Cost-Conscious Campus Living

By Larissa Lytwyn

College is an exciting time of transition and new experiences. As a recent graduate who spent all four years living the classic dorm life — no hot plates or additional furniture, please — I learned it is important to separate the essentials from the extraneous, and spend the time and money saved on what you really need to spend it on — textbooks, phone bills and….Did I say textbooks?

Packing: Refrain from buying vacuums, refrigerators, microwaves, and even new clothes. Most dorms have vacuums available for resident use (just make sure you have your student ID ready before taking it out). Refirgerators can be rented for reasonable rates; cost can be split with roommates. Microwaves and other cookware, as well as refrigerators and stoves, are often available in kitchens located on every floor. Just make sure you keep yours clean to prevent it from being locked up for a week!

Do not buy too many new clothes. Pack only apparel you wear frequently. Save heavy winter pieces for later in the season. Reduce several pair of shoes to just a few — preferably comfortable sneakers or flat-heeled shoes; you will thank yourself when you are running late to class and need to zip fast across campus.

Hold off on bringing or buying hair dryers or irons and ironing boards. Often you will find someone on your floor that will have one and is more than willing to share it with you — the person could even be your roommate.

Scope Out The Location: Identify local thrift shops, discount chains, and dollar stores. These places can be very helpful for picking up later accessories or other supplies.

Textbooks And Supplies: Textbooks are notoriously expensive. They tend to be more reasonably priced at your campus bookstore. Consider sharing books with students in your class. You can make copies of the chapters you need. Often, professors do not use some books until later in the semester, so save your money until you absolutely need the text. Check with the university and town libraries to see if they have the book in stock. You can often renew it enough to last most, if not all, of the semester. Consider acquiring a part-time job to save money and help pay for living expenses, but only if you have a 12-credit course load or less. Otherwise juggling a job and school can be quite the challenge — and the books should always come first!

Use What The University Offers: Most college students balk at spending more than $8 to see a movie at the local theater — and for good reason! Many colleges offer free movie nights, screening recent releases on auditorium screens. Low-cost dances and concerts are also frequent. Most schools have weekly calendars online or around campus that offer a comprehensive schedule of interesting on-campus lectures, exhibits, and events, including university theater and productions sponsored by various campus organizations. Becoming involved on campus will not only provide free or discounted entry to events your club may be planning, but also keep you busy and impel you to make new friends!

Share And Reuse: Check your meal plan. Are you paying for three meals a day, but generally eating twice a day or off campus? Consider changing plans. As mentioned before, share refrigerators and other products, including textbooks, with roommates, suitemates, or floor mates.

Resist Credit Card Purchases: Instead of dealing with high interest rates and struggling to build credit, consider another student loan or other form of payment. Credit card debt can be incredibly challenging to pay off postcollege, when you are busy trying to save money for apartment renting, bill paying, and other expenses often shielded from you during the beautiful halcyon that is college life!

To Drive Or Not To Drive: Unless you are a commuter, it is generally most cost-effective to resist keeping a car on campus during your time at college, especially your first year. Many schools, in fact, prohibit first-year students from having cars. Parking is often a nightmare. Carpooling and public transportation is generally a much more fiscally sound choice.

Learn, Learn, Learn!: Finally, keep active — on and, if possible, off campus! Connect not only with dorm mates but people in classes, club officers, and professors. Learn all you can from everyone and everything around you. College, from academics to social life, is all what you make it. Have fun, be smart, and stay safe!