When you’re in college, you likely want to choose a major that will lead to a successful and enjoyable career. If you’re a business marketing major, you may wonder whether the education you’re getting now will pay off in terms of the type of job you’ll qualify for after you graduate, and what you can earn.
Here’s a look at what you can expect as a marketing major — both during college and after you graduate.
What Does a Marketing Major Learn?
As a marketing major, you will learn various aspects and strategies for promoting a company or product, creating brand awareness, and building relationships with customers.
You may study marketing tools like social media, content marketing, and advertising, as well as public relations, sales, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior.
Once you complete your degree, you should have a thorough understanding of how to employ these tools and tactics in the real world on behalf of your employer. 💡 Quick Tip: You can fund your education with a low-rate, no-fee private student loan that covers all school-certified costs.
Who Is It Good For?
If you’re still trying to determine the best college major and are considering marketing, here’s some insight into the type of person who might thrive in a marketing career.
If you’re curious about how brands connect with customers and find yourself analyzing ads in magazines and on television, you might be a natural marketer. Marketers are typically creative and good communicators; you’ll need that ingenuity to come up with innovative marketing campaigns to compete with others in a given industry.
Depending on the job you get after college, you may work with a team on campaigns, or you may be solely in charge of doing multiple different tasks on your own. Ideally, you’ll be excited and confident about sharing your ideas for projects.
If you’ve got an analytical mind, so much the better. You’ll be able to analyze data to better understand what types of marketing efforts are working to reach your audience and which aren’t.
Recommended: 20 of the Most Popular College Majors
Why Consider Marketing?
Marketing isn’t a trendy or even industry-specific career; it’s one that every brand on earth needs. As a result, there will likely always be careers in marketing. Because marketing is what propels a company to sell products or services, it has a return on investment, and that means that companies are willing to also invest in smart marketing professionals.
Everywhere you look, there’s marketing, from the product placement in your favorite television show to the daily Instagram posts from influencers that offer “sponsored content.” Being a part of this exciting field gives you the opportunity to shape how consumers connect with brands.
Recommended: How Do You Change Your Major?
What Jobs Can a Marketing Major Get?
So you’ve majored in marketing and now you want to know your career options. What does a marketing major do after graduating? And what professional goals can you set down the road, once you’ve had more experience?
Entry-Level Marketing Jobs
Depending on your specific interest in marketing, there are several paths you could take after graduation.
If you enjoy working with advertising, you could get work as a media buyer, who is in charge of purchasing ads, both digital and print, to achieve marketing goals. Average annual salaries can be as high as $80,195.
If you enjoy dabbling in different aspects of marketing, you could be a marketing coordinator. You might be a part of planning and launching marketing campaigns and events, managing email marketing, and writing content for different platforms. The national average annual salary is $51,283.
If you lit up in your public relations coursework, a public relations assistant might be a good first job. You’ll be tasked with creating press releases and pitch letters, and connecting with the media to get interviews and media coverage for your brand. Salaries vary, but the average is around $42,642 a year.
Recommended: Return on Education for Bachelor’s Degrees
Marketing Jobs for More Experienced Professionals
Once you have a bit of experience in your entry-level marketing job, you may be eligible for a promotion or could qualify for a more advanced role with a different company like the following ones.
A public relations manager has approximately six to eight years of experience working in PR. In addition to building relationships with journalists and influencers and securing media coverage for a brand, this role may also hire and manage other PR roles as well as writers and designers. The average salary for this role is around $62,810.
A marketing director could be a good goal after you build experience as a marketing coordinator and have five to 10 years of marketing experience. This role is involved in the planning of marketing activities, building a budget, and forecasting sales. You may oversee a marketing team, including internal staff and freelancers. The average salary for this position is approximately $141,490, but can vary widely.
Another option once you have one to five years of experience, specifically in sales, is as a sales manager. This role analyzes sales data to shape sales and pricing strategy and may train or manage sales staff. The average salary for a sales manager is $107,500.
Launching Your Own Marketing Business
You’re not limited to working for someone else in your marketing career; many professionals get experience under their belt by working for companies of all sizes, then decide to open their own business. That could be a one-person content marketing business run out of your home or a PR firm with office space and staff.
Starting your own business gives you the flexibility of working when you want, and to choose exactly the marketing, advertising, or PR services you want to specialize in. It does, however, require plenty of hard work and dedication: without the stability of a regular paycheck, you aren’t guaranteed to make a certain amount of money.
Recommended: Ca$h Course: A Student’s Guide to Money
What Can a Marketing Major Earn?
Understandably, you want some reassurance that what you’ll make in your career after graduating will help you quickly pay off any student debt and help you become financially successful.
Generally, students can expect to make the least right after graduating, since they’ll have little to no work experience. Salary expectations for entry-level marketing positions can vary based on factors like where you live and the industry you want to work in. Some companies may offer hiring bonuses or commission on top of that salary.
As you build experience, your salary will generally increase. Again, this will depend on your specific experience and accomplishments as well as the industry and company you work for. 💡 Quick Tip: Even if you don’t think you qualify for financial aid, you should fill out the FAFSA form. Many schools require it for merit-based scholarships, too. You can submit it as early as Oct. 1.
The Takeaway
Only you know whether marketing is a field that you will thrive in and enjoy being a part of, but suffice it to say that there is an opportunity to learn a wide range of marketing skills and career advancement potential if you’re willing to put in the work to climb that corporate ladder.
Of course, as a student, you’re still a long way from earning a sizable salary, and coming up with enough funds to cover the high cost of college can be challenging. Fortunately, no matter what you’re thinking about majoring in, you have a range of funding options, including grants, scholarships, federal work-study programs, and both federal and private student loans.
If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.
Cover up to 100% of school-certified costs including tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and transportation with a private student loan from SoFi.
SoFi Loan Products SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.
SoFi Private Student Loans Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs.
SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
The Debt Ceiling Bill signed into law in June 2023 finally brought an end to the federal student loan payment pause, with payments resuming on October 1, 2023 (and interest accrual resuming a month earlier). The result is that millions of federal student loan borrowers — at least, those not taking advantage of the student loan “on-ramp” — will need to begin making minimum payments again as of October 1. However, some borrowers may opt to make more than the student loan minimum payment so that they can expedite the repayment process on their loan.
What Is the Minimum Payment on Student Loans?
The minimum payment on student loans is the lowest amount of money a borrower can pay each month. The actual student loan minimum payment amount owed each month might be determined by factors including the loan type, interest rate, and the repayment plan. Generally, the minimum monthly payment includes the principal (the original amount borrowed), interest, and fees.
For federal student loans, the minimum monthly payment depends on the repayment plan a borrower is on, as follows:
Standard Repayment Plan: On this plan, your payments are a fixed minimum amount of at least $50 a month, and your loans are paid off within 10 years.
Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan: With SAVE, a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan introduced by President Biden in late June 2023, borrowers with undergraduate federal student loans will get the lowest monthly payments of any IDR plan. For those who are single and make $32,800 a year or less and for families of four who make $67,000 or less annually, the minimum monthly payment is $0 (meaning they owe no loan payment). Those who earn more than those amounts will save at least $1,000 a year on the SAVE plan compared to current IDR plans.
Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Plan: Under the PAYE plan, borrowers’ payments are 10% of their discretionary income and are also based on their family size. With PAYE, their payment could be as low as $0 per month, and they won’t owe more monthly than they would have on the Standard Repayment Plan.
Income-Based Repayment Plan: Borrowers on this plan need to have a high debt-to-income ratio in order to be eligible. Their monthly payments will be 10% to 15% of their discretionary income, and could be as low as $0. Borrowers won’t owe more monthly than they would have paid on the Standard Plan.
Income-Contingent Repayment Plan: Borrowers with Direct loans who are eligible for this plan will have monthly payments that are the lesser of 20 percent of their discretionary income or the amount they would pay on a fixed repayment plan over 12 years, adjusted for their income. Their payments may be as low as $0 a month.
Graduated Repayment Plan: With this plan, a borrower’s monthly payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years. The monthly amounts they will pay will be enough to repay their loans within 10 years.
Extended Repayment Plan: For those on the Extended plan, their payments may be fixed or graduated, and the amount they pay each month will be enough to ensure their loans are paid off in 25 years. Their payments will be lower on this plan than they would be on the Standard or Graduated plans.
You can use the Federal Student Aid’s Loan Simulator to help calculate how much you’ll owe and find the best repayment plan option for your situation.
Can I Pay More Than The Minimum on Student Loans?
It’s possible to make more than the minimum payment on student loans without being charged for any prepayment penalty fees. Both federal student loans and private student loans are required to allow borrowers to make extra payments and pay off their loan early without charging any additional fees.
Making extra payments can help decrease the interest paid and help reduce the overall cost of the loan. Typically, you can contact your lender to specify that the extra payment be applied to your highest interest loan and be applied to the principal value of the loan.
Making payments directly to the principal value of the loan can help speed up repayment. And, because most student loan interest is charged per day, making additional payments on the principal value of the loan can help reduce the amount you pay in interest over the life of the loan. 💡 Quick Tip: Refinancing student loans is a way to lower your monthly payments by either getting a lower interest rate and/or extending the loan term. Please note: If you refinance a federal loan, you will no longer have access to federal protections and benefits.
Why Would You Pay off Your Student Debt Sooner?
As with any debt, a primary motive for paying off student debt early is to more quickly remove debt that’s racking up interest. Prioritizing debt repayment could help lower your debt to income ratio and could help you reduce the amount of money you owe in interest over the life of the loan. Here are a few reasons you may want to pay off your student loans sooner rather than later.
Interest. Interest. Interest.
Interest continues to accrue for the life of most student loans. (Note: The timetable of when interest starts to accrue on your student loans depends on the type of student loans you’ve been awarded. Contact your lender for all the details.) The sooner you pay off your loans, the sooner you stop interest from accruing.
Student loan interest does qualify for a tax deduction. But only $2,500 of the interest can be deducted each year — less if your modified adjusted gross income is greater than $70,000 a year.
