General | Not Limits

Balancing Studies and Family

Whether you’re achieving secondary education online or at a local university, you’ve probably started to feel frazzled and frayed. Are you wondering how you’re going to get through it? Millions have felt the same way and luckily there are ways to get through this challenging time.

The words “I’m going to earn my degree “ are easier said than done, right? No one tells you how hard it is to do it. The best way to find balance between school and family is to form a plan. Start out by waking up 30 minutes to an hour earlier each day. This alone time allows you time to study, read email, or do chores without interruption. Set aside time for homework each evening. If you have small kids, put them to bed a little earlier to give you a little more quiet time. A housework chart that includes family members can help.

Instead of tackling all your studies on Saturday, try to do a little each day, so your weekends can be spent with your family. Keep track of daily to-do items on a list, but don’t stress if something gets moved to the next day. Put the most critical things at the top of your list each day to ensure nothing important gets left undone.

There are some things you can do to keep your family from feeling neglected. Set aside one evening a week during which you don’t do any schoolwork at all. Schedule weekly movie nights and have picnics in the living room or weekly ice cream dates. The break will be good for you and for them.

Filed Under: College, Education, General Tagged With: Family, Housekeeping, Study Bible

Moving for School

Moving for school, whether it is college or graduate school, can be exciting. It can also be daunting, especially when it comes to finding a place to live. Here are some tips for finding that perfect place to escape the books.

The Internet is Your Friend

When it comes to finding a place to live in any circumstance, the internet is a very useful tool. These days, many property websites have photos and virtual tours available, so you can see exactly what the place looks like. This is especially useful if you are unable to visit the property before moving in.

The college website may have a notice-board where you may find people advertising rooms for rent. This may be a cheaper option for you. This is also a great way to make friends in your new town. Your new roommates may even show you around town.

What to Expect as a Tenant

Utilizing the services of property management professionals such as an HOA management agency could take a lot of the guessing out of being a tenant. They will be able to tell you what to expect as a tenant of a house or apartment under the management of professionals, or even if it is under the management of volunteers. Such an organization may even be able to tell you what to expect when sharing a property, even if you are just renting a room.

Moving away from home for school involves many details. Finding the perfect place to move into and having the knowledge of what to expect as a tenant are two of the most important things.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: rent, School

Tips on Auto Loans for Students

When you are in high school or college, life seems to change rapidly. As you become more independent, you might discover that you need to get your own set of wheels. Before you panic, thinking that you can’t afford a new car, take a deep breath and relax. As a student, you have different options for auto loans than other adults. With a few tips under your belt, you can find yourself driving around affordably.

The most important thing for you to do is to research. Look at the different car refinance loans available for you in your area. You might find that it’s beneficial to get a used car as opposed to a new car. Talk with another adult in your life if you don’t have established credit to see if they are willing to cosign an agreement with you. Consider your bills and income to see what you can comfortably afford and keep this number in mind when you go to negotiate with a lender.

Working with a trustworthy lender is of utmost importance so ask around to see who your family and friends recommend. If you had good grades, you might be able to get a better deal since many lenders consider good grades a sign of responsibility. It will benefit you to make largest payments possible.

Keep in mind that car refinance loans can frequently be changed at future dates. This means that you can pay them off more quickly, or that you can change the contract so you can have a lower monthly payment if necessary.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Automobile, Loan, Refinancing

Moving Tips for Grad Students

Image via Wikipedia

Recent college graduates on their way to professional school know that the next several years are going to be filled with financial hardships. Though some schools offer their students a chance to work as an assistant teacher or researcher, the stipend is usually only just enough to live on. Therefore, if you are a grad student, it is important to keep your costs low.

One of the best ways to reduce your living expenses is getting a roommate. Atlanta apartments are filled with single people looking for someone to help share the cost of living. You might even find a friend with whom you can build a lasting relationship. It’s worth looking into if you want to minimize the proportion of your income spent on housing.

If you are moving, you might want to look into getting a moving company. This will allow you to have your stuff moved without having to worry about finding transportation for it yourself. Also, if you break something while trying to move your own goods you have to replace it yourself. However, if a moving company breaks it, they’ll foot the bill. The upfront cost is higher, but it’s a safer, and much less stressful, option than getting friends and your own truck.

Your move to grad school can be a dream come true. With forethought and planning your move can be seamless and inexpensive. You just have to think about the bigger picture when you are making the big move.

Filed Under: College, General Tagged With: Atlanta, Business, Graduate school

Setting College Plans in Motion

Students at Washington High School at class, t...

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

If you plan to attend a college that is difficult to get in to, then you will want to make sure you plan ahead. You should choose at least three different options for school. If all the schools are competitive then always have a fourth or fifth alternative.

You should make your choices in your junior year of high school. You can seek the advice of your guidance counselor when picking the colleges. During the summer months before you begin your senior year, you should visit the campuses of the colleges you chose. If possible, set up appointments with the college advisors of each school.

Once you have visited each of the colleges, you can then decide on the colleges you are sure that you want to attend. Over the summer, you can write a resume. You will use this to complete your college applications. You will also want to create file folders for each of the colleges your are going to apply to. This way you can keep all the information organized. You will also want to write the application deadline on the outside of each folder.

Once your senior year begins, you will want to start working on the applications. You want to complete them carefully and above all, be neat. Make sure you visit your high school advisor to discuss your college choices. You advisor is there to help and will give you valuable insight to completing your applications.

Most deadlines are in February, but this depends on the college and the program. For example, nursing programs accept applications three times per year. Completing applications takes a great deal of time, and if you have to write essays, it takes that much longer. Make sure you start early, so you will have all of your applications ready by January.

Filed Under: College, General Tagged With: High school, School counselor