Notes for college freshmen…from a paying Morris Plains mom, after the learning curve

Stephanie Crowley
Stephanie Crowley
3

By Stephanie Crowley

As my second child prepares to head off to the four most expensive years of her life, I thought I would share notes after paying two years of education for my first child who attends a very expensive school.

Stephanie Crowley
Stephanie Crowley

Each freshman NEEDS to remember his or her job: Learn.

Yes, college should be “fun” and a huge growth experience, but you’re spending an ENORMOUS amount of your/your parents/your grandparents/scholarship/grant money!!!

Use it wisely, like a bargain shopper! If you’re paying your “dream” school HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars, shouldn’t you get every dime out of it?

Just like a great bargain at your favorite department store, aren’t you extremely satisfied and PSYCHED when you score a great deal?!? Start your bargain shopping on the first day of classes!

No order of importance, but here’s my list of “notes”…

Find a Financial Aid Office contact.

Get to know someone in the office PERSONALLY. When the head of Financial Aid reviews your application, not even the government can change her decision. Financial Aid officers know all the insights, and all the benefits you can receive. Everyone needs a contact in this office. THEY determine your bill.

Guidance Counselor meeting

As SOON as you are able, meet your counselor. Counselors need a lot of information to direct you on the correct/happiest path. They have seen their graduates head off to many different jobs. They know key people on staff. Make them work for your bargain education.

Key Professors

As you excel in certain classes, reach out to the professors and ensure they get to know you. Once you distance yourself from high school activities, coaches and hometown contacts,  your professors will fill those roles as references for your first job, out of your bargain education at your dream school.

Use Office Hours!

At my son’s school, there are no classes from noon-1:30 pm on Wednesdays. That is open office time. Each professor is in his office with the door open, WAITING for you to come visit, chat, ask questions, get extra help…USE THIS TIME!  Professors cant possibly get to know students in a huge hall. Not till about Junior year will your class size drop to the standard “classroom.” Go meet instructors face to face, so when you ask to use them as a reference, they will gladly agree.

CAREER SERVICES

Every school has a career services department. I personally met an employee from my son’s school at a swim meet in my home town. I asked her to send my son an email encouraging him to visit her in the Career Services department. He never made it. This sophomore summer we’re struggling for a meaningful internship. THAT is their job! They have the contacts! And not just at your school! They most likely have students working/interning in your area. They are a KEY source.

They can show you where student in your major took jobs, what’s needed to get there, give you contacts where you are interested to work…but don’t wait. They do NOT want to scramble to place a senior who’s graduating in a month. They want to know you by sophomore year. They want to help you develop your path—not just wing one together before your graduation. This is word to the VERY wise.

Securing a student loan—in the STUDENT’S name

Most families don’t have $200K-plus sitting around for each child’s college education. Student loans are a popular source of funding for many reasons. IF you are using this option, the importance lies in making the student aware of her “skin in the game.”  Her name is on the loan. Therefore, if she does not make the most of her bargain education at her dream school, she realizes SHE is paying for it later. If she doesn’t maximize her involvement in her education, it’s not such a bargain and a real drag paying back money (plus interest) that you didn’t spend well.

Work study importance

If you qualify, not only can work study reduce your bill, but a job like calling alumni for donations allows the undergrad to reach out to successful people with a common background: Your expensive dream school! Just imagine the luck of calling an alum who works in your field and has a job opening. Your ultimate job is DONE!

APPEAL your financial aid package

HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS! Oh, never mind... members of the Morristown High School Class of '12 flip their lids at Mennen Arena. Photo by Marie Pfeifer.
HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS! Oh, never mind… members of the Morristown High School Class of ’12 flip their lids at Mennen Arena. Photo by Marie Pfeifer.

Don’t think you got enough aid? Major life change happened? You can always work through the appeal process at your school. Again, another important reason to have a personal contact in the Financial Aid Office—someone to advocate for your appeal!

Once enrollment begins, it is possible that some students who received a lot of aid chose NOT to enroll in your dream school, freeing up some of their aid. You won’t know until you ask!

As an incoming frosh who may have gotten a great aid packet from your in-state school, fax that offer to your dream school that you will be enrolling in, asking if it can come close to the other offer. Why not ask for a bargain?!

Into saving money? Be an RA!

If you’re looking to cut your bill substantially, inquire about becoming a Residential Assistant in a dorm. Many schools drop your room and board fees–which is your “pay” for keeping order in the dorm. If you can list RA on your resume, not only is it impressive that you worked during college, you are a natural manager with experience planning, organizing and working with difficult (drunk) people on weekend duty!

School calendar events

Just like high school, your dream school has a software program to communicate with you. It has a school calendar for holidays, class schedules AND perfect networking events! Imagine being able to meet a CEO just off campus at a local restaurant at his small presentation on your field of study.

Or there is a meeting next week on the importance of adding Information Technology to your studies. Mark your calendar at the start of the semester for events you don’t want to miss. Bring your roommate or a friend. He probably needs it too!

School sport events

Get out and support your school at the “big games.” You need to connect with the student body, have pride in your choice to attend your dream school AND realize the commitment of your student athletes who study like you do while also fitting in many hours a week practicing for their sport. Many athletes would swap with you in a minute to have all your “spare time.”

