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
Summer courses are starting next month and many
students are undecided if they should take a few courses. I typically take
courses during the summer as I do not want to forget anything important from
what I’ve learned during the typical school year and it keeps me on a schedule.
If you are someone who is unsure on whether to take summer courses there are
several things for you to consider. Summer courses are shorter and the class
times are longer. For example, the summer semester will be a typical 12-16 week
fall/spring semester jammed into 6-8 weeks. Most times classes are held for
1-2X a week for 2-3 hours. This is why I strongly caution students from taking
harder classes like the upper level math and science courses. You should only
take GPA boosters like electives or other easy to pass courses.
Figure 1: This is a thumbnail from my YouTube channel on Should I Take Summer Classes in College? I am looking up at the sun with sunglasses on the top of my head.
If you are planning to graduate in four years then you
will need to take summer courses. This will help to ensure that you meet your four-year
goal and save money so that you are not enrolled longer than you need to be. For
students who have already decided that they will take summer courses and you
normally live on campus during the fall/spring semester be sure that your
living arrangements and meal options are covered. Some scholarships do not pay for
housing or meals during the summer so you want to make sure that you have secured
other options to cover these costs.
Figure
2: This is a graduation hat.
You will also need to apply for financial aid now as funds are limited during the summer and the earlier you apply the more chance you have of securing some of these funds. Lastly, organization is key during the summer. One missed class or assignment and you could fail the course so if you are struggling in this area you may want to make sure your organizational skills are up to par before taking summer courses!
Figure 3: This is a picture of a notepad with financial aid written on it, a piggy bank, money, and a calculator.
Are you taking summer courses? If so, how do you stay on top of things? Drop down in the comments and let me know! Don’t forget my new eBook is out “Adult Daily Living Skills: What’s the Big Deal?” be sure to use the coupon code below for $5 off!
Figure 3: This is the cover of my eBook. I am standing in the kitchen smiling with my arms folded while wearing a white top and pink skirt.
Coupon Code: Ms. Duggan
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