with our own
Douglas College Financial Aid site:
* — http://www.douglas.be.ca/services/financial-aid/
budget.html
¢ — http://www.cibe.com/ca/education/articles/
student-budget-calc.html
° _ http://students.sfu.ca/financialaid/budget.html
¢ — http://www.canlearn.ca
Be honest about your income and expenses
Once you receive your student loan, tally up the amount
plus any other monies you have available to you and divide
that by the number of months until the end of the academic
term. Add up your fixed expenses such as rent, telephone,
hydro, transit pass or car insurance, costs that have to
be paid every month and your variable expenses such as
groceries, gas, entertainment and clothing.
There’s no shame in listing all your expenses, big or
small. If you want to have a category for junk food, list
that too. Your budget is unique to you and can be tailored
to fit anytime it needs adjusting. When you have all your
numbers assigned to each category, take your total income
and subtract your expenses.
If you find that your income exceeds your total
expenses, breathe a sigh of relief. If you find that your
expenses exceed your total income or just come up even,
then you may want to consider cutting out certain categories
from your expenses column. It’s a matter of prioritizing.
Is paying rent more important than a new pair of Uggs
or a night out at the bar? This one’s easy: yes. Is a transit
pass more cost effective than keeping your car insured and
gassed up? Maybe. Do the math. Do you really need $500
towards entertainment or can you find some free alternatives
“Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for discounts at too
many retail stores to mention, restaurants and entertainment venues.”
to have fun? I hear going to class can be entertaining.
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Being able to discern needs
from wants is an incredible demonstration of maturity.
It may also be a good idea to carry around a little
notebook to keep track of your spending. At the end of each
week, tally up your purchases in each category. This can
help you adjust your budget by allowing you to see what
your money is being spent on the most.
Pay yourself first
If you find that even after re-adjusting your expenses
column you still can’t break even, you may have to get
yourself a part-time job. But when you do, and before you
spend your whole paycheque away, put at least 10 per cent
of your paycheque into a savings account. If you can’t
spare the 10 per cent, then try five per cent. The amount
isn’t the point. The point is to establish the habit of saving,
just in case you don’t already do so. Paying yourself first
means saving a little for yourself— whether it’s allocated for
emergencies or you want to have a purchase goal in mind,
like a new computer, before everyone else gets a little piece
of your pie.
Check out www.workopoliscampus.com for job
listings around Douglas College or www.jobshark.ca for
listings in and around Vancouver.
To open a transaction-fee free chequing and savings
account, visit ING Direct at www.ingdirect.ca or PC
Financial at www.pcfinancial.ca
Credit where credit is due
You’re strolling through the concourse during Welcome
Week and a bright blue banner beckons to you. A smartly
dressed young man and his smartly dressed young lady
companion smile and push a credit card application toward
you and offer you an alarm clock as a free gift if you apply
for their card. Don’t.
You are a student. You are already starting with a
negative account balance. And if you don’t even have a part
(P auite
time job, how do you intend to pay off your credit card bill?
With some interest rates on student cards reaching as high
as 19.5 per cent, even a $500 maxed-out balance on your
card at a monthly minimum payment rate of two per cent of
the balance would take you 104 months to repay and cost
you $538.50 in interest. That’s right. You would pay your
balance twice. If you really want to buy something, save
for it and pay for it with cash. No debt, less impact on your
financial future and more sleep. Those things are worth
more than any credit card could offer.
Academia
One of the surest ways to waste your money is through
poor course planning. There’s nothing worse than taking
a course, paying for it and then finding out that a) it isn’t
a University Transfer course, b) the science course you
took is actually considered a social science, or c) it doesn’t
fill any prerequisites at all. Make an
appointment to see an academic advisor
to work together on a road map for your
academic goals. Visit http://www.douglas.
be.ca/registrar/advising html to find out
more.
Another way to definitely blow
money away, as well as making a dent in your academic
record, is to skip class. You’ve paid for the course, you ve
bought your textbooks, but three classes into it you make
some new friends and they would rather hang out in the
concourse, go shopping or make out than go to class. Don’t.
It’s better to drop the class than skipping it altogether,
ending up with a tarnished record and a damaged GPA. A
lighter academic load or even part-time student status is
better than academic probation any day.
