Written on 6/04/2008 by Soo L. of womopo.com - practical tips and advice for men. 
There are many costs involved with going to college including tuition, books, housing, entertainment, and food. These costs can quickly add up and make life after college a financial nightmare.
To avoid getting into a sticky situation yourself, here are ten practical money tips for you, the college student. Try some of these tips to lower the amount of debt you end up with, and to help clear your head after graduation. If you are the parent of a college student, send them this list.
- Be Careful Of Promotions On Campus
There are certain companies and organizations that make money by preying on naive and unsuspecting college students. Some examples of this are credit card companies, loan companies, and employers looking for dirt cheap labor. Just be aware of the people out there hoping to make an easy buck off of you. Regardless of the endorsements, read the fine print.
- Don't Eat Out All The Time
It may be convenient and tempting to eat out frequently, but it can end up costing you a lot of money. Start keeping track of how many times you eat out every week or month, to see how the costs add up. You might be surprised by how much money you spend on food.
- Use Your Credit Card For Emergencies Only
With all of the expenses associated with going to college, it can be very easy to rack up a lot of credit card debt. So instead of making poor decisions with your credit card, save it for emergencies only. It is easy to overspend and spend without thinking when you're paying with plastic, but when you pay with cash, things are very different.
- Commute To School
Living off campus and commuting to school is an option that can help you save a bundle of money. This is especially true if you go to school on an urban campus, where rent can cost a lot of money. The cost of gas, insurance, parking, and maintenance can be far less than paying for rent in many cases.
- Buy Books Online Before The Semester Starts
Most college students know that buying books on campus can be a big rip off. The profit margins at college and university bookstores can be as high as 50%. The main reason why students buy from these book stores is because of convenience. It's so much easier to get your books on campus and go right to class, but the costs are just too high. If you plan ahead and buy your books online, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars per semester.
- Consolidate Loans
Do the math and find out if consolidating your school loans will make it easier to pay them off in the future. In many cases, loan consolidation can help simplify and reduce your overall debt and interest payments.
- Get A Part Time Job
If you have time outside of your academic and social life, consider taking on a part time job to make extra money. Having a part time job will give you some extra cash to pay for the things you need and help you avoid adding more to your debts. Many schools offer work/study programs that pay students tax free.
- Max Out Financial Aid And Scholarships
Find financial aid and scholarship programs to help pay for your education and other expenses. There is probably a scholarship program for your particular major, ethnicity group, or background. Most of these scholarships require a simple essay and resume and can be well worth the time and effort put into applying for them. The bottom line is, if you're not maxing out the amount of financial aid and scholarships you receive, you're leaving money on the table.
- Take Advantage Of Student Discounts
Ask around to find out about restaurants and entertainment venues that offer discounts to college students. You can get discounts on meals, movie tickets, concert tickets, and clothing just for having a college ID. If you're going to spend money on these things anyway, you might as well try to get a discount.
- Study Hard
The best way to save money in college is to make the most of the money you're spending. If you study hard and do well academically, the thousands and thousands of dollars you spent to go to school will have been that much better spent. So do the best you can and make the most of your tuition dollars.
College is expensive and is getting more expensive each year. Most college students are unprepared to face the financial burdens that are required to earn a degree. With these ten tips, you’ll have a better chance of maintaining your financial health throughout college.
-Soo
译文:
看起来容易，做起来难：在大学里10种省钱的方法
Soo L.2008年6月4号写于womopo.com——对人们实用的建议。
上大学涉及要用的费用很多，包括学费、书本费、住房费、娱乐费和伙食。这些费用会迅速增加并且把你毕业后的生活变成财政噩梦。
为了避免自己陷入一个棘手的情况，这里有十条对大学生实用的理财建议。尝试这里的几条建议来减少你最终的债务，同时帮助你毕业后还清债务。如果你是大学生的父母，给他们看看这些建议。
1.小心校园里的推销
有某些公司和机构通过猎食那些涉世未深、天真的大学生来赚钱。这方面的例子比如信用卡公司，贷款公司和寻找廉价劳动力的雇主。要知道那些人只是想从你们身上容易赚到钱罢了。不管那些宣传，认真阅读并理解细则。
2.不要总是在外面吃东西
经常在外面吃饭或许是方便和吸引人的，但是最终会是你用了很多钱。尝试记录下你每周或者每月在外面吃饭的次数，看看加起来的总额是多少。你可能会惊讶你在食品上面的花销。
3.只在紧急情况下才使用你的信用卡
在所有的与大学相关的花销中，你会很容易大量增加你信用卡的债务。所以不如省下来，只在紧急情况下使用信用卡，以此代替你在愚蠢的决定下使用信用卡。当你用信用卡买东西的时候你会很容易就超支而且花钱没有经过深思熟虑，但是如果你是用现金付款，那情况就大大不同了。
4.通勤上学
在校外住和通勤上学是一个能够帮助你节省一大笔钱的选择。如果你在市区学校上课更是如此，那里房租就能花掉很大一笔钱。在很多情况下，瓦斯、保险、停车和维修这些费用就远远少于你租房的费用。
5.开学前在网上购书
多数大学生都知道在大学里买书就像被人敲竹杠一样。大学书店卖书的利润率高达50%。学生在书店买书的主要原因就是因为方便。在校园里买书很容易并且可以直接就带去上课，但是那费用就是太高了。如果你事先计划好在网上买书，那么你每个学期就会省下几百块美元。
6.合并贷款
算一下并且找出合并你学校的贷款是不是会使你未来更容易偿还。在很多情况下，合并贷款能帮你简化和减少你全部的债务和利息。
7.找一份兼职
如果除了学业和社交活动你还有时间的话，考虑一下找一份兼职赚点外快。有份兼职能给你赚点额外的钱来购买必需品，而且还可以帮你避免增加更多的债务。许多学校还给学生提供免税的半工读的计划。
8.最大化的财政援助和奖学金
寻找财政援助和奖学金来帮你支付教育费用和其他费用。可能会有一种奖学金是提供给你特定的专业，种族或者背景。大部分这种奖学金只需要一篇简单的论文和个人简历，并且你投入期间的时间和努力会获得很好的回报。大概就是，如果你没有最大化的获得财政援助和奖学金，你就等于把它们白白错过了。
9.利用学生折扣
问问你周围的人，找出一些提供给大学生折扣的饭店和娱乐场所。只要你有个学生证，你就可以在吃饭、电影票、音乐会门票和衣服上打折扣。不管怎么样如果你打算在这些方面花钱，你不妨尝试去要个折扣。
10.努力学习
在大学里最好省钱的方式就是最大限度地利用你要花的钱。如果你努力学习并且在学术上做得好，上学所花的成千上万块钱就会花得更有价值。所以，全力以赴做到最好并且充分利用你的学费。
大学是昂贵的，并且每一年都在变得越来越贵。许多大学生还没有做好准备去面对获取学位所必需的经济负担。根据这十条建议，你将有更好的机会在你大学生涯里保持财政健康。
——Soo