College Costs :: essays research papers

Beyond Sticker disaster - Extracurricular College CostsYouve probably already calculated tuition bills and appeal for room and board. Yet the hidden cost of college from pizza to airfare, from library fines to wash drawing money throw out easily add up to a nonher $2,000 per course of instruction.To keep a handle on those extras, youll want to put together a monthly budget that estimates your costs. Be sure to include Books Book costs vary widely, depending on your courses. Call your bookstore to get early word of advice of book prices for your various classes. Transportation and travel If you commute, figure in gondola car insurance, gas and parking fees. Some colleges offer free parking, while others whitethorn charge up to $100 for a permit.Dont forget to include the cost of holiday travel. Often you can cut these costs by carpooling or shopping around for special saver or student rate on airfare.General food Dorm dwellers may stomach a pre-paid college cafeteria plan, while students living off-campus will pay their food bills on a weekly basis. Either way, its good to figure out how much youll pass away at the grocery store and in restaurants.Appliances and utilities Apartment dwellers usually have utility bills gas, electric, heat and water. On-campus students face different charges mini-refrigerator rental fees, for example, can localise from $35 to $120.To trammel speech sound bills, consider getting a pre-paid phone card with a set amount of calling time to limit long-winded and expensive phone calls. For staying in touch on the cheap, learn if your school offers free Internet access and e-mail.Personal supplies Remember when things homogeneous soap, toilet paper, makeup and laundry detergent were just there? Its elementary to forget these when youre planning your budget, but they add up. Washing your clothes at a coin laundromat, for example, will run you $1 to $2 per accuse per week.Fraternity or sorority dues Charges vary widely, d epending on the school and chapter. Budget $30 per month minimum, although $50 fees and more are likely. However, Greek life can have an upside if you live in a house, the dues sometimes wield extras like laundry, social activities and access to a information processing system lab.Printing, copy and computer costs Stock up on printer paper and lax discs at a discount store before the school year starts (on-campus fork up stores often charge many times the going rate). Youll not only save money, youll avoid last-minute exam week supply crises.