Create study groups

Whether it’s a weekly meeting or prep for an exam, gather other students from your class and get a study group going. There are professors with accents that can be difficult to understand, there are professors who don’t teach from the book, many professors are so engulfed and passionate about their subject they may speak over your head.

In any event, reviewing material with other students in the same course is very beneficial. It can also boost your confidence if you’re the leader/most knowledgeable of the group, and it helps clarify material when you’re struggling compared to the group. It’s like free tutoring. Set this group up early and meet regularly until you get a feel for how often is most productive.

Network, network, network

You will now be living with people for the next four years who could possibly have a BIG impact on your life after graduation. You may meet your spouse, your future boss, your future competition for a job, your life-long friends, your future job references, your future industry contacts.

You can’t know enough people on your campus! You may have been a quiet mouse in high school but THIS is the time to re-invent yourself! Get over your labels and assumptions of people—the class “geek” just might be your best tutor to help you pass the class you loathe! Get your dream school contacts to make your four years there (and big bill) worth it!

Maximize your food plan

I have paid the past two years for a very expensive school where my student is underweight because the food is not very good. But as a wise consumer and aware of the importance of good health, YOU the student should be making the best of your food plan.

Maybe your cafeteria doesn’t offer your favorite foods regularly or make your favorite dish like mom does. What are some ways you can supplement your food plan? Is there a local food market where you can find fresh fruit and make that your lunch, and keep a twice-a-day food plan?

If you didn’t use all your food swipes first semester, adjust the second semester. Be sure to discuss your food plan choice with your family at the end of the semester. We realized the fall semester was longer and didn’t use all the swipes by the end of the spring semester—resulting in useless, unimportant swipes “just because.”

Lose the girl/boyfriend for now

NO young couple wants to hear this advice! They’re going to make it work. They will visit each other’s campus. Wrong plan. Remember YOUR job (and your girl/boyfriend’s)—LEARN. You can’t focus on studying when calling or texting someone to argue why you didn’t answer last night. You can’t get immersed (and maximize your bargain education) on your campus while always running off to spend the weekend at another campus.

You can’t network if you’re constantly worried about someone else. Make an agreement to head off to school and maximize your biggest investment. If this is meant to be, it can be picked up in four years, when you BOTH have great jobs and promising futures!

AP Test results/online courses

Before you stress over getting that 4 on your AP test, or you bombed your fall semester Stat class and just figure you’ll take it online over the summer, INQUIRE. Schools are getting “smart.”  Why accept other coursework done elsewhere or give “free” credits when THEY could make the money!?!

Before you spend additional money on tests or courses you think would be helpful, ensure your dream school accepts the outside credit. AND, this is another reason to apply yourself each semester in each course—WHY retake a course? It costs you more money!! How else are they going to pay for upgrades and keep up with the other schools if they don’t get all the fees from you that they possibly can? This leads right into…

Campus Gym

Use your campus gym DAILY. You can find the time—student athletes do! Your dream school spent MILLIONS (and YOUR money) adding/upgrading its facility to impress you and compete with the schools courting you. You need to decompress from intense classes, you need to stay healthy to maximize your big investment and it’s a great place to continue your constant networking.

Last but not least…

Best of luck to ALL the incoming frosh at all the fabulous schools around the country. Just remember these four years go by even faster than high school, and they will be the most expensive and important years to build your future—use them ALL to your advantage!

Stephanie Crowley of Morris Plains is an active community volunteer and proud mom of three children: A rising college junior, rising college freshman and rising high school junior. After much on-the-job experience getting her children into college, she believes the smartest idea is to pass the knowledge along!

3 COMMENTS

  1. Stephanie,
    Thank you for the article & helpful information.

    I was wondering if you could also give insight into the best way to protect the money set aside by parents for their kids eduction. Let’s say we save $100k for each kid, and we have 2 kids. The money is divided into two 529 plans. Do colleges see that as $200k for the first kid? Do they take it all the first year until it runs out and then give more aid? Anything I am missing?

    Is it best to use other mediums where colleges can’t see the funds but I can still contribute? (401k Roth, insurance, grandparent funds, etc)

    Thanks so much for any/all thoughts,
    Nate

  2. As a grandparent of 12 rising college bound kids
    Over the next 8 years your advice is right
    On. I have already told 4 that these 4 years are the best years of your life. (of course until you get married). Do not waste them.
    Student loan caveat. Watch out for “due on death of co-signer” clause in loan dox.

  3. I find that most parents are clueless when it comes to selecting a right college for their kids. Would you buy your child a Ferrari if they asked you for one? Better still, would you allow your child to borrow money to buy that Ferrari? Then why would you pay for an expensive private or out of state college for the average high school grad? If $250,000 is no big deal for you then by all means spend that money wherever your kid is happy. My best advice is that if your child has to borrow any money for an undergrad education you better have a very good reason not go to your local state subsidized college. Also, if your child is not majoring in a specific skill like engineering, accounting, etc. you need to decide if being a history major is capable of paying off those student loans.

    Make good plans before you commit to a college and those student loans wont be a burden.

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