Your Debt-to-Income Ratio May Be Lowered
When borrowing a mortgage or a car loan, the lender will usually consider the applicant’s debt-to-income ratio. And the lower it is, the better it looks from a financial perspective. Do you need a new car? Want to buy a house? Start a family? The sooner you get your student loan debt paid off, the more money you will likely have to put toward those dreams being realized.
Your Credit Score Could Strengthen
Your FICO® credit score is a powerful component of your total financial picture; tend it like a garden, and it could grow. There’s something to be said for the fact that if you’re managing an open debt responsibly by making on-time payments, that may have a positive impact on your credit score. And a higher FICO® score can help you get a better interest rate on a loan you might need for a home or car.
It’s Easier to Save Money When You’re Not Paying Down Debt
The conventional wisdom is the less debt you have, the more money you likely have to save. Think of successfully managing and paying off debt as a necessary exercise routine, like working your core. As your financial “core” gets stronger, you’re likely to become better able to balance your finances and save more money.
When you’ve repaid your student loans, the money you were spending each month on loan payments can instead be used to help you reach financial goals like starting an emergency fund, saving for a down payment on a house, or more. 💡 Quick Tip: When refinancing a student loan, you may shorten or extend the loan term. Shortening your loan term may result in higher monthly payments but significantly less total interest paid. A longer loan term typically results in lower monthly payments but more total interest paid.
How to Accelerate Your Student Loan Payments
You may be able to pay off your student loan debt more quickly by setting reasonable goals, including payments larger than the student loan repayment minimum required. As mentioned, both federal and private student loans generally allow for penalty-free prepayment but be sure to contact your loan provider before doing so to ensure your prepayments are being applied in the way that you want them to be. Here is a checklist that may help you eliminate your student loan debt sooner.
Calculating Your Costs
Make a list or spreadsheet of all your student loans. You can use a student loan calculator to help determine how much you ultimately owe (including interest) and when, ideally, you’d like to complete your student loan payments.
Making a Budget
Track your spending and make a realistic budget of your monthly and annual expenses. And leave some wiggle room for unexpected expenditures. Be honest with yourself. If you feel you’re spending too much on unnecessary expenses, maybe it’s time to skip your next urge to splurge.
Setting Manageable Goals
Now that you know how much money you have coming in and where it’s going, it might be time to make some uncomfortable, but fair, spending decisions with the intention of eliminating your student loans by your goal date. That means you may want to sacrifice some unnecessary expenses. Cutting back on non-necessities isn’t fun, but it may make it easier for you to save.
Paying Beyond the Minimum Required
As we mentioned, you can accelerate your loan payoff by paying more than the minimum student loan payment required by your loan provider. It’s okay to start small — even an extra $25 a month can start to add up. Paying more each month can also save you money on interest. You can ask your loan provider to put that extra cash toward the principal.
Avoiding Late Fees
An easy way to help ensure you pay at the same time every month is to set up an auto-draft from your checking or savings account. Some lenders may even offer a rate discount to student loan borrowers who enroll in automatic payments.
Maximizing “Surprise” Money
Are you doing so well at work that you got a raise or bonus? Rather than splurging on something new, lighten the burden of your current reality by putting that money toward your student loan debt.
Finding Extra Work
Every little bit of extra income can help. A part-time job could get you closer to your goal more quickly. If fitting in an extra 15 or 20 scheduled hours a week isn’t feasible, try finding a side hustle where you can make your own hours. You can work as a dog walker, become a rideshare driver, or even recharge electric scooters — all through an app.
Recommended: What is the Average Student Loan Debt After College?
Refinancing Your Student Loans
Refinancing your student loans might offer yet another step closer to your goal. Student loan refinancing is when you borrow a new loan (which is used to pay off your original loans) at a new interest rate and/or a new loan term.
One potential benefit of refinancing is the possibility of securing a lower interest rate. You could also potentially shorten your loan repayment term. But opting to shorten your loan term generally means paying more each month.
If you have a combination of private and federal loans, it’s possible to roll them into a single refinanced loan, which means having one monthly payment instead of multiple payments to multiple lenders. This is what is known as loan consolidation.
However, it’s very important to understand that by refinancing your federal loans, you lose federal student loan protections such as deferment and forbearance, and access to income-driven repayment programs. Take this into very careful consideration before moving forward with student loan refinancing with a private lender.
The Takeaway
Making more than the minimum student loan payments each month can help borrowers speed up their loan repayment and spend less in interest over the life of their loan. Lenders generally do not charge any fees for prepayment. To make the most of your extra payments, contact your lender to be sure they are being made to the principal value of the loan.
Refinancing could be another option for some borrowers to consider if they are interested in securing a lower interest rate on their loan — and provided that they don’t need access to federal programs or protections.
Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.
With SoFi, refinancing is fast, easy, and all online. We offer competitive fixed and variable rates.
FAQ
What happens if I only pay the minimum on my student loans?
Making the minimum monthly payments on your student loan will generally result in your loan being paid off according to the original terms of the loan.
Is it worth paying off student loans early?
Paying off student loans ahead of schedule can make borrowing less expensive, because the borrower will likely spend less in interest over the life of the loan. Repaying student loans early could also have benefits like improving an individual’s debt-to-income ratio. Without the burden of student loans, borrowers might also be able to focus on other financial goals.
What is the average minimum student loan payment?
A borrower’s average monthly minimum federal student loan payment depends on factors including the total amount they owe, their interest rate, and the type of payment plan they’re enrolled in. For instance, on the Standard Repayment Plan, your payments are a fixed minimum amount of at least $50 a month.
Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
SoFi Loan Products SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.
SoFi Private Student Loans Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs.
SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.
SoFi Student Loan Refinance NOTICE: The debt ceiling legislation passed on June 2, 2023, codifies into law that federal student loan borrowers will be reentering repayment. The US Department of Education or your student loan servicer, or lender if you have FFEL loans, will notify you directly when your payments will resume For more information, please go to https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/covid-19
If you are a federal student loan borrower you should take time now to prepare for your payments to restart, including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. Please note that once you refinance federal student loans you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income based repayment plans or extended repayment plans.
Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .
External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
College life is all about getting a great education, getting to know your roommates and classmates, exploring interests and activities, and forging your own adult identity. But it’s also a perfect time to establish some good money habits that will set the scene for success today and tomorrow.
From developing a budget to opening bank accounts, you’ll have ways to make your money work harder for you and grow over time so you can achieve your goals. And it can be pretty simple, too, so it won’t interfere with study sessions or hanging out at the student center.
Learn the 10 best strategies for good money management here.
10 Tips for Managing Your Money As a College Student
Here are 10 money management tips that help you spend less and save more both during and after college.
1. Setting up a Basic Budget
Budgeting may sound complicated, but making a budget is simply a matter of figuring how much is coming into your bank account each month and how much is going out, and making sure the latter doesn’t exceed the former.
To get started, you’ll want to list all of your sources of income, such as from a job or family contributions.
If you are going to be living off a fixed amount of money for each semester, say from summer earnings or money from your family, you may want to divide this lump sum by the number of months you need to make this money last.
Once you know how much you have to live on each month, you’ll want to make a list of fixed expenses that you will be responsible for paying, such as cell phone or car payment, or maybe even rent if you live off campus.
Next, you’ll want to subtract your fixed expense from your monthly spending allotment. This will give you the amount you have left over to cover variable expenses, such as eating out, buying clothes, and entertainment. You can then come up with target spending amounts for each category.
Doing your best to stay within these spending limits can help ensure that your money lasts until the end of the semester, and help you avoid running up costly credit card debt.
💡 Quick Tip: Banish bank fees. Open a new bank account with SoFi and you’ll pay no overdraft, minimum balance, or any monthly fees.
2. Opening up a Savings Account
You might feel like you don’t have enough income to start saving money yet, but even just putting a small amount away each month can add up over time.
For example, if you’re able to set aside $50 a month now, you may soon have a decent nest egg that can help pay for something fun, like a road trip over the next school break.
What’s more, being diligent about saving money each month can help cultivate a habit that will serve you later when you can afford to save more in your nest egg and also for retirement.
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3. Buying Used Textbooks (and Selling Yours When Done)
Textbooks can be so expensive! Fortunately, there are a number of ways to save money here.
One option is to buy used whenever you can. You’ll want to be sure, however, that you are getting the version the professor wants. If you have an earlier edition, you might struggle to find the content if the book has since been modified. Getting the digital version of a book can also yield savings.
Another option is to rent what you need from a third-party bookseller, such as Amazon or Chegg. You can often rent textbooks for an entire semester for significantly less than buying new, and may even be able to highlight them.
For books that you purchase (new or used) that you won’t need to refer to in the future, consider selling them when you’re done to recoup some of the expense.
4. Using Credit Cards Sparingly
Credit card companies love college students, and many may try to lure you into applying for cards. You’ll want to proceed with caution, however.
While having a credit card as a student can be a good idea–for convenience, as a backup for emergencies, and to start building credit history (more on that below), you’ll want to be careful that you don’t run up credit card debt.
If you charge more than you can afford to pay off at the end of the month, you can end up paying a high-interest rate on the balance, which can make it even hard to pay off.
As a result, it can be easy for college students to find themselves digging a debt hole that can be hard to climb out of.
If you choose to sign up for a new card, you may want to look for a rewards credit card. These can let you rack up points you can use to get products or travel perks, but only charge what you can afford to pay back quickly.
If you choose to sign up for a new card, you may want to look for a rewards credit card that will let you rack up points you can use to get products or travel perks–and only charge what you can afford to pay back quickly.
5. Establishing Your Credit Score
A credit score is a three-digit number, typically between 300 and 850, designed to represent your credit risk, or the likelihood you will pay your bills on time.
Building your credit history might not seem like a priority when you’re still in school, but you’ll need it in the future if you want to finance a car, buy a house, or qualify for the best credit card offers. Your credit can even affect your job prospects and your ability to rent an apartment.
One good strategy is to use your credit card judiciously. If you make small purchases and regularly pay the balance off in full, you can avoid racking up interest charges but still get that boost to your credit score.