Cutting corners
Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for
discounts at too many retail stores to mention, restaurants
and entertainment venues. Combining your ID with a
Student Price Card (bought on-line or at Shoppers Drug
Mart) or a Student Saver card courtesy of the Douglas
Students Union increases your discounting power. Start
here:
¢ — http://www.specard.ca
* — http://www.cfs-fcee.ca
Or visit the Douglas Student Union office for more
information on Student Saver and ISIC cards.
College life can be an amazing experience for some.
In order to make the most of your college years and to
make the most of your precious student dollars, learning
how to manage your money efficiently is one of the keys to
success.
Edited Text
ou made it out of high school and out of Mom and
Y Dad’s house. You made it into college. You even
have your own money from loans and your summer
Job. You are now an adult. Sort of.
Managing all the aspects of student life, especially on
your own, can be an overwhelming task. Couple that with
the pressure of having to make your own financial decisions
and you may just decide to pack it all up and head back to
Mom and Dads basement suite.
The first taste of freedom and the responsibility of
managing your own money can be exciting, frightening and
dizzying. For some, knowing that you are now responsible
for buying everything that you need can be a stressful
experience. For others, thinking that you can now spend
your Own money on anything you want may lead to a
spending frenzy, followed by amnesiac wonderings halfway
through the semester, “Where did all my money go? I was
sure I still had enough to pay tuition
before the deadline!”
Before you whip your wallet out to
pay for a round of Legendary Burgers
or call your mommy to pick you up
from this horrible, horrible place called
growing up, reduce the stress of handling
your own finances or calm your debit-card-trigger-happy
finger down by learning some basic money management
techniques.
Create a budget
What a filthy word. “Budget,” you’re thinking, “Yeah,
right. You mean restrictions.” Not always. Creating a
budget allows for controlled spending and can serve as a
tool to recognize your spending habits. One of the benefits
of creating a budget is starting the habit of being more
conscientious about where your money is going. The silver
lining is that as long as an expenditure is budgeted for and
the amount budgeted is as close to reality as possible and
you stick to that amount then the starving student image
may just dissolve into an urban myth. And here’s the silver
lining on the cloud of controlled spending: you can actually
have a budget category for fun!
Budgeting doesn’t have to be tricky, it just requires
a little basic math and an honest look at your spending
habits. If you’re used to having your parents or someone
else take care of your spending, there are plenty of tools
and resources available to help you with your budgeting
decisions. Here are just some websites available to students
to help with the basics of budgeting starting with our own
Douglas College Financial Aid site:
* — http://www.douglas.be.ca/services/financial-aid/
budget.html
¢ — http://www.cibe.com/ca/education/articles/
student-budget-calc.html
° _ http://students.sfu.ca/financialaid/budget.html
¢ — http://www.canlearn.ca
Be honest about your income and expenses
Once you receive your student loan, tally up the amount
plus any other monies you have available to you and divide
that by the number of months until the end of the academic
term. Add up your fixed expenses such as rent, telephone,
hydro, transit pass or car insurance, costs that have to
be paid every month and your variable expenses such as
groceries, gas, entertainment and clothing.
There’s no shame in listing all your expenses, big or
small. If you want to have a category for junk food, list
that too. Your budget is unique to you and can be tailored
to fit anytime it needs adjusting. When you have all your
numbers assigned to each category, take your total income
and subtract your expenses.
If you find that your income exceeds your total
expenses, breathe a sigh of relief. If you find that your
expenses exceed your total income or just come up even,
then you may want to consider cutting out certain categories
from your expenses column. It’s a matter of prioritizing.
Is paying rent more important than a new pair of Uggs
or a night out at the bar? This one’s easy: yes. Is a transit
pass more cost effective than keeping your car insured and
gassed up? Maybe. Do the math. Do you really need $500
towards entertainment or can you find some free alternatives
“Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for discounts at too
many retail stores to mention, restaurants and entertainment venues.”
to have fun? I hear going to class can be entertaining.
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Being able to discern needs
from wants is an incredible demonstration of maturity.
