How to Manage Your Money Freshman Year of College

Creating a smart financial plan now will pay off later in life. Learn about credit scores, line items, and online resources that will make balancing your budget easier.

The good news about starting college: you have more control over your life! But this power also comes with responsibility, especially when it comes to your finances. Even if you're not supporting yourself (thanks, Mom and Dad!), you need to be smart about managing money while you experience your newfound independence. The monetary behaviors you instate now will carry through to your adult life. According to financial expert Alexa von Tobel, the average college senior graduates with $4,000 in credit card debt, not to mention $30,000 in student debt. We asked her and other experts about what you can do to establish an easy, practical plan for spending and saving.

Create a budget.

"No matter how little your budget is, it's never too early to start a budget or spending plan," says Galia Gichon, the founder of Down-to-Earth Finance, a financial resource for women. "Money from your parents, financial aid, and your job are the three main sources. Start setting up a regular savings account around those few line items. For example: if you have $400 month, put $50 towards your cell phone bill, $50 towards spring break savings, and $50 towards going out at night. Take those few minutes at the beginning of the month or week to plan. I like to do things on a weekly basis because if you deviate one week, you can start over the next."

Set priorities.

"Now is the time to decide what is important to you and what you can go without," says Nicole Lapin, the founder of Recessionista.com. "Can't live without your weekly Bikram class? That's fine! Need a monthly manicure? That's fine, too! These small indulgences will keep you on track from splurging on other unnecessary expenses."

Consider opening a credit card in your own name.

"You should have a credit card that you only use to buy small things like a coffee or lunch so that you can establish really good credit," says Alexa von Tobel, the founder of LearnVest, a financial website that aims to empower women. "Your credit score is the only grade that matters after you graduate from college. Scores range from 300 to 850. If your score is above 760, that's fabulous. By having a good credit score, it means anytime you need to borrow money—like when you buy a home or car—it's a big signal of your responsibility. The more responsible you are, the less risky you are to the bank, so you'll get a much lower interest rate on the loan that you're borrowing. Your credit starts the second you have your first credit card in your own name. You need to pay your bills on time and in full every single month."

But don't open multiple credit cards.

"In college, you can open a credit card and get a discount on pizza," says von Tobel. "Opening a card is a big thing for your finances, and it shouldn't be something you do freely for a 15 percent discount."

Monitor your ATM usage.

"Start off conservatively when you're budgeting your living, food, and transportation expenses," says Lapin. "Then, hit the ATM for any extra 'fun money,' but set a tight limit—for example, five to ten percent of your monthly paycheck. Take out just that amount of cash and stash it somewhere safe. When you run out, guess what? Show's over until next month."

Buy gently used textbooks.

"Your college bookstore will typically mark-up textbooks for convenience," says Lapin. It's just as convenient—if not more so—to buy your books online and save money. TextbookRecycling.com even donates a portion of each sale to charity, and BookRenter.com lets you rent expensive textbooks a semester or entire year."

Use apps to track your spending habits.

"Mint.com is an excellent app to look at where your money went the prior month," says Galia. "You can get a snapshot of your spending history. There are also a lot of apps like Pennies and You Need a Budget. Each time you spend, you can plug it into your phone and keep a tally."

Plan ahead.

"A lot of students want to travel, whether it's for spring break or a semester abroad," says Galia. "If you save $50 a month towards that, it shows your parents that you're taking on responsibility towards planning towards a future goal. You're communicating about money with your parents, which is something that students often don't do."

Spring 2013

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Forming Friendships the First Week of College: What to Know and Expect

As you start freshman year and settle into campus life, aim to meet classmates who share your interests and values.

If you're like most incoming college freshmen, it's been a while since you started from scratch and made new friends. Rest assured: almost everyone's in the same position as you. The classic rules to making new friends certainly apply—be open-minded, friendly, and make sure to smile! But you can also use the unique social situations on college campuses to your advantage by joining student groups and meeting people who share your major. Remember that it takes time to settle into campus life, and the students you meet during orientation probably won't comprise your friend group for the next four years. We asked the experts about what you should keep in mind as you meet your classmates.

Look for friends with common interests.

"Figure out what you like and what you want to achieve at college; after that, seek out the communities that are involved in those kinds of activities and have similar values," says Kelci Lucier, an education writer for About.com and US News & World Report. "You can meet people through a sports team, club, and your major's department. Head to programs, speakers, or events. If your community doesn't exist, go ahead and make one! College campuses are always open to new groups—chances are, if you're feeling a lack of community around something, other students are too."

Aim for variety.

"One nice thing about college is that you can have different friends who play different roles in your life," says Lucier. "You can have your studious friends with whom you know you can cram for a midterm and as well as more social friends with whom you know you can go out with on weekends."

Step outside of your comfort zone.

"Stay open to meeting new friends, even if you already know people from high school going to your college," says Jenny Blake, author of Life After College. "Challenge yourself. Think about the quote, 'do one thing each day that scares you.' Talk to one new person each day and try to expand beyond that initial comfort zone of a clique."

Try to avoid cliques.

"Cliques in college are very different from high school," says Lucier. "Because people travel in so many different circles—for example, people who live in your residence hall, chemistry majors, students in the organic farming club—cliques in college are pretty fluid. So, it's important to always be open to meeting new people. Each semester will bring changes to the groups you belong to, so you'll always have a chance to break out and meet new people if you feel stuck. The challenge is really figuring out which community to join, not finding one!"

Prioritize quality over quantity.

"There's a window when new students will be much more open to connections, and that window stays open for about the first six weeks of school," says Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out. "There are positives and negatives to that. The good part is that you can connect easily and quickly with a lot of people. The bad part is you can go overboard and read too much into the connections you're making."

Don't be afraid to distance yourself.

"You may wake up one day and ask, what am I doing with these people? This is not me," says Simmons. "It's important to spin that in a positive way. It means that you're getting more confident about your life at college and what you want. That's exciting! It doesn't mean that everything's a mess. You don't want to burn any bridges, but it's important to start scheduling time to be in situations without those friends. If you're in a pack of friends, you probably don't look like someone who wants to make new ones."

Realize that some of your friendships are fleeting.

"It's important to remember that some friendships may last, and others may not, and that's totally normal," says Simmons. "You're in a new place, and you're going to get overwhelmed by a very large social community. It takes time to find your tribe. It doesn't mean you're bad at making friends."

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