(Samantha
Langley is a former Chatham County Schools student who has just
finished her freshman year at the University of North Carolina at
Pembroke. She will be writing blog entries as the school year ends
looking back on her first year of college in order to give the Class of
2012 in Chatham a college perspective She welcomes questions via email
at writers600@gmail.com.)
How to pay tuition and colleges fees has already been
decided. There are hundreds of different agencies and school personnel that can
help with these decisions. However, what about the day to day expenses that
college students have to face? Laundry has to be done and at 3 to 5 dollars a
week it adds up fast. Then, depending on the meal chosen, meals that your meal
plan won’t cover. While 3 or 4 dollars here and there may seem like nothing
these expenses add up. So, what is the college freshman to do?
One of the most important lessons learned your freshman year
is how to budget. Before your first day of classes figure out how much money a
week you will be able to spend. Base this amount on how much money summer jobs
have provided or a set amount decided by you and your parents. Be sure to make
room for extra spending on school breaks as well. This is your budget; STICK to
it. While this may seem like a small amount there are several ways that you can
make this budget stretch.
Breakfast is the cheapest meal of the day. A box of grits or
cereal from the store goes a long way and is cheap. Use your meal plan for
other meals. Also canned food and easy mac are cheap meals from the store that are
easily cooked in a dorm with a microwave. The McDonald’s dollar menu, while
extremely unhealthy, is the ultimate way to stretch your dollar while living in
a dorm. Most of the time it is only a short walk from campus.
The rising price of gas can drain a wallet in a heart beat.
The good thing about this is that on campus nearly everything is within walking
distance. Take advantage of this! Walk everywhere and if you can’t stand the
thought, use a bike, but invest in a nice bike lock. Bikes do get stolen on
campus and you don’t want to be the victim.
Laundry is expensive to do on campus. To use a washing
machine at Pembroke it’s $1.50 and you have to use your own detergent. Then the
dryer’s are .25 for fifteen minutes and to get clothes completely dry it will
take at least a $1.50. So when it’s time for a visit home bring AS MUCH LAUNDRY
as possible. Be sure to get up all towels, sheets, washcloths, jackets and any
other clothe object that you need washed. In between times join in with a
friend or roommate and wash your clothes together if both of you just need a
few items washed.
If as a freshman you intend to have a job to earn money
while going to school these rules may not apply to you as much. You will have a
little extra money to work with. However, when looking for a job be sure to
check on campus first. Many schools have work-study programs that allow
students to work on campus jobs. These are flexible with classes. If a job does
pop up off campus then make sure that it will work with your class schedule and
don’t overload yourself with too many hours. You will need more time to study
than in high school.
While learning to budget without your parents being there,
may seem intimidating, but given time it will become easier. There may be some
weeks where you are strapped for cash, but it’s a learning experience. If you
do get a little strapped for cash then take a trip home. Raiding the kitchen
for food to take back and doing your laundry at home will help get you through
those tough days. Plus home cooked meals are much tastier then food from the
cafeteria!