It may also be a good idea to carry around a little
notebook to keep track of your spending. At the end of each
week, tally up your purchases in each category. This can
help you adjust your budget by allowing you to see what
your money is being spent on the most.
Pay yourself first
If you find that even after re-adjusting your expenses
column you still can’t break even, you may have to get
yourself a part-time job. But when you do, and before you
spend your whole paycheque away, put at least 10 per cent
of your paycheque into a savings account. If you can’t
spare the 10 per cent, then try five per cent. The amount
isn’t the point. The point is to establish the habit of saving,
just in case you don’t already do so. Paying yourself first
means saving a little for yourself— whether it’s allocated for
emergencies or you want to have a purchase goal in mind,
like a new computer, before everyone else gets a little piece
of your pie.
Check out www.workopoliscampus.com for job
listings around Douglas College or www.jobshark.ca for
listings in and around Vancouver.
To open a transaction-fee free chequing and savings
account, visit ING Direct at www.ingdirect.ca or PC
Financial at www.pcfinancial.ca
Credit where credit is due
You’re strolling through the concourse during Welcome
Week and a bright blue banner beckons to you. A smartly
dressed young man and his smartly dressed young lady
companion smile and push a credit card application toward
you and offer you an alarm clock as a free gift if you apply
for their card. Don’t.
You are a student. You are already starting with a
negative account balance. And if you don’t even have a part
(P auite
time job, how do you intend to pay off your credit card bill?
With some interest rates on student cards reaching as high
as 19.5 per cent, even a $500 maxed-out balance on your
card at a monthly minimum payment rate of two per cent of
the balance would take you 104 months to repay and cost
you $538.50 in interest. That’s right. You would pay your
balance twice. If you really want to buy something, save
for it and pay for it with cash. No debt, less impact on your
financial future and more sleep. Those things are worth
more than any credit card could offer.
Academia
One of the surest ways to waste your money is through
poor course planning. There’s nothing worse than taking
a course, paying for it and then finding out that a) it isn’t
a University Transfer course, b) the science course you
took is actually considered a social science, or c) it doesn’t
fill any prerequisites at all. Make an
appointment to see an academic advisor
to work together on a road map for your
academic goals. Visit http://www.douglas.
be.ca/registrar/advising html to find out
more.
Another way to definitely blow
money away, as well as making a dent in your academic
record, is to skip class. You’ve paid for the course, you ve
bought your textbooks, but three classes into it you make
some new friends and they would rather hang out in the
concourse, go shopping or make out than go to class. Don’t.
It’s better to drop the class than skipping it altogether,
ending up with a tarnished record and a damaged GPA. A
lighter academic load or even part-time student status is
better than academic probation any day.
Cutting corners
Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for
discounts at too many retail stores to mention, restaurants
and entertainment venues. Combining your ID with a
Student Price Card (bought on-line or at Shoppers Drug
Mart) or a Student Saver card courtesy of the Douglas
Students Union increases your discounting power. Start
here:
¢ — http://www.specard.ca
* — http://www.cfs-fcee.ca
Or visit the Douglas Student Union office for more
information on Student Saver and ISIC cards.
College life can be an amazing experience for some.
In order to make the most of your college years and to
make the most of your precious student dollars, learning
how to manage your money efficiently is one of the keys to
success.
ou made it out of high school and out of Mom and
Y Dad’s house. You made it into college. You even
have your own money from loans and your summer
Job. You are now an adult. Sort of.
Managing all the aspects of student life, especially on
your own, can be an overwhelming task. Couple that with
the pressure of having to make your own financial decisions
and you may just decide to pack it all up and head back to
Mom and Dads basement suite.
The first taste of freedom and the responsibility of
managing your own money can be exciting, frightening and
dizzying. For some, knowing that you are now responsible
for buying everything that you need can be a stressful
experience. For others, thinking that you can now spend
your Own money on anything you want may lead to a
spending frenzy, followed by amnesiac wonderings halfway
through the semester, “Where did all my money go? I was
sure I still had enough to pay tuition
before the deadline!”
Before you whip your wallet out to
pay for a round of Legendary Burgers
or call your mommy to pick you up
from this horrible, horrible place called
growing up, reduce the stress of handling
your own finances or calm your debit-card-trigger-happy
finger down by learning some basic money management
techniques.