If you have student loans, you may also want to consider making small payments (even just $25 to $50) while you’re still in school to start paying down interest and have some positive repayment history on record.
If you start building a solid credit history now, you will likely be able to get better deals on lending products like mortgages, car loans, and credit cards in the future.
💡 Quick Tip: Are you paying pointless bank fees? Open a checking account with no account fees and avoid monthly charges (and likely earn a higher rate, too).
6. Finding Free Stuff
One highly effective way to stretch your money is to find freebies.
Facebook has groups where people can post items they no longer want. You might be able to score free clothes, furniture, or room decor.
Freecycle and NextDoor also have listings for things that people are giving away. You can also find free items on Craigslist (you’ll find the “Free” section under the “For Sale” heading on the main page for your city).
7. Learning to Cook and Eating out Less
You may find you get tired of cafeteria fare and ramen. At the same time, you may not want to don’t blow your budget on eating in restaurants every weekend.
If you have access to a kitchen, you might want to consider purchasing ingredients from your local supermarket and putting together some simple, tasty meals, instead of eating out. This can be a major way to save money on food.
If you’re not much of a cook, you may want to go to some food blogs and recipe sites like Allrecipes or Serious Eats to find some easy recipes and watch a few how-to videos. You could also find tons of cooking videos on YouTube.
Having some go-to recipes in your arsenal can pay off now, and also down the line when you’re working and living on your own (and don’t have to rely on expensive take-out or unhealthy fast food for dinner every night).
8. Starting an Emergency Fund
Starting an emergency fund or back-up savings fund is an important part of anyone’s long-term financial health.
Life can be unpredictable, and your emergency fund serves as a safety net that you can fall back on for those “rainy days” where you find yourself facing an unexpected expense or other financial setbacks.
Having an emergency fund can also help keep you from having to rely on credit cards to get through a financial challenge.
How much you should put aside for emergencies each month is up to you and your financial situation. The key is to start saving something each month, no matter how small the amount may initially seem.
When starting your emergency fund, it’s a good idea to fund the account regularly. Consider setting up an automatic transfer to your savings so you do not have to think about it.
Ideally, your emergency fund should also be set up in a separate savings account so you won’t be tempted to spend the money on something else.
9. Getting the Most out of Your Student ID
You may only think of your ID card as a form of identification and a way to get into college sporting events. But there are actually a number of additional benefits that come with a student ID, and many can help you save money.
You may find that businesses, especially those near universities, will offer students discounts when they show a student ID card.
Next time you go to the movies, shop for school supplies, or get a new haircut, it can be a good idea to ask if they offer any discounts for local college students.
In addition, many national and online retailers, including major clothing, sneaker, and computer brands, offer discounts to college students.
You may also be able to use your student ID to get a better deal on your cell phone plan and streaming services.
10. Getting Started with Investing
Investing when you’re young is one of the best ways to help your money grow over time.
That’s thanks to compound earnings, which means that any returns you earn are reinvested to earn additional returns. The earlier you start investing, the more benefit you gain from compounding.
Investing in the stock market also isn’t as complicated as you may think. You can open a retirement account, like a traditional or Roth IRA, or a brokerage account (for nonretirement investing) online, often with a minimal amount of money.
You may also be able to schedule automatic withdrawals from your bank account to your investment account each month.
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that all investments have some level of risk because the market moves up and down over time.
The Takeaway
College can provide a great opportunity to develop the money skills you’ll need after you graduate. By learning some basic money management techniques now, you can feel confident about your ability to handle your finances well after graduation.
In 10 years, you will likely thank yourself for putting in the effort to learn how to set and stick to a monthly budget, use credit cards wisely, save money, and build your credit score.
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Declaring a major in college isn’t a minor decision, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind at some point down the road. Indeed, roughly one-third of undergraduates actually change majors at some point during their college careers, and around 10% change majors more than once.
While the decision to change your major can be stressful, actually making the switch doesn’t have to be. The key to a smooth transition is to do some strategic planning and to keep up communications with the university.
Read on to learn how to learn more about how to change your major.
First, Declaring a Major
Many colleges and universities ask undeclared students to choose a major by the end of their sophomore year. That’s because many students spend the first year or two taking general education classes.
Once a student is ready to declare a major, the official process will vary school by school. Generally, a student will need to schedule a meeting with their assigned academic advisor, and might need to meet with a department advisor for their chosen major.
In a department or advisor meeting, students will review their academic progress and roughly outline the rest of the required courses they need in order to complete their major.
These courses and their timing aren’t set in stone, but it can help give students an idea of how heavy their course load will be until graduation, and set expectations for how long it’ll take them to complete the degree.
From there, the request to declare a major needs to be approved by that specific department or college. That might be as informal as a meeting or as formal as an application. 💡 Quick Tip: Pay down your student loans faster with SoFi reward points you earn along the way.
Possible Reasons to Change a Major
Deciding to change majors is a personal choice. There’s no one sign for all students. In fact, a combination of factors may inspire a switch.
While not an exhaustive list, here are a few reasons a student might feel it’s a good idea to change majors:
• More excitement about a different area of study: Maybe a computer science student is more excited by a single art history elective than anything else on their schedule. If they dread every class but the elective, it might be time to change majors. Of course, a major isn’t only about passion for the subject, but that does come into play. When nearly every class is boring, it might be time for a change.
• Poor grades: College courses should be challenging, but if a student is regularly failing, or just barely passing required courses, it might be time to consider a different major. Not only does it indicate that the area of study might be outside someone’s talents, but bad grades can also jeopardize graduation and completing the degree on time. If a student is giving a course her all and still coming up short, it might be time to consider alternatives.
• Really, really good grades: This might sound counterintuitive, but if courses aren’t challenging, then the major might not be the best fit. If a student feels bored in class but continues to ace the coursework, it might be a good idea to look at other majors or consider a double major or minor.
• Money: Selecting a major is often the delicate balance between something loved and something that leads to a career post-graduation. Picking a major solely because it could mean big bucks after college could lead to regrets down the line. Remember that post-grad life should feel fulfilling, too.
• An awful internship: Now this can be a little tricky. If students end up hating a summer internship related to their major, they should try to evaluate if it was the work or the management that they disliked. It might have been a poor fit culture wise but a good fit workwise.
If any or all of the above sound familiar, it might be time to think about changing majors. Additionally, it might just be helpful along the way to evaluate satisfaction with a major, even if you decide to continue in that area of study.
Recommended: Credit Hours: What Are They & What You Need to Know
Considerations Before Changing a Major
If it feels like it may be time to change majors, here are a few considerations to keep in mind before crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s:
• What courses transfer? If the desired new major is far outside the current area of study, a student might have to basically restart college. For example, a psychology major who changes tack to engineering might not have much overlap on core curriculum. Just like mapping out courses when declaring a major the first time, students should consider doing the same before changing majors. It can show how much work or courses will be required.
• Will it cost more? Depending on school pricing or area of study, changing majors might end up costing a student more in the long run. That could be from additional course fees or taking more classes to catch up over the summer. Once the course load is mapped out for a major change, crunching the numbers is a good idea.
💡 Quick Tip: Even if you don’t think you qualify for financial aid, you should fill out the FAFSA form. Many schools require it for merit-based scholarships, too. You can submit it as early as Oct. 1.
• Will it take longer? It may not be possible to graduate in four years if the new major is vastly different or the change comes late in an academic career. More time at school could mean more taking out more student loans. (Then again, less than half of bachelor’s degree earners graduate within four years.)
• Will it line up with post-graduate goals? It’s important to enjoy an area of study, but it’s also important to ensure it aligns with jobs a student wants after graduating. If a premed student switches to international relations but hates the job prospects, that might be a poor choice.
Time, money, or heavy course loads don’t have to squelch a change in major, but they should be factors a student is aware of before making the switch.
How to Change a Major
The reality is, deciding to change majors is likely harder than the actual process of doing so. Changing majors won’t be so different than declaring a major in the first place.
First, a student should schedule a meeting with their current academic advisor to talk through the choice. The advisor may be able to offer insight or even provide course recommendations in the new major.
Typically, the student is required to fill out a short form and have their current as well as new academic advisor sign it to make the major change official.
Depending on the college or area of study, a student might have to apply to the specialty school on campus they wish to transfer to as well.
Recommended: 20 of the Most Popular College Majors
The Takeaway
How to change your major? It requires thought and a talk with your academic advisor. Changing majors can alter a lot about the college experience, from course load to post-grad plans. It can also impact how many years you’ll spend in school and the total cost of your education.
If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.
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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
“Life is all about transitioning from one stage to the next. Everything is always a transition,” said Chad Hedrick, founder of the Gold to Sold Group and former Olympic speed skater. Hedrick and his team provide the best possible service to the luxury real estate market in Houston, Texas. He founded the Gold to Sold Group in 2017, and the organization now represents the “gold standard” in the Houston housing market.
Below, Hedrick spoke with HousingWire about his gold medal career in speed skating, career jump to real estate and how the leadership skills learned from athletics prepared him for leading a team of all-star agents better than anything else could have.
HousingWire: Before we discuss your current career in real estate, can you tell me a bit more about your past experience as an Olympic speed skater?
Chad Hedrick: I grew up skating a lot because my parents owned the roller rink in our town. I found that I had a knack for it at a really young age and spent many hours at the rink. I was a “rink rat,” and I decided at a young age that I wanted to be the fastest skater in the world. When I first started skating, I was on conventional skates — ones with two wheels in the front and two wheels in the back.
When I was 14, in-line rollerblades came out, and I started racing on rollerblades. We traveled all across the country competing. At 16 I turned professional and started getting paid as an athlete. For 10 years I competed and had endorsement deals, but at the end of the day, I would tell people what I did and they wouldn’t know what in-line speed skating was. So, I decided I wanted to try something that people would recognize.
I packed everything up from Texas, moved to Utah and pursued an Olympic career in ice-speed skating. That journey started in 2003. About one year later, I became the world champion. And, two and a half years after my first day on the ice, I won the first U.S. gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
My story is similar but also different from many other people’s stories because life is all about transitioning from one place to the next. Whether it be a position at a company or the growth of your personal company, everything is always a transition. You have to accept the challenge and not be frustrated with change. You’ll face adversity that could be discouraging, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I was so glad that I was able to prevail in accomplishing this challenge of mine.
