The Broke College Students' Guide to Holiday Gift Giving

Your college years will perhaps be the greatest and most expensive years of your life. After pushing out so much money to pay for school, you may find it hard to come up with extra money to spend on holiday gifts for friends and family. This guide on JoblessNCollege.com is filled with gift ideas that mean a lot but don't cost a lot. Check them out!

Happy Holidays!

College Students and the Billion-dollar Bailout

As one of millions of college students watching helplessly as our economy weakens and our leaders scramble to keep it afloat, I wondered how all of this mess would affect us. This article on JoblessNCollege.com provides a synopsis of what I discovered. It points out the good and the bad effects that this bill will likely have on students absent of timelines. No one really knows how soon we'll start seeing the bailout's impact or how long it's effects last.

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Business Ideas for College Students

Unlock the entrepreneur inside of you! To find your "Big Idea" for a great business that you can run on campus, think of what needs college students at your school have that you can supply. Not only will the experience teach you a lot of the basic concepts of running a business, it could also help you get those loans paid off after graduation.

Here's a list of ideas to get you thinking. Try these, expand on them, combine them, find something that works for you!

1. Tutoring
   
   Tutoring younger students or your peers is always a great way to volunteer your time and give back but it can also be a healthy source of income for college students. You can charge an hourly rate and hold your tutorial sessions at your school library, an empty classroom, or even in your dorm or apartment. If you can handle teaching several students an hour, you can multiply your income. If you offer home service, you can charge a bit more for your travel. Beyond that, you can create your own study materials for your sessions and charge for hard copies of them.
   


2. Academic Assistance / Proof Reading
   
   If you have enough time on your hands and good research and writing skills, you could offer to help students with their essays, term papers, and theses. Most students have no problem writing their papers but you can make a business out of proofreading and editing them. Even the best writers can benefit from having a second pair of eyes take a glance at their work. Spell check and Grammar check can't catch everything.
   


3. Food on the Go
   Most college students diets suffer the moment they step foot on campus due to them either not knowing how to cook or not having the time or place to cook. If you live in a dorm or at least close enough to make quick deliveries, and you know how to cook then you already have two of the most important ingredients needed to cook up a successful business.
   
   Provide your peers with great tasting, affordable alternatives to pizza and microwavable meals. You could even expand this into a delivery service. Create a menu, have customers phone-in orders in the morning, and deliver them around lunch time. Package meals with drinks and snack items that you can buy in bulk to make even more money.
   


4. Alterations
   
   If you're good with your hands, you could take orders for simple repair jobs from your fellow students such as sewing torn buttons on shirts and blouses, or altering pants and gowns. You can set base prices for common jobs and charge extra for rush orders and material costs.
   


5. Web Design on Demand
   
   Every campus organization loves to have and can greatly benefit from a strong web presence. Most of the time their websites, if any, are tacky, boring and out-of-date. However, they don't have the money to hire professional developers. If you have the technical know-how to put a website together, mix in some images, throw in some fancy JavaScript, and maybe even a bit of PHP, you have the ability to fill a need that can easily make a hundred dollars or more per job. Depending on your expertise you can create a pricing structure so that simple jobs are cheap and more complex jobs are more expensive. There is an endless amount of resources online to help you with coding, scripting, and design.
   


6. Self-Fundraisers
   
   Have you ever seen a student or charity organization selling something to raise funds and thought "Hmm, I could do that myself." Well, why not?
   
   With most fundraisers, organizations either buy items in bulk and resell them or pre-sell items and earn a commission. You can do the exact same thing. Take a trip to Sam's Club, BJ's, or Costco and be sure to bring a calculator with you. Find items that you can sell to students or professors. Calculate the unit cost (Price of bulk pack / # of items in pack), and mark it up a little so that your selling for a decent price but making a decent profit.
   
   You could also consider making a business out of affiliate marketing. You then advertise your links on flyers and posters around campus and get paid when people use them.


7. Use your Creativity
   
   Perhaps you've been blessed with a bit of creativity. You can use those skills to make t-shirts, flyers , banners, business cards, or other types of promotional items for student organizations. You can also uses sites like Zazzle and Cafepress to set-up online stores to sell and promote your designs.
   


8. Freelance Photography
   
   If you have a good camera and some artistic ability, you can make money buy selling your photography online. With websites like Fotolia and iStockPhoto you can upload your images and sell them to millions of people all around the world. You can also use sites like Zazzle and Cafepress to make posters of your work for students looking to add original, quality artwork to spice up their rooms.
   


9. Moving Service
   
   One of the most stressful things about living on campus is moving in and out of dorms every year. You can help ease the process for your fellow students by offering to help them pack and move their stuff to storage facilities. You can even sell boxes, tape, and other supplies that come in handy. On top of that, you may even be able to negotiate with a local storage company to pay you a commission for the students you refer to them.
   