Create a budget
What a filthy word. “Budget,” you’re thinking, “Yeah,
right. You mean restrictions.” Not always. Creating a
budget allows for controlled spending and can serve as a
tool to recognize your spending habits. One of the benefits
of creating a budget is starting the habit of being more
conscientious about where your money is going. The silver
lining is that as long as an expenditure is budgeted for and
the amount budgeted is as close to reality as possible and
you stick to that amount then the starving student image
may just dissolve into an urban myth. And here’s the silver
lining on the cloud of controlled spending: you can actually
have a budget category for fun!
Budgeting doesn’t have to be tricky, it just requires
a little basic math and an honest look at your spending
habits. If you’re used to having your parents or someone
else take care of your spending, there are plenty of tools
and resources available to help you with your budgeting
decisions. Here are just some websites available to students
to help with the basics of budgeting starting with our own
Douglas College Financial Aid site:
* — http://www.douglas.be.ca/services/financial-aid/
budget.html
¢ — http://www.cibe.com/ca/education/articles/
student-budget-calc.html
° _ http://students.sfu.ca/financialaid/budget.html
¢ — http://www.canlearn.ca
Be honest about your income and expenses
Once you receive your student loan, tally up the amount
plus any other monies you have available to you and divide
that by the number of months until the end of the academic
term. Add up your fixed expenses such as rent, telephone,
hydro, transit pass or car insurance, costs that have to
be paid every month and your variable expenses such as
groceries, gas, entertainment and clothing.
There’s no shame in listing all your expenses, big or
small. If you want to have a category for junk food, list
that too. Your budget is unique to you and can be tailored
to fit anytime it needs adjusting. When you have all your
numbers assigned to each category, take your total income
and subtract your expenses.
If you find that your income exceeds your total
expenses, breathe a sigh of relief. If you find that your
expenses exceed your total income or just come up even,
then you may want to consider cutting out certain categories
from your expenses column. It’s a matter of prioritizing.
Is paying rent more important than a new pair of Uggs
or a night out at the bar? This one’s easy: yes. Is a transit
pass more cost effective than keeping your car insured and
gassed up? Maybe. Do the math. Do you really need $500
towards entertainment or can you find some free alternatives
“Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for discounts at too
many retail stores to mention, restaurants and entertainment venues.”
to have fun? I hear going to class can be entertaining.
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Being able to discern needs
from wants is an incredible demonstration of maturity.
It may also be a good idea to carry around a little
notebook to keep track of your spending. At the end of each
week, tally up your purchases in each category. This can
help you adjust your budget by allowing you to see what
your money is being spent on the most.
Pay yourself first
If you find that even after re-adjusting your expenses
column you still can’t break even, you may have to get
yourself a part-time job. But when you do, and before you
spend your whole paycheque away, put at least 10 per cent
of your paycheque into a savings account. If you can’t
spare the 10 per cent, then try five per cent. The amount
isn’t the point. The point is to establish the habit of saving,
just in case you don’t already do so. Paying yourself first
means saving a little for yourself— whether it’s allocated for
emergencies or you want to have a purchase goal in mind,
like a new computer, before everyone else gets a little piece
of your pie.
Check out www.workopoliscampus.com for job
listings around Douglas College or www.jobshark.ca for
listings in and around Vancouver.
To open a transaction-fee free chequing and savings
account, visit ING Direct at www.ingdirect.ca or PC
Financial at www.pcfinancial.ca
Credit where credit is due
You’re strolling through the concourse during Welcome
Week and a bright blue banner beckons to you. A smartly
dressed young man and his smartly dressed young lady
companion smile and push a credit card application toward
you and offer you an alarm clock as a free gift if you apply
for their card. Don’t.
You are a student. You are already starting with a
negative account balance. And if you don’t even have a part
(P auite
time job, how do you intend to pay off your credit card bill?
With some interest rates on student cards reaching as high
as 19.5 per cent, even a $500 maxed-out balance on your
card at a monthly minimum payment rate of two per cent of
the balance would take you 104 months to repay and cost
you $538.50 in interest. That’s right. You would pay your
balance twice. If you really want to buy something, save
for it and pay for it with cash. No debt, less impact on your
financial future and more sleep. Those things are worth
more than any credit card could offer.
