Balancing the budget

Related Links

Financial aid at Virginia Commonwealth University
http://www.vcu.edu/enroll/finaid/

Financial aid at the University of Richmond
http://admissions.richmond.edu/financial/index.html

Financial aid at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
http://www.reynolds.edu/studentaffairs/faid.htm

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By Meagan Cox
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: October 10, 2008

The first semester of college usually brings newly found personal and financial freedom for freshmen. But some students have trouble distinguishing between what they really need and what they want. To finance their lifestyles, they take on jobs that many times are more stressful than helpful.
Besides tuition and rent, students tend to spend a lot of money during their freshman year for supplies and food.

Angela Jeffrey, a journalism major at Virginia Commonwealth University, said she spent close to $500 on books during her first semester.

“I didn’t need some of the books I bought,” she said. “And my advisor told me I needed a university guide, but I didn’t even break the seal.” She also added that book buy backs aren’t always helpful, because the bookstore can either pay back a much smaller amount or decide not buy the books back at all.

Food is also a main expense for first-semester students. VCU journalism student Anisha Singh had a meal plan during her first semester, but got tired of that food as the semester went on.

“I started going out for food all the time, or ordering in pizza or Chinese,” she said.
Sung Lim, a general studies major at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, had similar problems: “The most money I spent was on food, and I wish I had not spent that much.”

Besides finding a job, some students get help from scholarships or other financial aid to relieve some of the stress. Some other students are also getting really creative to balance their budgets.

“When I got my loan money each semester, I’d use the bulk of it on school expenses, like books, supplies, and supplemental materials,” said Blair Carter, a nursing major at J. Sargeant Reynolds. “I wouldn’t have much left over, so the way I got money was donating plasma.”

At a donation center, Carter donated blood and was paid for it. He had a job during his first semester, but found he had to cut back hours, so it wouldn’t interfere with his school work. That’s when he became a donor.

“I think for the first semester students should just focus on the transition into college,” said VCU journalism student Nicholas Langhorne, who opted out of a job his first semester. He was able to save money from a job he had back home and money given to him after his high school graduation, which helped through his entire first semester.

But other students like Mia Vanzura, a senior Russian major at the University of Richmond, feel that taking a job has helped them.

“I think working in school is one of the best things a student can do, for two reasons: it promotes time management and it also starts those necessary steps towards independence,” she said.

The balance between school and job just needs to be well organized

“It was extremely stressful, but I managed to have a high GPA and it was an experience that bettered my efficiency and time management,” said Sung Lim. “While there are some who can barely handle school itself, a job will push a person to prioritize responsibilities,” he added.