10. Event Promotion
    
    It seems there's never a shortage of people willing to pass out flyers for a little extra cash. Make this into a business by organizing a small group to take it a step further. In addition to your ground forces who can hang and pass out flyers, you can call local newspapers and magazines, write and distribute press releases, send out mail, create and send out email messages, and even create Facebook groups and events for student organizations. This alleviates stress for them so they can concentrate on preparing for the event. Create your pricing based on the amount of manpower and time each job will take. You have to balance between keeping prices low but having enough to pay your employees and still make a profit.
    


11. Transportation Services
    
    Provided you have reliable transportation yourself, you can help others get from place to place for a fee. Many students need rides to and from airports and train stations for spring and holiday breaks.
    
    Drunk driving kills lots of people every year. Maybe you've been the designated driver for your friends once, twice, or maybe your the sober one in the group who always drives. Whatever the case may be, you could be doing that for money. Many students don't quite have money for a cab but don't want to risk their lives either. You and a few friends could take orders and serve as low-cost drivers for off-campus events. Estimate how much it will cost you (fuel expenses) to make the trip and set your rates based on that.
    


12. Freelance Writing
    
    Websites like Associated Content and Helium will pay you for your written work. Your first thought may be, "What would I write about?" Fortunately, you already have a lot more experience than you may think. Most of the essays and written assignments you do in college would make great freelance articles with a little editing. Both of the sites I mentioned are marketplaces for writers and publishers. You can choose to write on suggested topics that publishers are actively looking for content on, enter writing contests, or write on any topic of your choosing and get paid when publishers buy your work.
    


13. Note Taking
    
    Everyone has that one long, boring class that's just a pain to even think about. A class like this can be a business opportunity. Offer your services as a note-taker. Contact your classmates and offer to distribute your notes to them for a fee. When they miss the class, fall asleep in it or need the material to study from, they'll come calling. Just make sure you're attentive and have good handwriting. If possible you may want to take notes electronically to make them easier to reproduce. You can charge per class session, per chapter, or simply have one flat rate for the whole semester.
    


14. Dorm Cleaning
    
    What college student hasn't gone a month, two months, or maybe a whole semester without vacuuming or moping their floors. Things can get down right nasty in college dorms and apartments. If you don't mind the filth, you and a few friends could offer cleaning services doing the things your peers are too lazy to do. You could charge a fee for each part of the job, a flat rate for your total visit, or a monthly or semester rate for which you would come by every other week or so.
    


15. Sell and Deliver Flowers
    
    A great idea for the Valentine's Day season. Everyone wants to get something for their significant other but many not have the money for an elaborate gift.You can strike a deal with a local florist to buy roses in bulk for resale on campus or take orders weeks in advance and deliver the flowers on Valentine's Day.
    


16. Piano/Guitar Lessons
    
    This idea goes out to the musically inclined. If you play a musical instrument like the piano or guitar, you could offer to give lessons on-campus and charge an hourly rate. This type of business may not work too well out of a dorm room. The noise could become a problem for your roommates and neighbors.
    


17. Hair Cuts & Hair Styling
    
    Sometimes the closest barbershop is not close at all. Sometimes they charge too much. Whatever the case may be, your barbering, hair styling, or hair braiding skills can be very profitable in a college setting. You can easily undercut prices of the local beauty salon or barbershop because you don't have to pay for your location. You can operate right out of your own room or charge a bit extra to make house calls.
    

No matter which type of business you decide to start, be creative, professional, and sincere. The personal skills you'll develop from undertaking an initiative like this will be tools you can use to make yourself more marketable when you look to begin you career after graduation.

Make Money - Give your Opinion (RateItAll)

Just like with paid surveys, the opinions of consumers are worth their weight in gold. Product reviews help companies create, improve, and market their products. In the online space, customers can broadcast their thoughts and greatly impact the reputation of products and services. Your contributions are so valuable that many websites will pay you for them. Let's take a look at RateItAll, one of the most prominent pay-for-opinion website models.

An online community for sharing opinions, this website deals primarily with consumer reviews but goes far beyond that with rating lists on everything from Olympic sports to Firefox plug-ins. These ratings provide a great resource for comparison shoppers helping them make more informed decisions. The reason we're mentioning it here is because RateItAll is a revenue sharing site where you can make money as a contributer to the site. Before you sign-up for RateItAll, sign-up for Google AdSense. Then, when you join RateItAll, you can opt into their 50/50 revenue sharing program. You will earn 50% of the Google ad revenue generated from the lists you create on the site.

Tips to maximize earnings:

• Add complete and accurate titles to your lists.
• Full, well written list descriptions will help your rate lists get more traffic. M0re traffic = more money!
• Create controversial lists. Controversy gets people talking. The more people you can get to contribute to your lists, the better.
• Write honest and quality reviews. People appreciate good information. Share your knowledge and experiences and you might just develop a following.
  

