I hope this guide will give you the tools necessary to stay afloat financially in college when you have to rely on yourself for income. There are so many fun things to do, see, and accomplish in college, but without a part-time job, I wouldn’t be able to afford any of them. I’m thankful for the resources my college provides to help me build my resume and gain experience in the field I’m studying, all while making an income to pay for iced lattes, gas, plane tickets, and everything in between.

Before College

One piece of advice I wish I had known before starting college is to save money from part-time jobs and graduation gifts to use during your freshman year. Most students don’t get a job right away in school so they can get used to the new lifestyle and focus on their studies. During this time, you’ll want to try so many new things! I went to the beach, movies, restaurants, and coffee shops with my new friends to explore our college town. I started to realize I should have saved more of my grad party money instead of using the majority of it on dorm decorations…

Before Applying

Before applying for jobs, there are a few things you need to help you stand out to employers:

• Resume: Make an appointment with the career center at your college to update your experience, skills, and awards, and to ensure your resume is in the proper format. This is the most important step to getting a job!
• LinkedIn: This social platform allows you to connect with alumni, professors, peers, and future employers in your field. You can also apply for jobs on LinkedIn. Your campus career center should be able to help with this!
• Cover Letter: This is a one-page business letter that conveys your interest in the job position you’re seeking. Not all employers ask for a cover letter, but it’s good to have one ready.
• Career Center: At the college I attend, students have access to the career center for life! They provide many services for students, including career advising, professional headshots, on- and off-campus employment, searching for internships, connecting with future employers through networking events, applying for grad school, and planning for life post-grad. The staff connect students with alumni through the career mentor program, LinkedIn, and internships to learn and gain experience in their field.

On Campus Jobs

If you’re a student without a vehicle, on-campus jobs are a great opportunity to earn extra income. I live off-campus and have a vehicle, but I choose to work a few jobs on campus to fill in gaps in my schedule. It’s important to keep in mind that on-campus jobs typically pay minimum wage, but they come with perks! When you work on campus, you’re working for the school, which means they are usually flexible with your class schedule and don’t require you to work many hours per week. This also means you can have school breaks off, like fall, spring, summer, and Christmas break.

As a student employee, I am paid through Federal Work-Study, which is a type of financial aid that allows you to work up to 20 hours per week on campus through the college. Every college will have different job opportunities, but you’ll usually apply for positions at the beginning of the semester. I am a junior in college studying marketing, and I have had a few different jobs on campus, including:

• Career Center student assistant
• Student ambassador (college tour guide)
• Social media content creator (TikTok and IG)

Other popular job positions and offices at my college include:

• Tutor
• Note taker
• TA
• Waterfront assistant
• Barista
• Recycler
• Farmworker
• Athletics (manager, media, assistant, etc)
• Global education office
• Library work scholar
• Bookstore employee
• Summer job opportunities (internships, part time jobs, etc)

Off Campus Jobs & Internships

If you’re like me, you might prefer to work off-campus to gain more experience, take a break from campus life, and find jobs with higher wages. I have worked numerous jobs during my first two years of college, so I’ve really taken time management to a whole new level when it comes to balancing work, school, study, and leisure time. There are endless job opportunities for college students in my area, but finding the right fit for you can be challenging. I use LinkedIn and Indeed to find employers hiring in my area, but contacting the career center at your college is also a great place to start, as they have career contacts with alumni and professionals in your field.

Popular off campus jobs for students:

• Rover – Dog walking, dog sitting, and boarding
• Care.com – Babysitting, dog sitting, cleaning, and senior care
• Life Guard -Local pools, YMCA, or even college campus
• Tutor
• Beverage Cart Attendant – This was such a fun job!
• Bartending
• Barista – check out my Top 8 Coffee Shops in St Pete
• Hostess/Server

Remote Work

• Digital Marketing – HELLO TikTok shop and influencer marketing!
• Network marketing
• Virtual Assistant
• Customer Service Rep
• Remote internships

To learn more about job opportunities and how you can stand out, make an appointment with the career center at your college, attend networking events, and take opportunities to build your resume!

The post GUIDE TO MAKING MONEY IN COLLEGE appeared first on Madison A Franklin.

Florida Seasons

Although Florida is typically “warm” year round, you should probably pack more than just crop tops and bikinis. While the summers are long, hot, and humid, it’s also rainy season. June-November is hurricane season, and it rains almost every day for about 30 minutes.

Florida winter temperatures rarely reach the 40s. However, some days can be chilly. Even when it’s warm outside, the classrooms are much cooler, so I recommend packing a few light jackets.

What to Pack for College: Clothing Edition

If there is anything I’ve learned from organizing my clothes in a college dorm closet, it’s that I have way too many (or maybe the closet is just too small). If you live in traditional housing on campus, chances are you’ll have the wardrobe closet. If you live in Sigma or West Lodge, there are two closet spaces in the wall and one wardrobe.

While it may be tempting to pack your entire closet with “just in case clothes”, I promise you’ll be more organized in your small living space if you leave some things at home. It’s also important to recognize you might want to completely reinvent yourself and your style when you move to Eckerd. While my wardrobe didn’t change drastically when I moved here, I found myself wearing a lot more shorts and dresses than jeans and sweatshirts.

