8.11 Chapter Activities

Chapter Takeaways

Finances

  • Controlling your finances while in college is important both for your future well-being and for eliminating stress that can impede your academic success.
  • Meeting your financial goals while in college may require some financial sacrifice but need not result in hardship.
  • Understanding your own spending habits and practicing a few simple principles for spending less help prevent unnecessary debt. Make and use a budget to take control of your financial life.
  • Credit card spending is the leading cause of out-of-control debt in America today. Use credit cards minimally and wisely.
  • Protect your financial identity by maintaining good records and preventing criminals from obtaining your personal or financial information.
  • Look into all forms of financial aid and apply for all aid for which you may be qualified. Do not take more in student loans than you really need.

Future

  • Career planning is an ongoing process involving knowing yourself, knowing about career options, and understanding the context in which your decisions will be made.
  • Employers look at candidates who have the right education, the right skills, and the right experience.

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Texas Tech University Resources

Need help managing your finances? Contact Red to Black
Red to Black
201 Student Union Building (SUB)
806.742.9781
www.r2b.ttu.edu
Red to Black Peer Financial Coaching provides financial education and awareness to students through individual coaching sessions, presentations, and outreach booths. They cover topics such as creating budgets, building and using credit wisely, and maximizing student loans. Their purpose is to empower students so that they can achieve their financial goals.

Want to know more about financial aid or scholarships? Contact Financial Aid
Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
West Hall 301
806.742.3681
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/financialaid/

Need help finding a career path or writing a resume? Visit the Career Center
University Career Center
150 South Side, Wiggins Complex
806.742.2210
www.careercenter.ttu.edu
The Career Center assists students in their career development and offers a variety of online career assessments. Among these are StengthsQuest, a program that assists students to identify their top strengths to promote career development. The center also offers the Strong Interest Inventory and Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) online. University Career Services offers help in resume writing, hosts job fairs, career days and on-campus interviews with hundreds of employers and can assist students in identifying internships.

Need assistance finding a major? Contact Advising
University Advising
347 Drane
806.742.2189
www.advising.ttu.edu
Academic advisors assist students with their educational plans and initiate dialog through withih students may gain insight to explore academic, career, and life goals. In addition to TTUA, all colleges and academic departments offer academic advising. Students work with academic advisors to learn decision making in order to assist them in making informed choices that lead to graduation.

Chapter Review

    1. Why is it necessary to track all your expenditures if your goal is to spend less to avoid financial problems while in college?

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    2. Imagine several situations in which a friend asks you to join some activity that would break your budget. Write down positive, upbeat things you can say in these situations instead of glumly saying “I can’t afford it.”

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    3. Who should you talk to if you are having difficulty paying for college or meeting your expenses?

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    4. Explain the difference between a job and a career.

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    5. List three ways in which the employment environment is changing. What does this mean to you?

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    6. What is your life’s mission?

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    7. What is your Holland occupational type? What kinds of occupations should you explore based on your results?

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    8. List two work-related skills and five transferable skills you have.

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    9. What are some ways you can gain experience and explore career options before you get your degree?

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    10. What are some of the factors you should consider when choosing a major or field of study?

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    11. List three things you should do to prepare for an interview.

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Make an Action List

Spending

I spend too much money every week on

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My action plan to spend less includes the following:

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Lifestyle

The area of my lifestyle where I know I spend more than most other college students is

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I can make these adjustments in my lifestyle to reduce this expenditure:

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Budgeting and Tracking Spending

Here’s how I have kept track of what I spent in the past:

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So that I can maintain a budget now and in the future, I know I need to record every expenditure. I will do this by

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Credit Card Use

In the past, I usually used my credit card to buy things like

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If you have not always been able to pay off your balance every month: I will try to avoid using my credit card as much by taking these steps:

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Make an Action List

Two things I will do to further

my career exploration in…

Actions How I will know I accomplished each action
The next two weeks 1.
2.
The next two months 1.
2.
The next two years 1.
2.

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RaiderReady: Unmasking the Possibilities of College Success Copyright © 2018 by Texas Tech University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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