Save Money - Steal Microsoft Office 2007

As long as you're currently enrolled in school and have a valid, school-issued email address, you can get a 91% discount on Microsoft's Office Ultimate 2007 package. The retail price of $519.99 has been reduced to $59.95 for college students. This offer was originally slated to end on April 30th, 2008 but has since been extended.

The Office Ultimate package is compatible with XP and Vista and includes: Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Outlook 2007, Publisher 2007, Accounting Express 2008, Access 2007, Groove 2007, OneNote 2007, and InfoPath 2007.

Eventhough this is a super-cheap deal on top-of-the-line software, let's acknowledge the fact that there are even cheaper alternatives. Challenging the dominance of Microsoft's products are free programs like Open Office. Their software performs most of the basic functions of Microsoft Office without the flashy interface. Open Office also works with your existing MS Office files (2003 and earlier).

Some say that Open Office is good enough for most purposes and that most people can get by with it while others say the advanced features and clean look of MS Office are worth every bit of the measly $60. I've used both and I'm leaning heavily towards the MS Office side. If you're already familiar with Office 2003 you may want to just take advantage of the deal and upgrade to the newer version. *Note: you're professors, co-workers, and friends might not have 2007 yet so you may want to use the newer Office's option of saving multiple versions of your work.

In an article on JoblessNCollege.com, I point out the alternatives and raise the question of whether Office Ultimate is worth paying for even at this rock-bottom price.

Save Money - Buy in Bulk

Before you even read this post think of three items that you buy just about every time you go grocery shopping. Whether it's your favorite microwaveable food item, that generic brand of toilet paper that's always cheaper, or maybe just bottled water. All of these items can be purchased in bulk potentially saving you lots and lots of money. You'll also save money on gas by shop less often while getting more out of every trip.

For example:

Compare this...

Aquafina Pure Water - 32/16.9 fl. Oz. bottles
Sam's Club Price: $4.88
Unit Price: $0.15

with this...
Aquafina Pure Water 16.9 fl. Oz. bottle
Vending Machine Unit Price: $1.00+
Price x 32 = $32.00

OR this...
Old Spice High Endurance - 3/3.25 oz. sticks
Sam's Club Price: $5.84
Unit Price: $1.97

with this...
Old Spice High Endurance 3.25 oz. stick
Drug Store Unit Price: $2.99
Price x 3 = $8.97

The key here is to buy according to your buying habits and your living space. It's probably not a good idea to buy a huge pack of something you've never tried before but this is a great way to save on items that you know you will buy over and over again anyway. Perhaps you have a really long, really boring class and you always buy a drink before it to help you stay awake. Why not buy a case of those drinks and bring one with you to class each day?

It's also, obviously not such a great idea to buy boxes of stuff that won't fit in your dorm room. Perhaps you have a bit of space under your bed, in a closet, or even in your kitchen, if you're living apartment-style. Whatever your situation, keep that space in mind as you shop. Consider bulk shopping with a friend. You can both split the cost and the items you purchase.

Buying in bulk can also become a great way to make extra cash. You probably see student organizations do it all the time. They'll buy a big box of candy or other snack items and sell them in the halls as people walk by. Maybe you've even seen people on the street selling ice cold bottled water on hot days. It's a great way to exercise your entrepreneurial spirit and turn a little bit of money into a lot!

Vote to Save Money on Education

Next year, this country will have new leadership. The presidential elections are right around the corner and the choice you make this November can greatly impact your financial aid future and the accessibility of higher education for those who come behind you.

According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG), Congress passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act last year which lowered interest rates on subsidized Federal Stafford loans from 6.8% to 6.0% as of July 1st, 2008. A study by USPIRG estimates that this move will save the average four-year college student starting school in 2008 with subsidized Stafford loans about $2,570 over the life of his or her loans.

This Act had many other benefits for college students, most of which are well summarized here.

Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, was a part of the Conference Committee that helped push this bill through. In fact, the first bill he introduced as a Senator was aimed at making college more affordable.

Interestingly, Republican nominee, John McCain voted against the College Cost Reduction and Access Act and has in the past opposed other such legislative efforts that support public and higher education.

This is not a political blog so we're not telling you who to vote for. Just be aware that Congress and the President have the power to enact legislation that impact federal financial aid policies which in turn can either help us or hurt us when it's time to repay student loans. The outcome of this election will directly affect what legislation will succeed in the next four years since ultimately, the president must approve it.