Academia
One of the surest ways to waste your money is through
poor course planning. There’s nothing worse than taking
a course, paying for it and then finding out that a) it isn’t
a University Transfer course, b) the science course you
took is actually considered a social science, or c) it doesn’t
fill any prerequisites at all. Make an
appointment to see an academic advisor
to work together on a road map for your
academic goals. Visit http://www.douglas.
be.ca/registrar/advising html to find out
more.
Another way to definitely blow
money away, as well as making a dent in your academic
record, is to skip class. You’ve paid for the course, you ve
bought your textbooks, but three classes into it you make
some new friends and they would rather hang out in the
concourse, go shopping or make out than go to class. Don’t.
It’s better to drop the class than skipping it altogether,
ending up with a tarnished record and a damaged GPA. A
lighter academic load or even part-time student status is
better than academic probation any day.
Cutting corners
Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for
discounts at too many retail stores to mention, restaurants
and entertainment venues. Combining your ID with a
Student Price Card (bought on-line or at Shoppers Drug
Mart) or a Student Saver card courtesy of the Douglas
Students Union increases your discounting power. Start
here:
¢ — http://www.specard.ca
* — http://www.cfs-fcee.ca
Or visit the Douglas Student Union office for more
information on Student Saver and ISIC cards.
College life can be an amazing experience for some.
In order to make the most of your college years and to
make the most of your precious student dollars, learning
how to manage your money efficiently is one of the keys to
success.
ou made it out of high school and out of Mom and
Y Dad’s house. You made it into college. You even
have your own money from loans and your summer
Job. You are now an adult. Sort of.
Managing all the aspects of student life, especially on
your own, can be an overwhelming task. Couple that with
the pressure of having to make your own financial decisions
and you may just decide to pack it all up and head back to
Mom and Dads basement suite.
The first taste of freedom and the responsibility of
managing your own money can be exciting, frightening and
dizzying. For some, knowing that you are now responsible
for buying everything that you need can be a stressful
experience. For others, thinking that you can now spend
your Own money on anything you want may lead to a
spending frenzy, followed by amnesiac wonderings halfway
through the semester, “Where did all my money go? I was
sure I still had enough to pay tuition
before the deadline!”
Before you whip your wallet out to
pay for a round of Legendary Burgers
or call your mommy to pick you up
from this horrible, horrible place called
growing up, reduce the stress of handling
your own finances or calm your debit-card-trigger-happy
finger down by learning some basic money management
techniques.
Create a budget
What a filthy word. “Budget,” you’re thinking, “Yeah,
right. You mean restrictions.” Not always. Creating a
budget allows for controlled spending and can serve as a
tool to recognize your spending habits. One of the benefits
of creating a budget is starting the habit of being more
conscientious about where your money is going. The silver
lining is that as long as an expenditure is budgeted for and
the amount budgeted is as close to reality as possible and
you stick to that amount then the starving student image
may just dissolve into an urban myth. And here’s the silver
lining on the cloud of controlled spending: you can actually
have a budget category for fun!
Budgeting doesn’t have to be tricky, it just requires
a little basic math and an honest look at your spending
habits. If you’re used to having your parents or someone
else take care of your spending, there are plenty of tools
and resources available to help you with your budgeting
decisions. Here are just some websites available to students
to help with the basics of budgeting starting with our own
Douglas College Financial Aid site:
* — http://www.douglas.be.ca/services/financial-aid/
budget.html
¢ — http://www.cibe.com/ca/education/articles/
student-budget-calc.html
° _ http://students.sfu.ca/financialaid/budget.html
¢ — http://www.canlearn.ca
Be honest about your income and expenses
Once you receive your student loan, tally up the amount
plus any other monies you have available to you and divide
that by the number of months until the end of the academic
term. Add up your fixed expenses such as rent, telephone,
hydro, transit pass or car insurance, costs that have to
be paid every month and your variable expenses such as
groceries, gas, entertainment and clothing.
