You’ve received your college acceptance letters, graduated from high school, and maybe even had a big party to celebrate. Congratulations! While some students may be hitting the beach and taking time to decompress, you want to make the most of the next few months before going off to college. You’re smart! There are several ways you can maximize the summer break to put yourself in a much better position for your upcoming college career:
1) Secure a summer internship.
Internships are a great way to explore the field you’re interested in and see if it’s a good fit for you. It will also help you make valuable contacts that you can leverage down the road for higher-quality, paying jobs.
2) Try a variety of workshops and classes.
Check out the local library, community college, adult education center, and art or computer centers. Take advantage of opportunities to learn things you may not be able to access at the college you’re attending.
3) Learn while you travel.
Check out programs such as IES Study Abroad. Learn a new language, study a different culture, meet new connections, and gain confidence, all while seeing the world.
4) Read and listen.
Ask your college for a summer reading list or put together a list using recommendations from websites such as Goodreads. Be open to both fiction and nonfiction, and see how many books you can get through before summer break is over. If you have a library card, you can also get free audiobooks and eBooks through Overdrive.
5) Take good care of your health.
Going off to college often means more fast food, less exercise, and little sleep. Your summer break is the perfect time to create a strong foundation and form healthy habits that you can take with you to school.
6) Get a job.
One of the key advantages of being out of school is a flexible schedule. Consider working for a local business during odd hours or doing virtual work. Make a list of your skills along with things you like to do, then put that list to good use!
7) Set a savings goal.
Set an amount of money you’d like to save from a summer job to cover living and entertainment expenses during your first year of college. You will be more likely to keep your cash if you have a specific goal in mind.
Category: College Bound
You successfully made it through the college application and admissions processes—congratulations! Now that you’ve found a fantastic school, it’s time to create a smart plan to pay for your education.
Wow, that went by fast! It’s time to head off to college, but you and your family didn’t save enough for the educational experience you’re hoping for. Now what do you do?! Don’t worry– it’s never too late. You can use a combination of these 4 strategies to help make your college dream a reality:
School graduations are major milestones. So it makes sense that you’d want to mark the occasion with a memorable, meaningful and useful gift.
So you’re college-bound, and before you even step foot on campus, your bank account is already worthy of “starving student” status. You need money for tuition and expenses, but it’s too late to start saving now. Is there any hope? Yes!
Do you know about Massachusetts’ first statewide college savings program, BabySteps? The goal of this program is to ensure every family has the opportunity for future success! BabySteps will provide $50 towards every child born or adopted in the Commonwealth upon opening a 529 college savings account. This program is designed to help all parents save for their child’s higher education, and level the playing field for all children in Massachusetts.
Yikes! It’s almost time for your child to go to college, and you didn’t save enough for the education you want to provide him or her. But guess what? Your goals may still be within reach with the help of a combination of resources. Before getting stressed out, learn about these 4 ways to pay for college:
This is the big summer, the last one of your high school career! At this time next year, you’ll have graduated and will be on your way to the next phase of your life. Life will change quite a bit, whether you go to college or trade school, take a gap year to volunteer or travel, join the military, or jump right into your career. Are you ready? Probably not, but there’s still time!
Did you know it’s truly never too late to go “back to school” and learn something new? There are options in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and even online for adults who are ready to expand their knowledge!
#1 Before you buy anything for your teen’s dorm room, find out what the school already provides either in the room or somewhere in the building. Some dorms have shared kitchen areas, vacuums that can be borrowed, etc.
At one point in my post-grad career, I had to temporarily switch to an Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan. This option stipulated that the loan payments were going to be based on my annual income. I was only on this plan for about one year but I was paying almost $200 less than what my regular payments were supposed to be.
You could spend this summer between high school and college vegging out, or you could use the next few months to get ahead. Here are some quick tips for making the most of this special summer:
You’ve received your college acceptance letters, graduated from high school, and maybe even had a big party to celebrate. Congratulations! While some students may be hitting the beach and taking time to decompress, you want to make the most of the next few months before going off to college. You’re smart! There are several ways you can maximize the summer break to put yourself in a much better position for your upcoming college career: