August, 2015

For many students, moving from the dorms into an apartment with friends is a rite of passage. Unfortunately, this path to independence comes with a few rough patches that can wreck newly minted college friendships. Because money is often the biggest source of conflict, The First has some tips for keeping your budget and your relationships intact. Start with a plan. Whether it’s an official roommate agreement or a few notes jotted on a piece of scratch paper, write down what is expected from each roommate. Decide early whose name each utility will be under and who will write the [ read more ]

It’s estimated the average college student will pay between $650 and $1000 this year for textbooks (with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM textbooks being the most expensive). Facing little competition in the market, campus bookstores can charge whatever the market will bear. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that textbooks are 15 times more expensive today than they were in 1970—outpacing the inflation rate by 3-1. While students have decried campus bookstores’ high purchase / low sellback prices for decades, only recently have viable, lower cost alternatives emerged. Here are a few ways you can save [ read more ]