As soon as I entered college I quickly realized that there were things I needed to know that mom and dad never taught me. I know thousands of other college students were in that same situation I was. While I'm certainly not your mother, I trust that you will benefit greatly from what I'm about to tell you.

I cannot cover everything a student needs to know before entering college in an article such as this one, however, I will quickly cover a few important things including money management, obtaining financial aid, cooking, and time management.

Managing Your Money:

I only have 3 money management tips, so listen carefully:

1- Create a budget. This can be difficult at first but it'll really reduce financial tension. If you do not even know where to begin, search the internet or ask your friends or parents to help you.

2- Do not spend more than you make. If you're in the habit of spending more than you are making you either need to increase your income or reduce your expenses. There are many ways to decrease expenses, but you may need to get creative.

3- Pay your bills when their due. Just do it. Do not get into more debt than you must.

Obtaining Financial Aid:

Scholarships, grants and loans are you finance options. You can find scholarships at your college, online, through groups, businesses, and churches.

Most people get grants from the government. In order to do this you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Fill out this application on the internet or in your financial aid office.

You have two options for student loans: Federal and alternative student loans. The Stafford, Perkins, and Parent PLUS loans are a few examples of Federal loans. Private loans may be obtained through a financial institutions.

Cooking:

Contrary to popular belief, cooking doesn't have to be complicated. You can find an abundance of easy recipes in books that were written specifically for college students. Think about acquiring one of these great recipe books.

If you don't want to pull out the recipe book all you need to do is assess the food you have, choose items that would taste good together, and toss them into a frying pan. Use meat, noodles, or rice as your base and then add vegetables.

Managing Your Time:

Time is precious, manage it wisely. Here are some of my time management tips:

1. Prioritize- As long as you get the really important things done, nothing else matters.

2. Schedule- Each person needs an individual schedule that matches them. Figure out which one works best for you..

3. Follow your Schedule- If you are in class, BE in class. Do not dose off or daydream. If your teacher gets off topic, do homework for a different class. If it is time to study, study. Do not stare out the library window for 45 minutes. When it is time to relax (and you definitely need to take time to relax), relax. Do what you need to do when you need to do it.

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