HW: How did you make the transition into real estate? What motivated that move?
CH: I didn’t find real estate, real estate found me.
I relocated from Salt Lake City, Utah, back to Houston with my wife, and I really went through a bit of an identity crisis. I had done one thing my whole life and I had sharpened this one skill and not really paid attention to anything else, which if you’re going to be the best in the world, then that is what you have to do.
At 32 years old, my skating career was over because I was competing against athletes who were 10 to 14 years younger than me, so it came to an end.
But, when I came home to Houston, everyone who was successful was in the oil and gas industry. I didn’t have any formal education, but I weaseled my way into the oil and gas business. What I discovered was that I was starting a new career, working for people my own age who had already spent 10 years after college building their careers. It was difficult for me to go from being the best in the world at something to answering people my own age. I really floundered for quite a while. It got to a point where I knew I had to do something else. I had to take control of my destiny. And, one of the biggest real estate brokers in our town at that point gave me an opportunity.
HW: What was the greatest learning curve getting into the new industry?
CH: Originally, it was just me. Serving clients, showing up to the closing table and getting paid were all great, but it was a lonely business for me. I was used to traveling with a team: a sports psychologist, a coach, all of these people were always around and we would celebrate the wins or work to understand what we needed to do to get better if we came in second or last.
I realized that having a team was really fulfilling to me and I wanted to be able to use these leadership skills that I developed as an athlete. Now, we have a team here in Houston and it’s been incredible to use the competitive spirit — lessons my father and coaches taught me — to be able to challenge and inspire my team and enjoy this business.
HW: You mentioned leadership skills and a competitive spirit, how have those attributes from your prior experience in athletics helped you become a better real estate agent?
CH: I’m wired to win. Winning could mean a lot of different things to a lot of people. When you’re winning, it may not be closing the most deals, it could be developing relationships along the way. It may be helping others to grow in this business. You have to find what really pushes you. For some people, it is all personal and financial gain, but for me, I realized that I needed more than that. To me, it’s about nurturing and building the relationships around me.
HW: What does the market look like in your area?
CH: Houston has always been a more stable market. We don’t see the fluctuation that other parts of the country do. We’ve seen a lot of growth, of course, over the past two or three years like everybody else. But, it is still a seller’s market. Everything that is priced correctly sells within a week or so. I put up three homes last week and one sold in three days, the other two sold in a single day. It is all about supply and demand, but we feel like rates are going to come down in the next 18 to 24 months. Once rates are back in the four to five range, real estate is going to be going gangbusters again.
HW: Gold to Sold has quite the team of agents, how has the team atmosphere enhanced your real estate experience? Is it at all similar to the team environment in athletics?
CH: Before creating the team, I felt like a man on an island, selling homes by myself. It’s a business where you’re with someone new every day. If you want to do great, then every day you have to go after it again and again. I didn’t have a team or coaches at first, so it was so important to me to establish that environment.
I started with my wife’s aunt, she came in as my partner. And quite honestly, we haven’t really pursued people or recruited them. Our team attracts people who want to be a part of a team because it’s been such a great experience. I want to help someone be the best they can be and to see an agent that you brought into the business close 30 deals in their second year, which is unheard of in this business, it makes you feel really respected as a leader.
I graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in English in business management, so I knew a great deal about metaphors, marketing, and even Russian literature. What I didn’t know was how to manage my money.
Although I’ve learned a lot about personal finance since then, I’ve also realized that many graduates enter the workforce feeling just as lost as I did. “Should I get a credit card?” “How much should I spend on groceries?” “Do I really need to start saving for retirement?”
Providing for your own financial needs and responsibilities can be overwhelming at first, but there are plenty of practices you can implement now to manage your money well! Here are seven healthy financial tips I wish someone had shared with me after I graduated from college.
What’s Ahead:
Consider a Variety of Jobs
After college, my dream was to become a writer. Plan B was “pastry chef” (I watched one-too-many baking shows in high school). And yet, despite my aspirations, my first job was as an admissions counselor—at my alma mater.
For many careers, it isn’t easy to find your dream job immediately after graduating. You might need to start with an internship. Or, perhaps you’ll find an entry-level position in an industry or company where you could rise to the job you want.
Fortunately, there are multiple ways to make a living and pursue your dream job. My position in admissions may not have been a direct step towards a writing profession, but the experience I gained in sales ultimately prepared me for my job today as a writer in marketing. I also gained some “real-world,” office experience, and a clearer understanding of how a business operates—which could help me manage my own bakery in the future!
All this said, don’t be so focused on finding the perfect job that you miss a unique opportunity to advance your career.
Learn to Budget
Early on in our relationship, my husband, Steve, and I were giddy to discover our personalities were quite alike. But, for all our similarities, we did not share the same approach to personal finance. He’s the saver, and I, sadly, am the spender.
Steve and I recognized early, however, that consistent budgeting would protect both our money and our marriage. Every month, we sit down with a cup of tea or glass of wine and review our expenses. It has taken years to nail down a budget and routine that works well for us, but I can say with certainty that the habit has spared us many arguments.
Whether you’re single or in a relationship, budgeting is essential for maintaining financial health. However, thanks to tools like YNAB, you don’t have to be an expert at money management to do it well. YNAB allows you to set up categories to plan and track your spending. It’s unique take allows you to “live on last month’s income” so you can break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. You’ll always know exactly how much money you have to spend.
Check out our full YNAB review here.
Start paying student loans NOW
Many college graduates receive a six-month grace period, during which they don’t have to start paying back loans—but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.
Experts suggest you start paying back loans immediately, if you’re able—even before graduation! By paying that debt down sooner, you can decrease your principal and potentially save thousands of dollars in interest over time.
You may also be able to save money by refinancing your loan(s) to a lower interest rate. Try researching options through Credible, an online marketplace that lets you compare rates from multiple lenders. Each quote is based on your unique credit profile, and rates are updated in real-time so you can get an accurate assessment of your offers.
Credible Credit Disclosure – Requesting prequalified rates on Credible is free and doesn’t affect your credit score. However, applying for or closing a loan will involve a hard credit pull that impacts your credit score and closing a loan will result in costs to you.
Build an emergency fund
It’s easy to see the value of an emergency fund, and yet more than half of Americans could not afford a $400 surprise expense.
The trouble is many people don’t understand the significance of an emergency fund until they need it. Only a few months after I married Steve, I got a ticket for running a red light. I was mortified and ashamed and embarrassed—until Steve reminded me that we had an emergency fund. In a moment, all my stress slipped away.
To help you build your own emergency fund, consider a resource like the Wealthfront Cash Account. You can earn 4.55%APY on all of your cash—which is five times the interest from your average savings account! Wealthfront can even get your paycheck to you up to two days early, when you set up a direct deposit, so you can reap the rewards of that rate ASAP! As you start to save towards specific goals, organize them into buckets to track your progress.
Wealthfront is also a great option for individuals who want an easy segue from saving to investing. Many financial advisors won’t even talk with you, let alone manage your investments unless you have tens of thousands of dollars to work with. Wealthfront, on the other hand, lets you start investing with as little as $500 and will diversify your portfolio to match your unique risk tolerance. You can also integrate your Cash Account with your investment portfolio and have any leftover income automatically invested to maximize your time in the market.
Live on less
After receiving your first paycheck, you might assume you need that full amount each month to live comfortably—but every person is different, as is every salary.
My brother graduated from college this year with a degree in computational engineering (nerd alert!). His first job pays nearly three times what my first job paid me! So, before he splurged on a new TV, car, computer, etc., I gave him one small piece of advice: learn to live on less.
Instead of determining how much you can spend based on your salary, start with small budget categories and alter them when necessary. Steve and I began budgeting early in our marriage and thought we would need $200 each month for groceries, based on how much we’d spent on our own. As the months progressed, we recognized $200 wouldn’t meet our needs (and also that I love cooking), so, we added a little more every month until we reached a total that worked for us.
Those first few years out of college will set the stage for your financial health (or lack of) decades into the future, so start by learning to live on less. It will be much easier to increase your budget categories later, rather than limiting yourself in the future.
Begin saving for retirement
If you’re anything like I was at 22 years old, retirement might feel like a topic that’s easy to ignore. However, saving for retirement early can mean thousands of additional dollars for you and your family later in life.
Fortunately, there are companies that understand young people like us. For example, blooom is a retirement management company that provides a free analysis of your IRA and/or employer-sponsored retirement plan—whether you decide to sign up and pay for their services or not. After answering a few questions on their site, blooom offers professional advice on how you can adjust the allocation of your funds to avoid hidden fees and save more for the future.
Another reason blooom is especially useful for 20-somethings is that, unlike many investment management companies, they don’t require a minimum investment to manage your retirement plan. In other words, if you’ve just started your first job out of college and have barely contributed to your retirement plan, blooom is still ready to help. They can also manage your funds no matter where they’re located, so you won’t have to move your employer-sponsored plan to utilize their services.
Get a credit card
Let me be clear: what I am NOT suggesting is that you drive down to your favorite department store and sign up for their fancy rewards card that offers 10% off on your first purchase.
While a credit card can certainly have its perks, the better benefit for college graduates is its effect on your credit score—if you use it well. A good credit score can impact your ability to get a home mortgage loan or qualify for auto insurance. It may even influence a potential employer’s decision to hire you!
Start with just one card, at least for the first year. Search for options with low interest rates that require low spending levels to receive rewards. Finally, once you begin using the card, set up automatic payments with your bank and continue to monitor your transactions and payments often.
Remember that merely possessing a credit card does not improve your credit score; it’s how you use it. Credit cards can have a negative or positive impact on your life, so make sure you choose and use them wisely.
Summary
Taking steps toward healthy money management as a college graduate doesn’t have to be complicated—you just have to start off on the right foot.
As you search for jobs, consider a wide variety of options. Building a career takes time, and your dream job may require some entry-level positions or even an internship for you to get started. Once you’re settled into the workforce and begin receiving paychecks, develop a budget immediately! Be sure to include important goals like paying off your student loan(s) and saving for retirement. Finally, create habits like living on less and saving for unexpected expenses to help you better prepare for situations, expected or not, in your future.
Procrastination may have served you well in college, but it won’t help you achieve financial health. Act intentionally. Learning to manage your money well now will help you provide for your family, pursue new experiences, and prepare for whatever lies ahead.
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MoneyUnder30 receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”) for each new client that applies for a Wealthfront Automated Investing Account through our links. This creates an incentive that results in a material conflict of interest. MoneyUnder30 is not a Wealthfront Advisers client, and this is a paid endorsement. More information is available via our links to Wealthfront Advisers.
When Eli McDuffie learned that his mom was having trouble finding an in-person interview appointment to complete her Global Entry application, he did more than commiserate with her about the impossible-to-find appointments. He created a solution.
Even more impressive is that McDuffie, a San Fransico-area teen, did all of this before graduating high school.
Earlier this year, McDuffie created TTP Appointments, a program designed to find open Global Entry appointments for you. It all started because his mom, like many of us, was searching for a way to bypass the long lines at customs by registering for Global Entry.
“It’s very hard to get an appointment here because there are so many people searching for the same thing,” McDuffie told TPG. “In order to help my mom, I created a program that would search for open appointments. I originally intended to only use it that one time to help her out, but once I was able to get an appointment for her, I realized I could work on it a little more and make it available to the public for everyone to use.”
Related: 13 things you need to know about Global Entry
What McDuffie’s mom experienced is not uncommon. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it was expecting to receive 3.5 million applications for Trusted Traveler programs (TSA PreCheck, Nexus, SENTRI, Fast and Global Entry) during the fiscal year; it was also still addressing the backlog of applications it received during a pandemic-related, five-month closure in March 2020. Even today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website lists a four-to-six-month processing time for Global Entry applications.
That’s where McDuffie’s TTP Appointments program – and his expert coding skills – come into play. McDuffie has been coding since he was in middle school. With his background in creating apps and websites, it took him only about five months to take what he had created and make it robust and secure enough for public use.
“Basically, TTP Appointments scans for open Global Entry appointments every day for every time at each Global Entry interview location in the U.S.,” McDuffie explained. “If you wanted an appointment in San Francisco, for example, the program would scan for open appointments at that airport and send you alerts for any available appointments it finds,” he added.
Rather than crossing your fingers and checking for Global Entry appointments day after day, TTP Appointments does it for you — and it doesn’t need coffee breaks.
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TTP Appointments has been available to the public for about four months now. McDuffie has already helped approximately 300 travelers find Global Entry appointments, some of them completely for free.
TTP Appointments offers two services: a free plan and a paid plan. With the free version, you can sign up to receive email alerts from one Global Entry enrollment center. With the paid version ($24.99 per month), you can receive text and email alerts from up to five Global Entry enrollment centers and set custom date-range parameters if you are looking for an appointment within a certain time period.
It should come as no surprise that McDuffie plans to pursue a computer science degree. However, he’s not waiting until after college graduation to continue finding solutions for frustrated travelers.
The program he’s currently working on has nothing to do with finding Global Entry appointments, but it will help you find something equally coveted and just as difficult to secure: Disneyland and Walt Disney World dining reservations.
Now that McDuffie has tackled one major pain point for travelers and is in the process of resolving another, we can only say we hope he keeps at it for the long run. Maybe one day, he can help us figure out how to reach airline customer service agents more quickly or skip the increasingly long waits at airport lounges.
If you haven’t started your children or teens off with a kids checking account optimized for their needs, you’ll want to help your college student open a checking account before they begin school.
Opening a checking account for your child can teach them about money management and financial responsibility, along with providing them an easy way to make debit card purchases. It’s never too late to get started.
One advantage to helping your young adult open their first student checking account is they have more options than they might have when they were 16 or younger. Students over 18 can open a bank account with few restrictions.
But choosing a student checking account may give them access to higher interest rates and added features and benefits, along with fee-free checking, no monthly maintenance fees, and no minimum deposit to open an account.
12 Best Student Checking Accounts
Not surprisingly, many of the best student checking accounts come from banks that also offer some of the best checking accounts for any age. However, the products below – in most cases – are tailored for young adults from the ages of 18 to 24, with the features this age group desires most, including an intuitive mobile app and low or non-existent minimum deposit requirements.
1. Best for Students under 18: Capital One MONEY Teen
Most of the student bank accounts on our list exclude children under the age of 17 or 18. Capital One MONEY Teen checking is available to children ages 8 and up. It comes with all the benefits and security of a big bank, providing peace-of-mind. This includes access to Capital One branches and Capital One Cafes for in-person service. This account also serves as a great tool to teach your young adult the basics of banking.
Capital One MONEY Teen checking is a joint account with no monthly fee, no overdraft fees, and access to 70,000 ATMs with no fees. Plus, earn 0.10% on all balances, including those in checking.
You can link Capital One MONEY Teen checking to any other bank account through any bank or neobank, making it easy to transfer money to your teen while they are away at college. Plus, you can keep tabs on their spending with their linked account in the Capital One mobile app.
When they graduate, your teen can hold onto their MONEY account or transfer the funds into a top-rated Capital One 360 Checking account of their own.
2. Best for Working Students: Chime
Chime is not a bank. It’s a financial technology company and mobile app backed by Stride Bank, NA, and The Bancorp Bank. Many features make it perfect for working students. First, you can receive your paycheck up to two days earlier than you might at other banks with ACH deposit.
Plus, you can set up automatic transfers to your linked Chime Savings account, helping you to establish good financial habits early on. Simply set up Chime to transfer a percentage of your paycheck into your Savings Account every time you receive a direct deposit.
When you use your debit card for purchases, the “Save When You Spend” program rounds up your purchase and transfers the difference directly into savings. That small change can really add up, whether you’re saving for your first apartment after college, a new car, or your next tuition bill.
For working students looking to build their credit, Chime gives account holders access to a Credit Builder Secured Visa, with no annual fee, no credit check, and no security deposit required. Instead, the credit account is secured by your Chime checking account with monthly direct deposits.
Like many of the best student bank accounts on this list, Chime has no overdraft fee, no monthly service fee, no ATM fee for in-network ATMs, and no minimum balance requirements.
3. Best Account Opening Bonus: Chase College Checking
Chase Bank has been handing out student account opening bonuses like they hand out lollipops at their branches lately. College students ages 17 to 24 can snag a $100 bonus when they open an account online or at a local branch (students age 17 will need to visit a branch). You’ll just need to make 10 qualifying transactions within the first 60 days of opening the student bank account.
What’s a qualifying transaction? Virtually anything, according to the Chase website, including debit card purchases, online bill payments, Chase QuickDeposits, Zelle transfers, and ACH credits. Bank as you normally would, and you should easily earn that $100.
In addition to the generous sign-up bonus, Chase College Checking has no monthly fees for college students for up to five years, access to 16,000 ATMs and 4,700 branches across the U.S., and zero liability protection for unauthorized debit card purchases.
Chase Overdraft Assist covers purchases that exceed your account balance. You’ll pay no overdraft fee if you’re overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the next business day.
4. Best for Yield: Ally Interest Checking
Ally Bank is the first bank on our list not designed specifically for students, but the vast array of features in this interest bearing checking account makes it ideal for young adults.
Ally Bank offers an APY of 0.25% on checking account balances and 4.00% APY on balances in a linked Ally Bank savings account. Neither account has any monthly fees.
Ally offers several features to help those on a tight budget manage their money. You can organize your money into spending and saving buckets, which can help you see exactly where your money goes each month. Ally will also review your bank accounts and help you find opportunities to save, and shuttle that extra money into your high yield Ally savings account.
Customers who have deposited $100 or more into their Ally checking account, or $250 via direct deposit, gain access to Ally’s CoverDraft service after 30 days. This protection covers up to $100 or $250 in charges that would overwise overdraft your account. Some purchases, including Zelle transfers, or ATM withdrawals, may be declined if they would put your account into overdraft.
Ally has no monthly maintenance fee, no overdraft fees, no ATM fee for in-network ATM transactions and no minimum balance requirement.
5. Best for Referrals to Earn Extra Cash: GO2bank
GO2bank, the digital bank associated with the top financial technology company Green Dot, offers an easy, straightforward money account with overdraft protection up to $200 with eligible direct deposits. The linked savings account pays a high 4.5% APY, with no fees for qualifying customers and no minimum balance requirement.
You can get regular ACH deposits from your job or side gigs up to two days earlier than most traditional banks. If you receive government benefits, such as Social Security, you can receive those deposits up to four days early.
Your GO2bank account will have a monthly service fee that costs $5 per month, unless you have a qualifying direct deposit that month. You will also pay fees for transfers from a linked debit card from another bank or fintech, mobile check deposits, and cash deposits.
If you are the type of person with friends who come to you for advice, you can earn $50 for each friend you refer to GO2bank who signs up with direct deposit. Your friend will also earn $50. You can use this offer for up to 30 friends, yielding $1,500 annually. This makes a GO2bank account great for social media influencers or college students with a large friend group.
6. Best for Full-Service Banking: Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking
Bank of America Advantage checking accounts offer options for people in various stages of their financial life. College students might be best to start out with Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance banking, a straightforward money account with no overdraft fee and no checks.
The account has no monthly fee for students under the age of 25 or customers under the age of 18. Preferred Rewards customers also receive free checking. There is a $25 minimum deposit to open an account.
New Bank of America customers can earn a $100 account opening bonus when they open an account and set up direct deposits of $1,000 or more within 90 days.
7. Best for Comprehensive Money Management: PNC Virtual Wallet Student
Money Magazine named the PNC Virtual Wallet on its best banks for students list three years running. PNC Bank divides this mobile account into three separate accounts for everyday spending, “reserve,” or short-term savings, and “growth” for long-term savings.
The account has no monthly service fee for students for up to six years, along with all the benefits of a regular PNC Virtual Wallet. Additionally, students receive a courtesy refund of your first overdraft fee on your Spend account, one free incoming domestic or international wire transfer per statement period, and free paper statements if you opt in to receive them.
Once six years have passed or you are no longer a student, your account converts into a regular PNC Virtual Wallet, which may have associated monthly fees. Check the PNC website at that time to determine the fees and how you can waive them.
Your PNC Virtual Student Wallet pays a 0.01% APY on money in your Reserve account, and .02% on account balances up to $2,499 in your Growth account, with .03% APY on balances over $2,500. These may not be the best rates available, but the reputation of PNC Bank, along with the money management features in a Virtual Wallet Student account, make this an account worth considering for students just learning to budget.
8. Best for Establishing Savings Habits.: Wells Fargo Clear Access Banking
As one of the Big Four banks in the U.S., Wells Fargo offers a reliable and safe place to store your money, plus access to thousands of branches nationwide.
The Wells Fargo Clear Access banking account is great for teens and college students, since it’s available for account holders ages 13 to 24. Anyone under the age of 18 will need to open their account in a branch and anyone younger than 17 must have an adult aged 18+ as a joint account holder. The account has no monthly maintenance fee for anyone 24 or younger. A $25 minimum opening deposit is required.
Wells Fargo Clear Access banking is a simple, straightforward money account with no checks and personalized service at Wells Fargo branches. There are no overdraft fees with the account, but also no overdraft protection. Transactions that exceed the account or minimum balance amount will be declined, which helps put teens and young adults in charge of their money.
You can link your Clear Access bank account to a Way2Save Savings account and earn a 0.15% APY. You can establish good money habits by setting up automatic savings. Wells Fargo will transfer $1 from your Clear Access account into your checking account each time you use online bill pay or use your debit card for a one-time purchase. You can also transfer as little as $25 per month or $1 per day into your account to see your savings grow even faster.
9. Best for Cash Back: Discover Cashback Debit
The Discover Cashback Debit account may not be marketed to teens and students, by name. But, it’s enticing to anyone looking for a standard checking account with no monthly service fees and 1% cashback on debit card purchases, up to $3,000 per month. It’s highly unlikely for most college students to max out that free money (unless they are putting housing, tuition, and car expenses on their card).
Discover Cashback! debit card offers many of the benefits you’d expect from these top-rated money accounts, including early direct deposit, 60,000+ no-fee ATMs, and overdraft protection from your linked Discover Savings with no fees. Discover charges no fees for insufficient funds, bank checks, regular checks, or expedited delivery of a replacement debit card.
These features make it one of the most convenient accounts you can hold. Plus, you don’t have to worry about “aging out” of the account and facing fees for a non-student bank account. Your Discover Cashback Debit account will be free no matter your age. Link it to a Discover Savings Account to earn 4.0% APY with no minimum deposit required.
10. Best for Unlimited Out-of-Network ATM Fee Reimbursement – Axos Bank Rewards Checking
Another bank account not marketed to students but meeting all their needs is the Axos Bank Rewards Checking account. This account has no monthly fees. It also reimburses ATM fees for out-of-network ATMs nationwide, which is great for students who travel domestically or who don’t have ATMs in their network on campus.
Pay no overdraft fee or non-sufficient funds fees with this account. Best of all, earn an APY of 0.40% on your checking balance if you receive monthly direct deposits of $1,500-plus. Young investors can ramp up their interest rate by 1% with an average daily balance of $2,500 in an Axos Invest Managed Portfolio Account, plus another 1% by holding $2,500 in a self-directed trading account. If you take out a loan through Axos, you can add another 0.60% to your APY.
College students likely won’t regret opening an Axos Bank account to take them through adulthood, especially with options for investing, low mortgage rates, car loans, and more.
Plus, earn a welcome bonus when you open an account and have direct deposits of at least $1,500 within a single calendar month during the first three months of account opening.
11. Best Credit Union: Alliant Credit Union Teen Checking
Alliant Credit Union offers a teen checking account for minors ages 13 to 17. The account is insured up to $250,000 per account holder by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The adult account holder must be an Alliant Credit Union member. But it’s easy to join by depositing $5 into an Alliant Credit Union saving account. Alliant Savings earns an APY of 0.25%.
The teen checking account has no overdraft fees or non-sufficient funds fee. It also has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Account holders gain access to 80,000+ fee free ATMs nationwide plus $20 per month in ATM fee reimbursement for out-of-network ATM use. This is an interest earning checking account which also pays 0.25% APY on all balances as long as you have at least one deposit, via ACH direct deposit, mobile check deposit, or transfer from another bank or credit union, each month.
12. Best for Young Shoppers: Varo Bank
Varo Bank is another account not necessarily marketed to college students but definitely optimized for their needs. The Varo Bank debit card delivers up to 6% cash back, with money deposited into your Varo account as soon as you accrue $5 in rewards.
Like many of the best student accounts on this list, Varo has no monthly fee, no minimum balance requirements, and no overdraft fee. If you need money before payday, you can use Varo Advance, an interest-fee program that allows you to borrow up to $250 and pay it back within 30 days. You will not pay fees to borrow less than $20. Borrowing up to $250 comes with fees that can be as high as $15, depending on the amount of cash advance you need.
Varo Bank uses the Allpoint network of ATMs, with fee free access to 55,000+ ATMs nationwide. Using other bank ATMs could result in charges up to $3 from Varo and fees charged by the other banks, as well.
It pays to open a linked Varo Bank savings to take advantage of a high 3% APY. Account holders with direct deposits equal to $1,000 per month and a positive balance in their Varo checking and savings can earn up to 4% APY.
One of the best things about a Varo account is it can grow with you. You won’t pay additional fees as an adult out of college, so you can keep the same bank account you started with for your entire life if you want.
Methodology: How We Select the Best Student Checking Accounts
To find the best student checking accounts, we evaluated the monthly maintenance fees, ATM fees, minimum deposit requirements, features, benefits, banking services provided, along with customer service and mobile app access at several of the biggest and most well-known banks and credit unions.
ATM Network
Most banks have ATM networks or partner ATM networks of 20,000 or more ATMs nationwide where you can use your debit card with no ATM fees. You might be surprised to learn that even online banks and financial technology companies that are not a bank provide access to thousands of ATMs nationwide through partner programs.
Nationwide availability (physical locations or mobile access)
College students often split time between their college campus and the home where they grew up. Finding a bank with physical locations in the areas they live or an online bank that provides a mobile banking app with fee free mobile banking from anywhere is important.
Fees and minimum requirements
Bank fees no longer have to be a way of life for today’s young adults. We chose financial institutions with no monthly maintenance fees or easy ways to waive maintenance fees.
Benefits such as high APY, cash-back rewards, or other additional perks
Student checking accounts today are more than just “bare bones” places to store your cash. Many student bank accounts offer perks, benefits, and high-yield savings or an interest bearing checking account to provide added value.
Overdraft fees
Cash management mistakes happen, especially when young adults first start learning to budget and manage their finances. Many banks have no overdraft fees and some offer overdraft protection to help out in a pinch.
How to Choose the Best Bank for College Students
We’ve offered 12 solid options to help you choose the best student checking account. Before you open a student bank account, it’s a good idea to think about what you need in your primary checking account and a linked savings.
The list below makes it easy to review your must-haves and nice-to-haves when you choose your first bank account as a college student.
Best student checking account interest rates
If you’re looking to earn interest on your standard checking account, many banks offer this feature. Review annual percentage yield (APY) figures for your top choices.
Remember, a higher savings interest rate might benefit you more, since money in your checking account tends to fluctuate based on paychecks, bills, and expenses. The best checking account may not pay interest, but can save you money in other ways.
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
Likewise, you can put money in your pocket with an account with linked savings offering a high annual percentage yield (APY).
Mobile Check Deposit
If you get paid via paper checks, you’ll want to find an account with a mobile app that offers mobile check deposit. Find out how fast deposits clear, and if mobile banking services are fee free.
No Monthly Maintenance Fees
Many banks today make it easy to find a free checking account with no maintenance fees. If you have to pay a monthly maintenance fee, find out exactly what you’re getting for your money. Find out if the perks and benefits, such as a cash back debit card or reimbursement of ATM fees make the maintenance fees worthwhile.
Minimum Deposit and Minimum Balance Requirements
When you’re just getting started, cash may be tight. It’s important to find an account with no minimum deposit to open.
Banking Services Provided
Accounts should have customer service online, by phone or in branches, plus an easy-to-use mobile app and a debit card with no ATM fees.
FAQs About Student Checking Accounts
Read what people are asking about the best student checking accounts, including minimum deposit requirements and benefits of a student checking account.
What are the benefits of a student bank account?
A bank account tailored for students gives young adults a head start on their financial future and learning how to manage money. For students who work, they can receive direct deposits in their student account, pay bills online, and send money to friends and family using Zelle.
How to get a student checking account bonus?
Several student checking accounts, including Chase, provide sign-up bonuses. Make sure to read the fine print and complete the requirements, which may include setting up direct deposit or making a minimum opening deposit, to collect the bonus.
Can I open a student checking account without a deposit?
To open a student checking account without a minimum deposit amount, simply look for a bank account, like Varo, that has no minimum opening deposit.
Are there any downsides to opening a student checking account?
When you open a student checking account, you’ll want to make sure you won’t pay monthly maintenance fees. Some student checking accounts convert to a regular account once the student graduates, and there may be fees associated with the regular account.
Is there an age limit on a student checking account?
Most student checking accounts are open to students from the age of 18 to 24 without a joint account holder. Customers under the age of 18 may be able to open an account with a joint owner.
Can minors open student checking accounts?
Accounts like Capital One Money Teen are available to children ages 8 and up with a joint account holder. Some other accounts require students to be 18 or older.
What happens to your student checking account when you graduate?
Many of the student bank accounts on this list won’t change when you graduate college. Others offer the option to convert your account to one of the bank’s regular checking products. A Chase College Checking Account has no monthly fees for your first five years in college, but if you graduate or exceed that time frame, you might pay a $6 monthly maintenance fee unless you meet other requirements.
Is fear stopping you from starting a new business or side hustle?
Almost every day, I receive an email that goes something like this: “I am afraid to start my side hustle and put myself out there. How do I get over this fear?”
This is a common fear for anyone starting something new.
Today, I am interviewing my friend Christine on ways to overcome your fears when starting a new side hustle or business. Plus, I ask her other mindset and productivity questions I often hear.
Christine is a former full-time blogger turned certified life coach, freelance writer, and online marketer. She has tried a variety of side hustles and online businesses, and she is here today to share helpful advice to get you started with your business or side hustle. Christine is also the creator of The Harbor, a life coaching monthly membership specifically for online entrepreneurs.
Some of the questions I ask her include:
How can a person decide if a side hustle or business is for them?
How can someone get over their fears of starting a business and actually begin?
What’s the best planning method for productivity?
How can entrepreneurs create better work-life balance?
How can someone stop being overwhelmed when starting a new business?
What do you think a person should do if they are feeling burnout from their side hustle or business?
And more!
Starting a new business or side hustle can lead to many questions and fears, which can prevent people from pursuing their dreams and finding ways to make money.
With today’s article, you will learn how to overcome your fears and take the necessary steps towards starting a successful business or side hustle.
Please enjoy this interview.
Mindset and Productivity Tips For Starting A New Business
Please give us a little background on yourself and what led you to become a coach.
After college, I was stuck in jobs that paid barely above minimum wage. I didn’t have any valuable work experience or skills. And shockingly, my arts degree was not a money maker 😅.
Eventually, I started blogging on the weekends as a creative outlet from my soul-sucking full-time job. I eventually was able to replace my full-time job income (Thanks in part to your Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course! I enrolled when you first launched it).
I spent four years as a full-time blogger and as my blog and I each grew and evolved, I started to feel ready for a change. My blog provided a lot of step-by-step, actionable advice. I saw over and over again that my readers weren’t creating lasting change in their lives because there wasn’t a deeper mindset shift.
This is what led me to pursue coaching. I wanted to learn how to help people use their minds to create lasting change in their lives.
Instead of keeping my blog and transitioning it to this new niche, I decided to sell it, give myself time to immerse myself in an amazing coach certification program, and start fresh with a brand new coaching business.
What side hustles and online businesses have you tried in the past?
I often feel like there’s not much I haven’t done!
I tried my hand at proofreading but realized it wasn’t for me. I’ve created low-content journals for Amazon KDP (super fun!). I’ve just barely scratched the surface of selling Canva templates on Etsy.
With my blog I pursued many forms of income:
Because of my blogging experience, I’ve been able to do some amazing side hustles.
I’ve done a good amount of freelance writing. This has been a good income source for me. However, I find it quite mentally taxing, so I can’t do a large amount of it.
I still have a few very part-time virtual assistant clients. I enjoy the variety of virtual assistant work and getting a peek into how other people run their online businesses. Plus, the pay is good!
I also do marketing work for a mid-sized literary company.
Because I was a one-woman show and did everything myself as I built my successful blog, I’ve found that I have a lot of valuable skills! My successful side hustles have come because of my blogging background.
What do your thoughts and emotions have to do with making money?
Everything! If you want to make money, learning to manage your thoughts and emotions is extremely important. Especially for side hustlers and entrepreneurs.
Here’s how our lives basically work:
Our thoughts create our emotions. Based on our emotions, we take action (or don’t). Our actions create the results we have in our lives. In this case, the result would be making money (or not).
Thought ➡️ Emotion ➡️ Actions ➡️ Result
When we talk about making money, we’re usually focused on our actions and results, right? But our actions are created based on our thoughts and emotions.
So! An example:
You want to send a series of three sales emails to your list to make money. Making money is the result that you want.
If your thoughts are things like: I don’t want to bother people, people will think I’m pushy, or tons of people will unsubscribe, you’ll probably feel timid.
When you feel timid, what actions do you think you’ll take? You might procrastinate, send one email instead of three, and come across as apologetic instead of confident.
The result of your actions is likely going to be that you don’t make much money from your email list.
So just to sum it up, here’s what happened:
Thought:I don’t want to bother people.
⬇️
Emotion: Timid.
⬇️
Actions: Procrastination, sending fewer emails than planned, apologetic vibe.
⬇️
Likely Result: I don’t earn much money.
But what if you had a different thought? Maybe you intentionally choose to think: What I’m sharing has the potential to help my readers immensely. That is going to lead to very different emotions, actions, and results.
Thought:What I’m sharing has the potential to help my readers immensely.
⬇️
Emotion: Excited.
⬇️
Actions: Write emails with confidence from a place of wanting to help people, send all three planned emails because I don’t want anyone to miss this valuable information.
⬇️
Result: I follow through with my plan, serve my audience, and (probably) earn money.
Our thoughts and emotions completely change how we show up for our businesses. This massively influences the amount of money we make as well as our daily experience of being an entrepreneur.
How can a person decide if a side hustle or business is for them?
I think that alignment is the key. There are endless ways to make money and everyone will tell you that their way is the best and for good reason–it worked for them! But it worked for them because it felt in alignment for them.
I am extremely introverted and have tried to follow methods from extroverted entrepreneurs for gaining clients. While I had a bit of success, I hated every second of it because it was so darn draining for me!
To decide if a side hustle or business is right for you, it’s important to think about the actual day-to-day work you will be doing, not just the result you’d like of making lots of money.
If you enjoy the daily tasks, you will be more likely to succeed. You’ll make more money AND enjoy the process.
How can someone get over their fears of starting a business and actually begin?
I love this question because I’ve seen it come up since the day I started blogging.
I’d see new bloggers spend months trying to make their website look just right and get every single little element in place and then get super panicked about making their website public.
Side note: Making your website live does not mean 10,000 people are instantly going to find you (if only!). Your website can be live the entire time you’re working on it. Almost no one is ever going to see it until you start really marketing it.
So much fear comes from perfectionism. This is not about wanting everything to be perfect because we have high standards. It’s wanting things to be perfect so that we can protect ourselves from all possible criticism.
There are two things that most experienced entrepreneurs know:
Nothing will ever be “done” or “perfect”. Your business will always be growing and changing. So press publish, share it on Facebook, and tell the world about it. Striving for perfection stops you from making money and helping people.
What you do is not for everybody. Criticism can actually be a good thing. It means that what you’re doing is not bland, safe, and boring. It is memorable and will likely help you gain raving fans!
Yes, it can feel vulnerable to start a side hustle or business. This is another reason why learning how to manage your thoughts and emotions is a powerful skill.
If you have the desire to try something, I hope you will honor that desire and do it! Nothing is ever wasted. No matter what happens with your venture, the skills you learn along the way will be valuable and may lead to bigger and better things later on.
What’s the best planning method for productivity?
I get this question a lot and the answer is: whatever works best for you in this phase of your life as long as you use the 4 keys I’ll share below.
I spent years getting epic amounts of stuff done by using time blocking to schedule my weeks. However, a year and a half ago, my husband became unable to work due to chronic illness and I became his caregiver.
Suddenly, time blocking did not work for me at all because I never knew how much assistance my husband would need each day. I needed a planning method that offered more flexibility.
Some weeks, I use a good old-fashioned to-do list. I also have developed a planning method called the Check-Boxes Method that I use quite often. And sometimes I use a more simplified version of time-blocking.
Any planning method can work, but it needs to incorporate these 4 keys:
Strategy: having an end goal for every single task on your schedule.
Prioritization: decluttering your schedule so that you’re doing the few things that make the most impact.
Working distraction-free: everyone knows they should do this, but hardly anyone does.
Daily power hours: scheduling a chunk of time each day to do all the little stuff so that you free up more time for focused work.
(I go into each of these in more detail within The Harbor’s foundations course.)
If you feel like you can’t find the right planning method for you, it’s probably because you’re missing one or more of these keys. The method matters much less than the execution.
How can entrepreneurs create better work-life balance?
The #1 most important thing to do if you want to create better work-life balance is to define what that means for you.
The term work-life balance is really vague! It conjures up images of one of those banker’s scales where you have to have exactly the same amount of weight on each side for it to be balanced. But work-life balance is more about intentional imbalance than 50/50 balance.
There are weeks when we spend tons of hours working and times when our personal lives take higher priority. The key is to have this happen on purpose.
So what does ideal work-life balance look like for you?
Is it working 35 hours per week?
Is it never working at all on the weekend?
Is it working 60 hours this week so that you can fully unplug for an upcoming vacation?
Work-life balance can be about where your thoughts are.
For me, work-life balance is mostly about my mindset and being intentional. I want to be “all in” on whatever I’m doing.
If I’m watching TV in the evening, I want to be all in. Single-tasking. Not also scrolling on Facebook or checking emails.
When I’m working, I want to fully focus on one task at a time with as many distractions eliminated as possible.
Here’s a journaling exercise for you: What do you imagine your life would look like if you had perfect work-life balance? Out of your answer, what can you do today (even if it’s little) to start incorporating better balance into your life?
This exercise is worth repeating regularly. Maybe ideal balance this month looks very different than it did last month because of the life changes you have going on.
How can someone stop being overwhelmed when starting a new business?
Learn one new skill at a time and ignore 99% of the advice out there.
It’s sooo easy to get overwhelmed when you’re starting out. There can be a lot of new skills to learn and every piece of advice will tell you 21 more things you need to do to be successful.
When I started out as a blogger, I focused completely on creating a regular posting rhythm. I just wrote and posted blog posts weekly. That’s it.
Once I felt comfortable with that, I learned Pinterest marketing and incorporated that into my schedule. So I was writing blog posts and marketing them on Pinterest. That’s it.
Each time I got comfortable with a skill, I learned something new: Creating an email list, adding affiliate links to my posts, creating digital products to sell, etc. (Not the order I would recommend doing these things in anymore, BTW.)
Whatever business you want to create, you don’t have to come out of the gate with every ideal element up and running. This is a marathon, y’all. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul.
Also, if you want to buy a course to learn a new skill, buy one course and incorporate everything you learn from that course BEFORE buying another course. One thing at a time!