College School Year Planning Checklists

FastWeb has published four helpful chronological checklists to help college students stay organized and plan out major things to do as the school year progresses. Each list highlights items that a student should be doing or planning to do at each part of each year leading up to graduation. These are great to print out and hang on your wall or post in your notebook to help you keep track of important things to do as the year progresses. Here's a preview of the items they suggested for each year of college:

Freshmen

• Familiarize yourself with campus resources: health center, student center, libraries, gym, cafeterias, financial aid office, academic department offices, etc.
• Research local banking options and open a checking account. If you're planning to get a credit card, read the fine print on all offers.
• Meet with your faculty advisor to discuss courses, extracurricular activities and career building options.
• Gather financial records and materials you need for the FAFSA. The form is available January 1st.
• Start applying for scholarships from private organizations. Check your FastWeb search results for new scholarships.

Sophomores

• Declare a major (and minor) if ready. Some schools require students to declare their major by the end of the fall term.
• Select a volunteer organization you'd like to get involved with. Community service can help you gain practical experience while building up your resume.
• Put together your resume, including academic record, extracurricular activities, honors and volunteer work.
• Explore alternative career planning options such as: assisting a professor with research, international internships, mentoring programs and independent study.

Juniors

• Map out the classes you'll need to take for the next two years in order to finish on time.
• Start taking leadership roles in clubs, activities and volunteer organizations. Employers are impressed by students who take initiative and demonstrate leadership skills.
• Begin identifying possible career paths. Create a target list of industries and companies you'd like to work for and research them.
• Meet with your faculty adviser to discuss plans for summer and next fall.
• Senior
• If you're planning to go to graduate school, begin studying for the required standardized test - typically the MCAT, LSAT, GRE or GMAT.

Seniors

• Sign up for on-campus interviews. Check your career center for workshops on interviewing, networking and negotiating.
• Conduct informational interviews with professionals in your career field. Ask to shadow a professional for a day to find out about the daily routine of that career.
• Join professional organizations in your field. They can be a good source for contacts and job leads.
• Use free job-search Web sites like Monster.com. Their job boards have comprehensive and up-to-date job listings.
• Review job offers. Make sure to look at the whole package - benefits, opportunities for advancement, location, corporate culture.
• Create a loan repayment plan. Use online loan calculators to help set up your plan.

Fastweb has done a great job of breaking down the major steps that are important in each phase of a college career. Many of the items they listed are pretty common sense but what's most helpful is the time range they give for when to begin and when to be done with those common sense items. For example, everyone knows they have to get a resume together eventually but how many students really begin piecing it together in their sophomore or even their freshman year so that when the time comes to use it, they're well prepared.

Full lists: Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | Senior

Back-to-School Savings

The Back-to-School season typically means increased traffic and big bucks for retailers. However, this year the economy is lagging and consumers (especially college students) are doing everything they can to stretch each and every dollar. For example, according to a recent study by consulting firm, Deloitte, 70% of back-to-school shoppers in Illinois plan to buy lower-priced items than they did a year ago. A recent study conducted by the National Retail Federation* predicts the following trends in back to school spending among college students:

"While students will still allocate the largest portion of their budget to electronics, spending will fall to $211.89 per person from $258.43 last year. Spending on clothing ($134.40 vs. $149.85 last year) and dorm furnishings ($90.90 vs. $109.85 last year) will also drop, while spending on shoes will remain flat ($58.46 vs. $59.90 last year). Only one category—school supplies—will experience a notable increase, from $63.52 last year to $68.47 this year. Spending on collegiate gear, a new category, will average $35.26 per person."

They also expect these trends to hit over-priced college campus bookstores the hardest with "only 41.8 percent of students planning to buy from those stores, a sharp decrease from 57.2 percent last year." This is obviously great news for the discounters like Wal-mart and Family Dollar who are likely to draw even greater flocks, but what does this mean for the online retailers?

Our generation is very internet-savvy and well aware of the potential savings and convenience of shopping online. Online retailers want some of this price-sensitive traffic so you'd better believe they're going to have their share of discounts although finding some may take a bit of digging.

Here's a sneaky little tip for finding the best discounts on Amazon. By adding a tiny piece of code (like this: "&pct-off=70-") to their search results urls you can easily and quickly narrow down items discounted by a certain percent or more. Our example would limit search results to items discounted 70% or more! Use the links below to jump right to discounts on the stuff you need.

Office & School Supplies: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Cell Phones: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Computers: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Laptop Notebooks: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
DVDs: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Electronics: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Study Snacks: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Kitchen Appliances: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off
Dorm Decor: 10% Off 20% Off 30% Off 50% Off 70% Off 90% Off

*About the Survey
The NRF 2008 Back to School and Back to College Consumer Intentions and Actions Surveys were designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to back to school spending and back to college spending. The surveys were conducted for NRF by BIGresearch. The poll of 8,361 consumers was conducted from July 1 -8, 2008. The consumer polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent. - NRF.com