There’s no shame in listing all your expenses, big or
small. If you want to have a category for junk food, list
that too. Your budget is unique to you and can be tailored
to fit anytime it needs adjusting. When you have all your
numbers assigned to each category, take your total income
and subtract your expenses.
If you find that your income exceeds your total
expenses, breathe a sigh of relief. If you find that your
expenses exceed your total income or just come up even,
then you may want to consider cutting out certain categories
from your expenses column. It’s a matter of prioritizing.
Is paying rent more important than a new pair of Uggs
or a night out at the bar? This one’s easy: yes. Is a transit
pass more cost effective than keeping your car insured and
gassed up? Maybe. Do the math. Do you really need $500
towards entertainment or can you find some free alternatives
“Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for discounts at too
many retail stores to mention, restaurants and entertainment venues.”
to have fun? I hear going to class can be entertaining.
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Being able to discern needs
from wants is an incredible demonstration of maturity.
It may also be a good idea to carry around a little
notebook to keep track of your spending. At the end of each
week, tally up your purchases in each category. This can
help you adjust your budget by allowing you to see what
your money is being spent on the most.
Pay yourself first
If you find that even after re-adjusting your expenses
column you still can’t break even, you may have to get
yourself a part-time job. But when you do, and before you
spend your whole paycheque away, put at least 10 per cent
of your paycheque into a savings account. If you can’t
spare the 10 per cent, then try five per cent. The amount
isn’t the point. The point is to establish the habit of saving,
just in case you don’t already do so. Paying yourself first
means saving a little for yourself— whether it’s allocated for
emergencies or you want to have a purchase goal in mind,
like a new computer, before everyone else gets a little piece
of your pie.
Check out www.workopoliscampus.com for job
listings around Douglas College or www.jobshark.ca for
listings in and around Vancouver.
To open a transaction-fee free chequing and savings
account, visit ING Direct at www.ingdirect.ca or PC
Financial at www.pcfinancial.ca
Credit where credit is due
You’re strolling through the concourse during Welcome
Week and a bright blue banner beckons to you. A smartly
dressed young man and his smartly dressed young lady
companion smile and push a credit card application toward
you and offer you an alarm clock as a free gift if you apply
for their card. Don’t.
You are a student. You are already starting with a
negative account balance. And if you don’t even have a part
(P auite
time job, how do you intend to pay off your credit card bill?
With some interest rates on student cards reaching as high
as 19.5 per cent, even a $500 maxed-out balance on your
card at a monthly minimum payment rate of two per cent of
the balance would take you 104 months to repay and cost
you $538.50 in interest. That’s right. You would pay your
balance twice. If you really want to buy something, save
for it and pay for it with cash. No debt, less impact on your
financial future and more sleep. Those things are worth
more than any credit card could offer.
Academia
One of the surest ways to waste your money is through
poor course planning. There’s nothing worse than taking
a course, paying for it and then finding out that a) it isn’t
a University Transfer course, b) the science course you
took is actually considered a social science, or c) it doesn’t
fill any prerequisites at all. Make an
appointment to see an academic advisor
to work together on a road map for your
academic goals. Visit http://www.douglas.
be.ca/registrar/advising html to find out
more.
Another way to definitely blow
money away, as well as making a dent in your academic
record, is to skip class. You’ve paid for the course, you ve
bought your textbooks, but three classes into it you make
some new friends and they would rather hang out in the
concourse, go shopping or make out than go to class. Don’t.
It’s better to drop the class than skipping it altogether,
ending up with a tarnished record and a damaged GPA. A
lighter academic load or even part-time student status is
better than academic probation any day.
Cutting corners
Just by flashing your student ID, you can be eligible for
discounts at too many retail stores to mention, restaurants
and entertainment venues. Combining your ID with a
Student Price Card (bought on-line or at Shoppers Drug
Mart) or a Student Saver card courtesy of the Douglas
Students Union increases your discounting power. Start
here:
¢ — http://www.specard.ca
* — http://www.cfs-fcee.ca
Or visit the Douglas Student Union office for more
information on Student Saver and ISIC cards.
College life can be an amazing experience for some.
In order to make the most of your college years and to
make the most of your precious student dollars, learning
how to manage your money efficiently is one of the keys to
success.