What do you think a person should do if they are feeling burnout from their side hustle or business?
Oh man, this is such a big important topic for entrepreneurs! I’ll just dive into one aspect of it that I see most often in my clients.
Someone experiencing burnout should work on improving the quality of their rest and downtime. Us entrepreneurs and side hustlers have a tendency to always be half-working.
We work while we’re watching TV, check our email throughout the weekend, and respond to social media comments as we’re getting into bed.
This means that we’re never fully “off the clock” and we have a really crappy quality of rest and downtime.
Surprisingly, rest can be super uncomfortable! Our brains often tell us that it isn’t safe for us to rest. You might have thoughts like:
I should do more.
I could be doing…
I haven’t gotten enough done yet.
When you’re thinking about all of the things you could or should be doing, resting brings up underlying fear and anxiety. That’s OK! This is an opportunity to feel your emotions, allow them to be there, and then redirect your thoughts to ones that will serve you better.
Some ideas of intentional thoughts for your downtime are:
It is safe for me to relax.
I am allowed to rest.
Rest is good for me even when it doesn’t feel amazing.
Creating more separation between work and downtime helps us recharge and recover from burnout. You need time to be fully off the clock–even if it’s just for two hours before bed. The quality sometimes matters more than the quantity.
Side note: Your best business ideas will probably come to you when you’re fully disconnected from work. I get amazing ideas in the shower. When your mind is free to wander, it comes up with fabulously creative plans.
What other tips do you have for someone who wants to start side hustling or start their own business?
Just do it! 😂
Honestly, my tip is to stop looking for tips and start taking messy action. Do it wrong. Do it badly. Consider every part of it an experiment and a learning process.
You can’t research your way to success.
What can a person learn from your coaching membership? How would this benefit someone looking to start a business or side hustle? Can you tell us about some of the people who have successfully taken this?
The Harbor is for online entrepreneurs who want to step into mindful productivity. I show my clients how to earn more while doing less by zeroing in on the tasks that will truly move the needle in their businesses and then making those happen.
A huge part of this process is learning how to process your emotions and choose thoughts that serve you. It’s this deeper work that most people don’t want to do. But it leads to success that is anti-burnout and anti-busyness.
If you’re just starting your business or side hustle, you will learn so many foundational skills that will help you set up a sustainable business: reducing overwhelming, creating a doable action plan, time and energy management, taking action from an empowered mindset, and more.
Some client-favorite topics that I coach on include:
Creating Your 1-Hour Growth Plan
Quality Rest and Downtime
Setting and Sticking to Boundaries
Overcoming Procrastination
Accountability
Time Management Methods
Workbooks are included in the membership so that everyone can apply the lessons to their unique situation. Plus clients can always get one-on-one help through weekly group coaching calls and unlimited written coaching.
I work with online entrepreneurs and side hustlers just starting out as well as established entrepreneurs that are working on expanding their teams. Bloggers, virtual assistants, life coaches, writers, and more.
I’ll share a few results directly from my clients:
“In just a few months I have gone from burnt out and overwhelmed to excited about my business and working on the things that are really going to move me forward in the direction of my goals. The Harbor has really helped me to get clearer on how to balance my business and personal life.” ~ Kayla, Virtual Assistant
“Each week I left with systems to implement that freed up more of my time. With the time that I was able to reclaim, I was able to work towards getting ideal clients. Not only was I able to get two new ideal clients, but they were booked at my highest fee pricing yet.” ~ Cassie, Pinterest Manager
“I realized during our sessions that I wasn’t working strategically, and even though I was busy, I wasn’t doing the things I needed to in order to get results… My biggest wins were getting new clients and seeing that I had everything I needed to keep making that happen.” ~ Shayna, Life Coach
“I was struggling with putting too many tasks on my weekly to-do list and feeling bad about not getting more done. Now, I have a streamlined weekly schedule that makes me focus on only the most important tasks with less guilt over what I’m not getting done.” ~ Jessica, Blogger
“I struggled with figuring out how to scale my business. I was mentally exhausted and so stressed at the end of each workday, and couldn’t see how I could take on any more work or clients. I enjoy my work far more with the new systems and am scaling my business to levels I never thought possible.” ~ Erin, Email Marketing Specialist
Most entrepreneurs and side hustlers think that they need to learn a new strategy to earn more money. What they actually need is to learn skills like mindful productivity, how to overcome procrastination and overwhelm, and how to do fewer, high-impact tasks.
I often tell people that you don’t need to learn a new strategy. You know enough. You need to fully apply and incorporate what you already know. That’s what The Harbor is all about.
You can learn more about The Harbor by clicking here.
What’s holding you back? What questions do you have for Christine?
Home to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, South Dakota is not only rich in natural beauty but it’s also a treasure trove of educational opportunities.
These college towns in South Dakota offer an ideal environment for students to pursue their passions, earn their degrees and lay down roots for bright futures. In this article, we will explore the top college towns in South Dakota, featuring Vermillion, Brookings, Sioux Falls and more. Lace up your hiking boots, it’s time to embark on a delightful journey through these charming South Dakota college towns.
Nestled along the scenic bluffs of the Missouri River, Vermillion is home to the University of South Dakota. As one of the best college towns in South Dakota, Vermillion boasts a picturesque setting that complements a top-quality educational experience. The National Music Museum on the University of South Dakota campus is a must-see, displaying a remarkable collection of musical instruments from around the world. With more than 15,000 instruments, this museum is a true gem for music enthusiasts and historians.
When it comes to entertainment, Vermillion doesn’t disappoint either. The city’s historic downtown offers a variety of shops, bars and restaurants for locals and students to enjoy. From the legendary drinks at Charcoal Lounge to the eclectic menu at Café Brulé, there is something for every palate in the picturesque downtown.
Vermillion is also home to numerous parks and trails, providing ample opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to explore the breathtaking South Dakota landscape. No matter your interests, Vermillion is sure to provide an unforgettable college town experience.
Located in eastern South Dakota, Brookings is another vibrant college town that hosts South Dakota State University (SDSU). As the state’s largest university, SDSU brings an undeniable energy to Brookings, making it one of the most sought-after college towns in South Dakota. The South Dakota Art Museum, located on the SDSU campus, showcases a stunning collection of Native American art, as well as regional and national contemporary art. This museum is a haven for art lovers and an excellent way to immerse yourself in South Dakota’s unique cultural heritage.
Brookings is also known for its lively downtown district, which is home to a range of shops, restaurants and entertainment options. For foodies, there’s no shortage of delicious options: indulge in authentic Italian cuisine at Roma’s Ristorante or savor the local flavors at Cottonwood Coffee. If you’re looking to enjoy the great outdoors, Brookings has you covered with several parks, bike trails and the Dakota Nature Park, where you can hike, fish or simply relax in the peaceful surroundings.
The city’s warm and friendly atmosphere, combined with its excellent educational resources, make Brookings a must-visit destination for anyone interested in exploring the best college towns in South Dakota.
As the largest city in South Dakota, Sioux Falls is a thriving hub of education, culture and entertainment. Home to Augustana University, the University of Sioux Falls and several other colleges, Sioux Falls ranks among the best college towns in South Dakota. As you stroll through the city’s historic downtown, you’ll encounter a captivating blend of old-world charm and modern amenities. Be sure to visit the Washington Pavilion, which houses the Visual Arts Center, the Kirby Science Discovery Center and the Wells Fargo CineDome—a one-stop destination for art, science and entertainment.
The city’s culinary scene is equally impressive, with a diverse array of dining options ranging from upscale restaurants to cozy cafes. Treat yourself to some delectable sushi at Oshima or sample mouth-watering Mediterranean fare at Sanaa’s Gourmet. Sioux Falls also offers ample recreational opportunities, with the serene Falls Park at its heart. This beautiful park features the city’s namesake falls, walking trails and picnic areas, making it a perfect spot to unwind amidst nature. Outdoor enthusiasts can also explore the 29-mile Sioux Falls Bike Trail, which meanders through parks and green spaces, providing a picturesque way to experience the city.
With its thriving educational institutions and vibrant cultural scene, Sioux Falls is an excellent choice for those seeking out the best college towns in South Dakota.
While not as well-known as Vermillion, Brookings or Sioux Falls, Spearfish is an up-and-coming college town that deserves some attention. Home to Black Hills State University, Spearfish offers a unique mix of small-town charm and big-city amenities. This beautiful city is nestled in the picturesque Black Hills with provides a breathtaking backdrop for all educational pursuits.
Spearfish’s downtown area is a hub of activity, featuring a ton of locally-owned shops, restaurants and galleries. Savor some delicious wood-fired pizza at Dough Trader Pizza Company or indulge in fresh Mexican cuisine at Guadalajara’s Spearfish. The city is also a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with nearby Spearfish Canyon offering opportunities for hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. The canyon’s majestic waterfalls and colorful foliage create a mesmerizing landscape that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Known as the ‘Gateway to the Black Hills,’ Rapid City is another fantastic college town in South Dakota. Home to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, this bustling city is a dynamic environment for students and locals alike. Rapid City’s vibrant downtown area, with its mix of historical architecture and modern amenities, provides plenty of options for dining, shopping and enjoying life to the fullest.
The city’s culinary scene is as diverse as it is delicious, with options like the mouth-watering steaks at Delmonico Grill and the tasty vegan fare at Everest Cuisine. Rapid City also boasts a wealth of outdoor activities, including hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking in the nearby Black Hills National Forest. For a unique cultural experience, visit the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial or take a scenic drive to Mount Rushmore.
With its excellent educational opportunities and unforgettable surroundings, Rapid City is a fantastic choice for those exploring college towns in South Dakota.
Settle down in a cool South Dakota college town
South Dakota’s top college towns offer a unique combination of exceptional educational institutions and vibrant communities. From the picturesque Vermillion to the bustling Sioux Falls, these cities provide a perfect environment for students and visitors to immerse themselves in the rich culture and natural beauty of the state. So, whether you’re a prospective student or a curious traveler, consider setting out on a delightful adventure through the best college towns in South Dakota.