My Older Self talking to my Younger Self

When I talk to students about paying for college, I always tell them to think 10 years down the road. I know for students this can be hard but it could ultimately save you time and money. These are the things I wish I could tell myself.

• Do some career research, I really had no idea what to do in college so I decided with Biology because I was good at it. I enjoy what I do now and I wish I could have figured this out earlier.
• Apply for as many scholarships as you can. I rarely ever applied for scholarships and the sad part is I had really good grades. Doing that work can pay off by not paying it back in loans.
• I should have applied to be a Resident Assistant a lot earlier. This job in college saved me a lot of money.
• I wish I spent more time with family. A lot of the friends/girlfriends I hung out with in college I don’t see anymore.
• Please do research on your private loans because I didn’t. I was always last minute; you need to find a loan that is going to work for you.
• Lastly, don’t beat yourself if you splurge once and awhile. I missed out on some fun activates in college because I didn’t want to spend the money. Yes, live within your means and be smart with your money but it is ok to have some fun.

These are somethings I would have told myself 10 years ago!

Sean - ICAN Sioux City and Orange City Centers