Embarking on the journey to college is often the first time teenagers start to live by themselves, getting prepared for the adult world.
One of the essential items to purchase is something for taking notes. This could be the popular iPad with an Apple pencil, a traditional notebook, or newer alternatives like E-ink tablets such as the Remarkable tablet, which has been oriented towards more productive note-taking.
“For college, I am probably going to buy some clothes, some stationery, and maybe some shoes and I am probably going to take notes on an iPad so I can keep it all organized, and it would be ideal to make diagrams since I am majoring in biology,” said Ramki Krish (‘24).
Subscriptions are also something to consider when planning for college, whether it’s for streaming services, academic resources, essential software, or meal delivery. A lot of companies give discounted plans to students and some colleges even provide resources for free like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Cloud.
“I plan to do a combo [of both digital and paper note-taking], so I will use some AI tools such as TurboLearn to do digital notes, and also I’ll handwrite some notes in my notebook as well,” said Logan Seto (‘24).
College students are known to be busy and might struggle to find the time to cook, especially with 17 hours of study a week on average. While colleges often provide meal plans, investing in popular but expensive cooking chef bots may also be considered for added convenience, although being towards the pricey side.
“I don’t know if this is allowed or not, but I would buy an air fryer so I can cook things easily. And then furniture, probably like a super comfortable mattress because I want to get my sleep. Just probably like a good bed, you know, because you want to make sure that you sleep well so you can wake up fresh,” said Krish.
In today’s world, where student debt is a significant concern and living costs continue to rise, it is essential to keep a close eye on the budget, and a few apps can help toward that.
“I’m going to probably make a spreadsheet of all my categorized expenses every week and then try and, you know, lower that as much as I can,” said Krish.
A major factor that influences a credit score, building a positive credit history during college can have long-term benefits, including potentially lowering student loan interest rates.
“I plan on getting a credit card because when we start building our credit history, and obviously since we’re taking student loans and whatnot, it’s important to build that credit history so that way loans are more favorable to us. So maybe that means getting a credit card and paying off little by little,” said Dhanvanth Rajesh (‘25)
