You have to do a FAFSA every year!
Remember in your senior year of high school when you decided on a college and your parents sat down next to you and filled out the FAFSA? Well, you have to keep doing that every year in college if you want to continue getting financial aid from the government. Many times, if your parents claim you on their taxes you have to fill out their earnings on your part of the FAFSA worksheet. Reading those tax forms are not only boring but confusing! My advice to you all is to make reminders at the beginning of each semester to check your account standing with the university, to ensure that everything’s in order!
Remember to do your taxes!
No one really tells you that once you’re in college, you have to remember to do your taxes. You have to remember to collect W2’s from your university and jobs you’ve had in the past year. You also have to figure out how to actually fill out the form. My suggestion would be to use Turbotax. It is a free way to do your taxes online, and it gives you step by step instructions on what to fill out. Then once you’ve done it, every year after will get easier and easier.
The drama still happens…
Unfortunately, drama still happens in college and will follow you for the rest of your life. Disagreements between friends, roommates, and suitemates are bound to happen in such close quarters. The way you handle a situation can make all the difference. Save the mean texts or side-eyes, and have face to face conversations with the person in conflict. Texting can escalate arguments because no one can see your body language, or hear your tone of voice. Once you solve your issues, make a promise to speak to your friends, roommates, and suitemates or whoever it is, that you will bring up any more issues in person! This eliminates the “He said, She said!” and helps the problem to be solved quickly.
You have to find new doctors during the school year that are close to school.
No one ever tells you that during college you’re going to have to find new doctors. On top of that, you have to figure out what insurance provider your parents have, and what doctor’s offices are covered. Even though I am a local, I can not tell you the countless times I have had to sit on hold with a doctor just to make an appointment. Finding doctors who are taking new patients is also important so that you can make your appointment ASAP!
Banking!
If you have a debit card, you most likely have online banking. Online banking, Venmo, and Apple Pay are all great to keep tabs on your finances during college, but what happens when you have issues? Many students are not locals, so finding the bank you use around here can be difficult. My suggestion is to open up an account with a local credit union for easy access in case you can’t access your bank from back home.