It is summer, the beach beckons, and all your friends want you to hang out with them. Thoughts of getting ready for college seem crazy right now, but coming up with a basic budget now will save you from much anxiety later. Besides, if you need to get financial assistance, you’ll want to explore that option once you know what your expenses will be.

A college budget isn’t a difficult undertaking, but it is something that can help you have a clearer picture where you stand financially. Your 529 savings plan, scholarships, grants, and other monies may not cover all of your expenses, leaving you short by several hundreds of dollars each month.

To get a handle on your expenses, make a best estimate on what you expect to spend for the following:

Tuition and fees — You may not be paying your school’s full $325 per credit tuition plus fees, but you probably know what amount is expected from you to cover both the fall and spring semesters.

Books — Books can be the “wild card” when it comes to college budgeting, so figure on an amount above what you expect to pay. In other words, paying one thousand dollars for textbooks for the coming academic year may not be a stretch.

Academic supplies — incidentals such as paper, notebooks, pens, and the like can add up quickly.

Electronics - laptop, printer, etc.  What college student have his or her own laptop these days? Sure, the computer lab is an option, but you won’t have any privacy and you have to connect on their time, not yours.

Housing — room and board on campus v. off-campus housing.

Food — don’t expect that you’ll want to eat cafeteria food every day. Determine what you’ll have to pay out of pocket and add that figure here.

Entertainment – on campus entertainment costs a lot less than the off campus variety, but you’ll want to find your diversions away from school from time to time.

Transportation (around the campus and town) — foot traffic is cheaper than maintaining a car, but you’ll at least need bus or train money for trips several miles off campus.

Travel home — whatever costs associated with making the occasional trip home should be included. Check with the airlines, trains, buses for fares. Consider “ride sharing” with other students who live in your area.

Other — anything that doesn’t fit the above categories goes here. This could include prescription medications and other health expenses not covered through your parent’s health plan. Clothing is another item you may need to purchase.

Your budget won’t be precise, but it should be very close to what your expenses will be for the coming academic year. Find out what monies you have available to you and see how much can be applied for this school year. If you have a shortfall, consider working a part time job or taking out a student loan to meet expenses.

Once done, reward yourself and hit the water. Yea, your friends are waiting, but at least you don’t have a burden hanging over your head for the entire summer.

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Adv. — Visit SayStudent.com to find out what your college money options are for the upcoming school year.

Tags: 529 college savings, college budget, College Planning, financial aid, private student loans, Stafford loan, Student Loans

My North Carolina Tarheels were eliminated by the Fresno State Bulldogs, but it was a bittersweet loss. Bitter because the Tarheels came up short for the third consecutive year, sweet because the team that eliminated them is this year’s College World Series champion.

An All Bulldogs Final

Fresno State is the champion by knocking off the Georgia Bulldogs 6-1 this past Wednesday. This was the same team that started its season at 8-12 and had to win the Western Athletic Conference title in order to qualify for post season play. The team escaped several near-death experiences in the regional and super regional to advance to the championship round at Omaha. Once there, they knocked off a succession of heavyweights including Georgia, the favorite.

Finishing the season at 47-31, the Bulldogs of Fresno State have the distinction of possessing the most losses of any team winning the College World Series. But, this was a determined team, one that had nothing to lose and everything to gain. You could tell when watching the series that Fresno State was the most relaxed team on the field — heck, they weren’t expected to be there and seemed to be enjoying the ride.

Two Heroes and Then Some

The hero of the third championship game was Steve Detwiler who homered twice and drove in all six of Fresno’s runs. Tommy Mendoca was named series MVP on account of his four homers, 11 RBIs, and excellent defensive work.

Some might argue that Fresno State was given an advantage not previously realized at the CWS when the series was stretched out a few extra days to build in some rest time. But, that same rest was afforded all of the teams and when it mattered, the Bulldogs pulled it all together and won the series.

Kudos to Fresno State — home of the 2008 College World Series champions!

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Adv. — When it comes time to move back to college, please visit OfftoCollege.com for moving tips and free tools.

Tags: college baseball, college world series, CWS, Fresno State Bulldogs, Georgia Bulldogs, Nebraska, Omaha