10 Absolute Deal Breakers when it comes to Choosing a College

The tiniest things can be the most pivotal while making such a life-changing decision. But really there are just a few questions you need to ask yourself before zeroing in on the perfect college. Here are 10 absolute deal breakers and what you can do to figure out what works for you:

1. “It’s too close to home!”

Getting as far away from home as possible can sound like the best idea when you’re looking to party away your college life. And obviously you don’t want your parents to be close enough to drop in at your dorm! On the other hand, being close to home means mom’s food everyday and not having to leave the friends you grew up with.

Ask yourself: Where do I want to spend the next 4 years? Do I want to stay close to home or explore a whole new state? Are there any places I don’t want to go?

2. “It’s in the back of beyond!”

Even if you do choose a college out of your state, there are several location-based factors to look into. Some colleges are located near cities, others are in small suburbs or towns and some even have wooded forests close-by. Go for one that suits your personality and upbringing. Getting away from the city can be a good change in lifestyle as long as the college suits your other requirements.

Ask yourself: Is it in a small area where the university takes up half the town? Or is it a city college surrounded by clubs, stores, movie theatres and malls?

3. “It’s too small! No one knows about it.”

Larger universities have better options – more classes, more clubs, and better sports facilitates. But smaller ones are known for their more student-friendly environment with better student-to-teacher ratios.

Ask yourself: In which environment would I learn more? Is this school accredited?

4. “But it doesn’t offer dance as a major!”

If they aren’t offering the major you’re interested in, just don’t go! What’s the point of studying in an absolutely fab college if you don’t get to do what you want? That’s one way of looking at it! If you’re confused, start by eliminating what you don’t want to study and then work backwards. You don’t have to decide it all right away – this is just a starting point for your college search.

Ask yourself: Will a degree from this college get me the job I want? Will I earn a certificate, or a 2 year degree, or a 4 year degree? What is their graduation rate?

5. “It’s too expensive!”

Cost is an enormous deal-breaker for so many of us! Look into scholarships, student loans, online programs and part-time courses. Choosing a college should be about the best education and not about the best price. Compare graduation and loan default rates, tuition and expenses, average debt at the school using ED’s college Navigator tool.

Ask yourself: Will spending this much on my education help me earn more? Does my dream job require specific qualifications? How long will it take me to pay back a student loan?

6. “I can’t become the best fashion stylist if I study there!”

If your goal is fairly specific and you aim to be the best in your field, it’s important to choose a college that will give you every opportunity to excel.

Ask yourself: Does this college offer the best placements? Will studying here help me grow only academically? Or will it help me increase my overall competency?

7. “The recruiter won’t leave me alone”

Stay away from colleges that keep hounding you to apply. If the recruiter keeps luring you with dangling carrots, making it difficult for you to think straight, it’s a cue for you to look elsewhere. There’s no reason to let anyone else make this decision for you.

Ask yourself: Is the recruiter giving me enough time to explore my options? Am I facing any pressure to enroll?

8. “But what if I change my mind mid-way?”
You’re not expected to know exactly what you want to do immediately after high school. More than 50% of students change their majors half-way through college, so choose a university that allows flexibility.

Ask yourself: Are my credits transferable if I switch to another school?

9. “I’ve heard the teachers aren’t friendly”
This can be an important one, especially if you aren’t the kind that studies on your own. A professor can make or break your motivation to do well in college. The ratings given to teachers by ex-students can help you make an informed decision. Try reading reviews on RateMyProfessors.com.

Ask yourself: Am I willing to put in extra leg work even if the teacher isn’t? Does my motivation to study XYZ subject come from my great school teacher?

10. “There aren’t any cute girls around!”
You know you’re thinking about it. Even on your campus visit you couldn’t help noticing that there wasn’t a good chance of you dating anyone you saw. So don’t deny yourself a good college dating life. It can be as important to keep you focused on what you want to achieve at college. But going to a Co-ed school just for the cuties might not be the best choice career-wise.

Ask yourself: Does dating distract me or do I study better in pairs?

7 Ways to Save Money as a Freshman

In your freshman year, college seems like a key to freedom. The first year away from home can be the most empowering and terrifying year of your life!
It starts off all nice and dandy – your own apartment or dorm room, cool newroommates replace annoying siblings, parties carry on without curfews. Credit cards get swiped left, right and center and before you know it, you could be in a huge pile of debt by the time you graduate.
According to Alexa von Tobel, personal finance expert, credit card debt in college senior amounts to about $4,000 on an average from credit cards, without counting $30,000 in student debt.
Start early and nip the spending in the bud. Establish a simple and practical plan for your expenditure and start save money as a freshman. Here are 7 quintessential tips to save money in your freshman year:

1. Make a Budget, Check It Twice
The easiest way to spend money is to lose track of it. If you’re getting a certain amount every month from you part-time job or your parents (lucky bum!) make sure you have a plan as to how you’re going to spend it. Rent, food and transport take up a major chunk.  Once you subtract the essentials, you have a clearer idea of how much disposable income you have at hand. Always withdraw in small amount, so your wallet has just enough for the week and you avoid overspending.

