Payback Essay Contest by Lacy Wolters https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf Please "Like" the essay that you feel is the best. Thank you! en-us 2019-10-15 18:28:01 UTC 2019-10-21 14:09:04 UTC hello@padlet.com lacy_wolters https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398103273 Dear ***, 

It is very important to manage your money wisely during your college years, especially if you are not receiving financial help from friends or family. One skill you need to learn is how to prioritize your expenses. Figure out the difference between a want and a need. You always want to purchase the things you need before you purchase anything that you want. Your needs are far more important than your wants. Another helpful tip to manage your money is to track your expenses. Make a log of what you spend your money on, how much money you earned that month, etc. This will help you to set goals and save some money for things that you might want or need. In addition to tracking and prioritizing expenses, it’s obvious that you will need to get a job. A little income is better than no income. You will need money to pay for everything that you may need during your college years. Without a job, that would be almost impossible. A next step to take is to have a plan. Plan for your next purchase. Instead of buying something you want right away, make some more money first and budget for that item. It may be hard, but learning to be patient is a big key to being financially successful. In conclusion, you need to know and be aware of how to spend your money carefully. Doing so will help you to be well off financially. ]]> 2019-10-15 18:29:38 UTC https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398103273 lacy_wolters https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398103455 Dear ***,

It is important to get involved in college and make great connections along the way. However, do not make yourself too busy leading you to struggle managing your time and focus. In order to thrive in college you should maintain a budget to follow in order to save yourself from any extra debt. You should also set up an emergency savings account just in case an unexpected situation occurs and you need to pay something in the moment. Also, make sure you are getting applied for your classes on time and renewing your FAFSA and any other renewable scholarships and grants to maintain your debt. In addition, make sure you keep yourself focused and stay on top of your grades and classes. Be aware of the risks in doing certain activities and make sure to keep yourself safe and away from any wrongdoings. Do not forget to make frequent visits to your hometown in order to talk with your family and friends about how your schooling is going. Staying connected with your family and friends could help you with the stress involved with being in college. Make sure that you are majoring in something that will make it manageable to pay off your debt and keep your debt as low as possible. Most importantly, make sure you enjoy these great years of your life and continue to live your greatest life and be the best version of yourself you can be. 


]]> 2019-10-15 18:29:55 UTC https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398103455 lacy_wolters https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398105135 Dear Future Self,

By the time college comes around you should have a plan on what you’re going to do and work on making it happen. You need to take a year off of school so you can go to college a year after you graduate high school. I hope you save up enough money for college and also apply for a lot of scholarships. Hopefully you get a good paying job and find a place to live, but with a roommate that way you can split the costs on everything. 
You still need to figure out which college you want to go to -- whether it’s Barton for 2 years or Fort Hays for 4 years. You need to be thinking about whether you are going to stay in a dorm or get and apartment, and what your priorities are. You should keep studying that way you don’t forget a lot of stuff while you’re in college. Also get a vehicle before then that is reliable so you don’t have to get rides to college and so you don’t have to spend money on fixing it all of the time. I don’t think you should open any credit cards unless you know for a fact you can pay them off on time every month. Try to keep you credit score high. Hopefully you will have enough money for college by the time you go. You should really try to stay with one job during the time you’re not in school.


]]> 2019-10-15 18:32:37 UTC https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398105135 lacy_wolters https://padlet.com/lacy_wolters/6t7af3nz6jzf/wish/398107096 The online game PAYBACK is a very realistic game that can be used to inform your parents about the costs of college in the real life. The PAYBACK game shows what the cost would be per year at a college and shows if it would be more affordable to go to an out of state, in state, private, or community college. 
You can talk to your parents about the best ways to save money and buy things. A key concept that is learned in the game are ways that can help you understand how your debt accumulates. These are textbooks, school supplies, meal plans, laptops, dorm/apartment items, and more. These are essential to talk about with parents to help save as much money as possible to lower the debt of the student. Although the game does not have scholarships taken into account, it shows how working can help lower the debt. Balancing school work and a job can be difficult and it shows that in the game so picking good hours would be a conversation with one's parents. In addition, the game PAYBACK informs you that your student debt should not be higher than your starting salary. This is important because it can show what college option is the best for you. The also shows that taking trips and dining out can also increase your student debt. Parents may discuss how their kids should manage their time in college and make the right decisions to save the most money.


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