Advice from Sally Seahawk

Advice+from+Sally+Seahawk

Genevieve Guenther

Sally Seahawk, Contributing Writer

Hi, I’m a freshman and I find that I am broke all the time. My parents don’t send me any money and I’m going through my savings very fast. How do I manage my finances now that I am in college?

This is a very relatable question. Once you begin to live independently and develop a social life in college, managing your money can be difficult. I have a few tips (mostly from experience) that may help you save your cash.

I think that the number one spending problem for students is food. It’s so easy to get roped into going out with your friends for dinner, and it becomes a habit that is hard to break. Going to get cookout once or twice a week is fine, but if you go every night you will see how it can add up. If you have a meal plan, use it wisely! Try to plan out when you’re going to use your teal meals or meal swipes. Use your food dollars sparingly as well, they must last you a whole semester and you’d be surprised how quickly they disappear. If you don’t have a meal plan, I would suggest doing to grocery shopping at supercenter like Walmart. You may not be the best cook but now is your opportunity to learn. Buying your own groceries can be daunting, but in the long run it will save you a considerable amount of money.

You can also try setting a budget of how much you want to spend a week/month. Find a price that works for you. Base it off how much you have left in your savings. For example, start with 20 dollars for food and 20 dollars for everything else (clothes, activities, etc.) As time goes on you can adjust the amounts to what works for you.

If you have tried these things and are still having trouble with the idea of living a frugal life, your next step should probably be looking for a job. Getting a job on campus isn’t as difficult as it seems, there are always new hiring posts on Seawork. Balancing your classes and job can be a concern, but you shouldn’t have many problems if you manage your times wisely. If you inform your employer that you are a college student, they may be willing to work around your schedule. However, if you do have trouble balancing both, you can always quit. It may not be convenient for your boss, but you should do what is best for your health.

-Sally Seahawk

I cannot pull myself out of bed, it’s too comfortable. How do I get to class on time if I can’t get up?

We all struggle getting up in the morning some days, but you can’t let your grades suffer just because your bed is comfortable. A quick fix to this problem is getting to bed on time. Even if your first class is at 12 p.m., going to bed at 3 a.m. is a bad idea. Make sure you are getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep, too much or too little can make it harder to wake up.

Here’s a few tricks you can try if you need to force yourself out of bed: Put your alarm far enough from your bed that you need get up to turn it off. This is a good way to start your morning, after you are up and moving turn on a light or check the notifications on your phone. Anything to keep you from jumping back in bed! If you’re a messy person, try keeping your room clean. This may sound odd, but a clean room can help you get a better sleep and motivate you to get out of bed. If you like coffee in the morning, invest in a coffee maker that starts brewing automatically. Fresh coffee could act as an incentive for you to fully wake up. You can pour yourself a cup to get yourself going.

Something that always helps me get up, especially on the weekends, is thinking of something that needs to be done that morning. Usually I think of something quick that I don’t mind doing, like washing the dishes or writing in my journal. If I go to sleep with a task on my mind, I will wake up thinking that there is something I need to do. It puts a fire under my feet and makes me start moving.

I think that any of these tips could help you wake up in the morning, but I want to encourage you to make sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep. Not only will this help you wake up a little easier in the morning, it is beneficial to your health as well!

-Sally Seahawk

Hello, I’m a junior who is double majoring in film and econ. I would rather focus on studying film, but I’ve already spent so much money on econ classes. I’m really struggling with them, should I drop my econ major?

I can totally relate to the stress of double majoring. There are so many requirements and so little time! It can be hard to choose between your classes and what is best for you.

First, I would suggest speaking with your advisor(s). Not only will they be able to aid you with how many credits or classes you need to take, they can also give you an alternate perspective about if sticking with your major will be beneficial to you and your health.  Be prepared to let them know all the problems and struggles that you are having with your majors, and I’m sure they will be more than happy to give you advice.

If you really think that keeping your econ major is affecting your health or GPA, I would start thinking more seriously about dropping the major. School should be one of your main priorities, but your number one priority should be yourself. Another option could be keeping Economics as your minor. Because you’re a junior, you may be very close in credits to getting a minor. This is a good way to stick with Econ if you’re not completely sure you want to drop it, but would like to reduce how many more classes you need to take.

In the end, this decision is up to you. I have talked to my advisors, parents and friends about whether I should keep both of my majors. Every conversation ends with “It depends on what you would like to do with your degrees.” Although this can be frustrating to hear, it is true. Making decisions that can have a major affect your future is one of the scariest things you can do in college.  Take some time for yourself to think about what you think is best for you. I cannot stress this enough. Don’t stress yourself out about how much money you’ve spent on classes or the feeling that you must continue with Economics because you’ve already invested so much time into it. What matters the most is what makes you happy. You may be stressed out now about the money you’re spending or the time you feel like will be wasted, but in the future, you will thank yourself for making a decision that is good for you.

-Sally Seahawk