2. Get Appwise
Making a budget is as good as making a New Year’s resolution! It can all collapse unless you take action to execute it. Dollarbird and Expensify are great expense tracking apps for your iPhone. Try Pennies or You Need a Budget for a more detailed look at your spending habits. Keep a tally of every bill on your phone and get reports every month.

3. Don’t Spend. Invest.
While buying a high priced item, like a laptop or a mobile phone, make sure it’s durable, it has a decent warranty and it comes with the latest software. This way you won’t have to bother about buying a new one until you’re out of college. While choosing which items to invest in and which ones to go low cost, just think of how many years you would like to be using the product.

4. Rent textbooks
Avoid your college bookstore, where textbooks are known to be marked-up for convenience.  Rent books online at TextbookRecycling.com (they donate to charity from every sale) or even better rent the more expensive textbooks from BookRenter.com for a semester or entire year.

5. Take advantage of student perks
studentuniverse.com helps you save on travel. They even offer deals on J Crew and iTunes. A free 6 months membership to Amazon Prime and 25% cashback on Lenovo PCs are perks meant only for students. Take advantage of your ID, whenever and wherever you can! Cafeteria meals and college meal plans can save you a wad of cash and they’re usually much healthier than outside food.

6. Avoid the spend crowd
This could be one of the toughest challenges. Peer pressure leads to an unnecessary amount of spending and it’s harder than you think to avoid hanging with the spend crowd. Having to drop out of a holiday/party plans can be a tough call. But avoiding the crowd that parties more than studies could go a long way in saving the big buck.

7. Carpool
Pool your resources. This happens most often with roomies and the fridge but it could extend to your fuel budget as well. Cut down on individual expenses by using a common car to get to your campus every day.

5 Ways to Smarten Up your FB profile for Prospective Employers

Applying for a job can be a long, daunting task involving resume writing, portfolio building, contacting companies and interviewing with prospective employers. In the midst of all this you also have your online social presence to worry about. What if your interviewer were to casually look you up? Will you look smart enough on Facebook?

Up to 94% of employers are using social media to recruit new talent and there are numerous job search tools and apps on Facebook that use information on your profile to find the best matches in the job market. It’s hard enough to land a job without having to agonize over how your Facebook profile is harming your reputation. But the real question is can you really use Facebook to attract potential
employers? Here’s how you can easily smarten up your FB profile while you’re on a job hunt:

1. Beef Up your Profile 
Fill in all the details related to your school and college. Include relevant extra-curricular activities, clubs you might have joined and internships that were part of your course. Be specific about your past work experience; make sure you include what role you played in the organization, no matter how big or small. Taking yourself seriously can be the first indicator that you are job-ready.

2. Fan your Feathers 
Boast about your professional accomplishments. Use milestones to show off when you complete an important project or complete a longer stint at a job. Each feather in your cap can be another reason for an employer to notice you. Make sure you don’t sound too arrogant though, it’s not all about you. Give credit where credit is due.

3. Be a Groupie 
Post often in job related groups. Join the communities which talk about industry specific topics. Show off your hobbies by liking the right pages. For example if you love photography, be sure to participate in the photography contests online. Seek out influencers and follow them, share their updates, even try to engage with a few who are well-connected in your field.

4. Privacy Policy
Facebook has privacy control every single step of the way. Even while posting a status you can choose who is allowed to view it. So, choose wisely and better safe than sorry in cases where you’re skipping school and posting about your fun day at the movies. Make specific lists of friends and share accordingly. Pictures and videos from your spring break should be hidden from all scrutiny.

5. Best Foot Forward 
Make sure your portfolio features strongly on your profile. If you have a blog or a website, share links to your latest posts often, encouraging friends to like what you do. This shows that you’re passionate about your work and you aren’t afraid of public attention. If you’re involved in any charitable activity or if you’ve ever volunteered at an NGO or a summer school, make sure you post about it.

Employers are interested in knowing who you are socially and how you would fit into the work culture at the new company. Any and all details that show you in a good light help in getting you on top of the recruiters list. All the best!