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My One Year Student Loan Payoff Update

  January 28, 2022 marked my one year anniversary of paying off my student loans . Reflecting back on choosing to pay off my student loans leaves me with several take a ways that I want to share with you! In September 2020 I decided to become debt free by utilizing the debt snowball method to pay off all my debt. Before this I had struggled to save and really understand basic financial principles. As a first-generation college student, I received a scholarship to attend undergrad for free, but the scholarship did not cover summers. During the summers I took out student loans to cover costs without paying interest rates or how much I was taking out. By the end of undergrad I had amassed a little under $17K. Fast forward to graduate school I received another scholarship that covered my education. At the time I was a teacher in a new very expensive city and I had missed the cutoff to have my paycheck last me throughout the summer. So, I decided to take out a loan for two summers to keep

Maximizing your Summer as a College Student

 With last week being finals week at the university I work at the summer has officially started for students! The summer is a great time to re-charge and get ahead on your goals especially if you aren’t taking summer courses. This last week on my YouTube channel I talked about how students can make the best out of their summer. 


Figure 1: This is a thumbnail from my YouTube channel on Maximizing your Summer as a College Student. 

First things first if you don't already have a job look into getting a summer job to stack some cash for the upcoming year. A summer job doesn't have to be within your planned field of study your just trying to secure some extra cash! The summer is a great time to work increased hours so you can hit some of those financial goals that you've been waiting on. Next look into studying abroad. With COVID restrictions being rolled back many countries are now opening back up for tourists. Studying abroad would give you a rich cultural experience to add to your resume while opening your eyes to other possible opportunities that you may interested in. 

Figure 2: This is a picture of a globe. 


Now is also the time to apply for scholarships and make sure that all your paperwork is in for the upcoming fall semester. Many times students wait until the week of courses to start to collect financial aid documents when they could have done this months ago. Fall scholarship opportunities are posted over the summer and many students bypass them leaving lot's of free money on the table! Don't let this be you! Take care of business now while you aren't so busy! 



Figure 3: This is stack of one hundred dollar bills. 



Lastly, take the time to build your resume with specific job experience that matches your career goals. Many students leave college without any work experience which can be harmful when looking for a job upon graduation. Now is the time to look into internships or volunteering within your field. Don't get hung up on if the opportunity is paid because many times they won't. You are looking for targeted experience which will assist you in securing the paid position you want one day! Be sure to check out the video below for more information and be sure to listen for my SPECIAL announcement. Hint hint I'm releasing a special something on next Wednesday. 

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