What Have You Missed So Far?

The day to day business of college life is fully underway by now on your campus. Your activites, courses, social life and just hanging out has now slotted in to the familiar pattern you've established.
This is a Planet College question for you.  What class have you skipped so far? Is it a boring lecture, an 'easy' lab you can make up 'anytime' or a section which is just to early for your partying body clock to adjust to?

This is a Planet College suggestion. Before this skipping  becomes a habit. Return to the class. Talk to the instructor or the TA.  Ask what you need to do to make up for the missed class or classes.  Then do it. You probably enrolled in this course for some purpose, essentially,  you need it.

The road to an abandoned college career is paved with skipped classes. And it always starts with just one. This time skip skipping, go back, attend and graduate. That is how it is done.

Fees Again Or How Do You Get Your Money?

Planet College has consistently maintained a vigilant approach to student accounts, money, your money.  By this time in your college career you have probably learned that money is even more difficult to hang on to than it is to get.  Planet College again reminds you about one of the basic and enduring drains on your funds, fees. There is a comprehensive post here. This is a Planet College update about your money and your fees.

First think, how do you get your money?  Most all campuses have a student account for each student. Whether you are aware of it not. The traditional college student account system is detailed here and here. Read those entrys if you are unfamiliar with your campus's student account program and policy.

For a while some colleges and university's have issued debit cards in the name of the school but actually sponsored by an outside financial institution. These cards often charged students fees for using ATMs which were not operated by the issuing bank.  If you have had such a card you may have had the frustrating experience of hurrying to the nearest ATM for some quick cash only to find that you have been pretty seriously dinged for a relatively small withdrawl.

 This situation had come to the attention of financial regulators.  Michael Stratford, who writes for InsideHigherED, has published a report about these fees and other matters relating to student financial regulation here.  Mr. Stratford reports The Department of Education is carefully examining the relationship between banks and colleges and the agreements they have concerning these student debit cards.

While these institution confer and decide their policies regarding what is essentially your money there are now steps you can take to preserve your precious dollars.  Simplest among them is locating the nearest no-fee ATMs. While the relative savings may be small the habit of saving or at least spending carefully can add up to a significant sum for you over the term.

Ask Your Freshman Self.

Planet College presents virtually endless possibilites for growth, social, intellecutal, emotional and even physical. Most of these occurr gradually in small increments. The end of the term or school year with the arrival of finals and grades demonstrates your growth in the academic department. Other areas are not so clearly defined. If you look back the changes in you and your life have happened steadily but without much fanfare.

So here's a method which will no doubt clearly show you how you have grown. Interview your freshman self.  That person who arrived on campus during welcome week or move-in day or even at Summer Bridge has a lot to offer you about the changes you have personally experienced on Planet College. Take a few minutes and remember that freshman self. Ask him what he expects from this experience. Ask him what he hopes to accomplish. Carefully consider his reply. Have you experienced what he anticipated. What advice would you give your freshman self? What can you tell him now that you did not know then.  Your reply, that is your advice to your freshman self is essentially what you have learned, about you, school and the world. It is very, very valuable. It is based in what you have lived. And worldwide, on or off campus, there is no teacher like experience.