• College spirit wear
• Swimwear
• Raincoat
• Rain boots (optional)
• Tops (t-shirt, tank tops)
• Light jackets/sweatshirts
• Dresses
• 1 or 2 business casual outfits
• Underwear, bras, socks
• Bottoms (jeans, shorts, skirts, sweatpants)
• Athletic clothes
• Slippers
• Shoes you wear the most (1 pair of heels, sandals, gym shoes, beach shoes, sneakers, going out shoes, cowboy boots)

What to Pack for College: Laundry

If you live in traditional housing, the washer and dryers are outside the lounge and shared with everyone in the complex. If you live in Sigma or West Lodge, the laundry machines are free to use and inside a room on the first or second floor. Although the laundry machines are provided, you will need to bring all other laundry necessities!

• Detergent
• Downy wrinkle releaser
• Laundry bag
• Dryer sheets (optional)

What to Pack for College: Bathroom Supplies

Students living in traditional housing will have four bathrooms to share with about 19 students on the floor. There are four sinks outside the bathroom for brushing your teeth, washing your face, etc. The bathrooms include a shower, toilet, sink, and mirror with real door (not like a bathroom stall LOL). They are cleaned once a day by the cleaning staff and deep cleaned on the weekend.

If you live in Sigma or West Lodge, your bathroom is connected to your room and only shared between you and your roommates. While the cleaning staff will clean the toilet once a week, refill toilet paper, and soap, make sure you bring cleaning supplies to deep clean it yourself.

• Bath towels (2-4)
• Washcloths
• Paper towels
• Medication
• Shower caddy
• Shower shoes
• Shower supplies (shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, shaving cream, loofah)
• Skincare, tweezers
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Hair supplies
• Hand soap (optional)
• Trash can
• Trash bags
• Toothbrush holder
• Towel wrap/hair wrap
• Clorox wipes
• Antibacterial spray
• First aid kit
• Deodorant, cologne, perfume
• Reusable cotton rounds (to remove makeup)

Extra Supplies for Sigma & West Lodge

• Dish soap
• Bathroom rugs
• Shower curtain
• Storage (optional)
• Toothbrush holder
• Hand towels
• Shower organizer

What to Pack for College: School Supplies

The only thing you should need for the first day of college is your laptop and possibly a notebook with writing utensils. If you log in to the Eckerd Bookstore you can type in the CRN number for your class to see the textbooks required. Unless your professor says otherwise, I would wait until the first day of class to confirm you will actually need the textbook.

One of the best places to look for textbooks are at Trash 2 Treasure which will be open on move in day. Other websites I would check out are Amazon or Chegg. The campus bookstore sells textbooks and rentals also.

• Laptop
• Note taking items (iPad, notepad, pens/pencils)
• Textbooks (I don’t recommend buying your textbooks until you’re professors says you’ll need it!)
• Highlighters
• Sticky notes
• Calculator
• Backpack
• Scissors
• Index cards
• Folders
• Planner (paper or online)
• Stapler
• Tape

What to Pack for College: Dorm Essentials

• Mattress topper (MUST have)
• Bedside lamp
• Storage bins
• 2 sets of twin XL bedsheets
• Command hooks
• Area rug
• Decor
• Door mat (Sigma/West Lodge)
• Mini fridge with freezer
• Microwave
• Hangers
• Steamers
• Power strip
• Headphones or Earbuds (MUST have)
• Air purifier/ dehumidifier
• Reusable water bottle (85 water bottle filling stations at Eckerd)
• Reading pillow
• Reusable silverware, plates, cups
• Bed risers
• Diffuser to make your room smell good!
• Magic bullet, blender (optional)
• Keurig and coffee cups (optional)
• Vacuum/broom
• Umbrella
• Longboard/bike (optional)
• Small fan
• Food storage
• 10 ft charger
• Bug spray
• Drying rack for wet clothes (optional)
• Tissues
• Small mirror
• Power surge
• Door stopper (if you’re in traditional housing)
• Small safe (passport, money, valuable)

What to Pack for College: Beach Essentials

Eckerd College is only 10 minutes away from some of the best beaches in the nation! My favorite location for beach combing is Pass-A-Grille Beach, near the Don Cesar hotel! On the weekends, I prefer Fort De Soto beach because there is more parking than other beaches. St Pete, Beach access is always beautiful, but the parking lot isn’t large. Eckerd has it’s own waterfront if you don’t want to leave campus!

• Beach towel
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Beach chair or blanket
• Speaker
• Goggles/snorkel

What NOT to Pack for College

• Printer
• Your entire wardrobe
• Iron/ironing board (bring a steamer or downy wrinkle releaser)
• Valuables
• Candles
• Hot plates (coffee pot, toaster, toaster oven)
• Large furniture
• Heaters & electric blankets
• Toilet paper
• Mattress
• Too many pillows, water bottles, blankets, stuffed animals, makeup, skincare
• Duplicate items with your roommate
• TV (wait to see what space you have)
• Too many cooking utensils (there are communal dishes)
• Large pets (wait until second semester!)

Don’t panic if you feel unprepared for college. Eckerd College is just off the highway and a short distance from Publix, CVS, and Walmart. You can always order anything you forgot to buy from Amazon or drive to nearby stores to grab what you need! Move-in day can be stressful, so have patience, take in the moment, and stay hydrated!

Be sure to prepare for arrival by reviewing the Autumn Term schedule and packing list provided by Eckerd. While you’re packing, be mindful of the impact your items have on environment! Here are reusable and plastic-free alternatives to take a look at while you’re deciding what to pack for Eckerd College! Reusable and plastic-free alternative Make sure to check out Trash to Treasure, Eckerd’s campus wide sale selling second hand items from students for “dirt cheap”. At Trash to Treasure there are used microwaves, fridges, lamps, bed risers, textbooks, bikes, cooking supplies, and dorm essentials. You never know what treasures you might find!

Go Tritons! XOXO

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