Books, Books, Books

Everyone falls for the “bookstore trickeries” at least once - it’s a right of college passage.  You get to school the first week and realize you need to get books before classes start on Monday.  Campus is just a few minutes away and the bookstore is just so convenient and fast! 

Don’t get caught in this mindset. 

The bookstore should only be used as a last resort or when you’re at the 

point of pure disparity. 

This is because most of the books offered at your university’s bookstore can be found on other websites – either for rent, or to buy used. Below I have listed several URLs that will take you to these AWESOME sites.  All you have to do is enter the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) into the search box! Give it a try.  Take note that most of the sellers on these websites receive ratings as to how fast they deliver the books and what condition they are in.  Make sure you look at those ratings so you can feel confident that your book will be on time!

Here are my favorite book shopping tools:

http://www.chegg.com

http://www.collegebookrenter.com

http://www.amazon.com

http://www.half.com

Some books on your list might even be in what’s called the “Course Reserve” at your university’s library.  Professors will buy the textbook students need for their course and put it at the library so students can check it out for several hours at a time.  I recently utilized this feature because my book got lost in shipping and I had to have it for a quiz.  Don't bank on the book being available here though!  You never know for sure until the professor specifies.

In short, prepare for the semester EARLY and buy your books at least two weeks before classes are scheduled to begin.  It will make your life a lot less expensive and you won’t regret doing it!

Get ahead. Be smart. SAVE.

Extemporaneous Escapades

During my first years of college, being spontaneous was not in my repertoire.  For sanity purposes, everything needed to be planned out by the minute, else utter disaster would ensue; or so I thought.  I quickly learned, however, that spontaneity was just a natural part of the college experience.  I missed out on a lot of fun activities in the beginning because I wasn’t willing to break out of my element.  If you get adequate study-time in and finish your assignments, there should always be room left for little bit of fun!

Get your homework done.  DON’T be uptight.  BE spontaneous!

Be willing to throw your shoes on at 10 o’clock at night to go have a fire on the beach or up the canyon.  Take an evening drive to the lake just to dip your feet in and eat a shake on your tailgate. Go hammocking at midnight on a Friday when you are bored and need a short getaway. All dressed up with nowhere to go? Get even more gussied up and go wedding crashing, for heavens sake! Between roommates, neighbors, and friends there are always people willing to pack up on a whim, so even YOU can be the one to drag the group along for a random adventure!  

Two years ago, a group of guys lived next door to me at my apartment complex.  One night they showed up at my door with swimsuits, towels, and a car full of snacks.  They told my roommates and me to “suit up” and get in the car because we were going for an adventure.  Of course, me being me, asked where we were going, but no one would tell me, so I had to be hauled out of the house (kicking and practically screaming).  To my surprise and excitement, we ended up driving to a place called Cutler Dam where we floated down the river in tubes. That night ended up being the most fun night I’ve ever had in college.  We’ve been friends ever since and have gone on weekly random excursions ever since! 

A spark of spontaneity is exactly what you’ll need to survive the stress of college. Trust me, in the end it is completely worth feeling slightly uncomfortable and losing a little bit of sleep! The pictures always turn out pretty awesome too, which, let's be honest, is the best part.  

See below: 

Try, Try Again

There's a saying in my family that goes like this, "If you don't ask, the answer is always 'no.'" My dad in particular is famous for using it in situations where he's trying to get a deal, finagle information out of someone, or when he feels he has been treated unjustly. With that, can you promise you'll remember this one thing?  

LANDLORDS ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.  

Remember that YOU are paying THEM to provide a product/service.  If he or she advertises that they provide working Wi-Fi, a washing machine, and your own personal parking spot, then those amenities are exactly what you, as the customer, should get.  When you sign the contract, it’s a two-way street business deal.  You are agreeing to pay rent and the landlord/property owner is agreeing to provide the services and amenities listed within the contract.  This brings us back to my family’s saying.  For example, if you are somehow missing the washing machine you signed for, ask about it.  Never be afraid to ask about it.  Even if that washing machine isn’t running properly, politely tell your landlord that you need it fixed (as a general rule, that is part of his/her agreement with you unless otherwise specified). 

Recently, I had a similar experience with my landlord.  My roommates and I moved in for the semester and quickly found that several agreed upon matters had not been taken care of.  The Wi-Fi was not working at all, which was a problem because we all have several online courses.  On top of that, the apartment as a whole didn’t have blinds and no one had been given a parking pass, so most of my roommates got booted the first night there even though they were in the correct lot.  After griping to our parents and each other, we pushed the anger and frustration aside, went to the landlord (let’s call him Steve), and asked to have the situation remedied.  The initial conversation consisted entirely of excuses as to why the Wi-Fi was not working and how difficult the blinds are to install.  After combatting Steve’s defenses, my roommates and I brought up the fact that each of us had paid $75 to get boots off of our cars because he hadn't given us parking passes.  Steve basically told us we were S.O.L (so out of luck) and that we should have asked for the passes before parking.  After about 20 minutes of banter, the girls and I decided to end the conversation, but not for good. 

The very next day, and for three consecutive days after that, my roommate and I faced Steve and asked to have our blinds installed, Wi-Fi fixed, and to be reimbursed for the boots. His scowl had the potential to set the entire city of Logan on fire, but to our surprise, we came back from Labor Day weekend to an apartment with blinds, decent Wi-Fi, and $75 back in each of our bank accounts.  I’d like you to now scroll back up to the top of this post and read the quote by Margaret Thatcher.  It’s a system and it certainly works.  Hold your landlord to his/her agreement and though it might not always be smooth sailing, you’ll get what you are paying for.

Lessons for today:

1.)  Don’t be taken advantage of by landlords and get what you pay for

2.)  If the first conversation doesn’t get you what you want or need, don’t be afraid to give it another 'go'

The Essence

Since my college career is coming to a close, I’ve had time to reminisce about everything the experience as a whole has taught me.  Learning to communicate with professors, landlords, and roommates, dealing with the stresses that come from group projects, the dreaded finals week, and having more homework than you ever thought would be possible, learning how to cook on a budget, and balancing social life with school work are just a few of the woes that we as college students get caught up in. Although it may be overwhelming most days, I’ve come to the realization that I can take control and tackle each day with confidence.  

YOU CAN SURVIVE TOO.

The essence of this blog, “tips and trades of the college and post-college life,” is designed to give you a boost when that crazy roommate of yours is about to put you over the edge or when you need a fast recipe, but the rest of your weekly budget was used for utilities. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, but I’ve survived this long, so I think that merits a little bit of credit.  

College is certainly an adventure, so welcome to the ride of your life.

For those of you readers, who are willing to share your wealth of knowledge, please feel free to comment with tips and stories!