Stuff Savvy Student Says to Students

With the recent success of all of those "S*** ____ Says" videos, especially our very own "S*** Brandeis Students Don't Say" video, this Savvy Student decided to make a post dedicated to advice for students to ensure that the rest of the school year is as successful and easy as possible.

Here are the top 9 tips for a manageable and enjoyable spring semester...

• Re-apply for financial aid!
  If you are a student who will be applying for financial aid next year, complete the FAFSA and send your documents to IDOC before the April 27th deadline. Doing your financial aid application now will save you on stress before finals begin!
  



• Declare your major!
  If you are a sophomore, make sure you declare your major before the end of March! If you do not declare at least one major before the end of March a hold will be placed on your account. Holds on your account are a very unpleasent surprise when class registration rolls around!
  



• Be proactive if you want a job!
  If you are interested in finding employment next semester, start talking to professors and employers now! You can never be too sure which jobs are opening up and when. Be sure to visit the Student Employment website for more information on jobs.
  



• Understand your loans!
  Do the proper research to understand your loans. If you are a senior who is graduating and you have loans you will need to complete exit counseling. If you don't, a hold will be placed on your account. For a few tips on how to repay your loans after graduation, check out our blog on Helpful Tips for Repaying your Loans.



• Make a budget!
  Making a budget for next year is never a bad idea, especially if you are planning to live off campus! For more tips on preparing to live off campus, check out our blog on Off-Campus Housing.
  



• Check your SAGE account!
  You should always be periodically checking your SAGE account to make sure that there are no holds or overdue balances. You don't want to be caught by surprise when registration or graduation roll around!
  



• Get your money back!
  If you have a negative balance on your account and you are eligible for a refund, make sure you complete a Credit Release Form so that you can receive a refund check. If you are planning to go abroad next semester and you know that you will have a credit on your account that you will want to use, make sure you fill out the form and hand it in to the Office of Financial Services before you leave!
  



• Get more money!
  If you need financial assitance, don't just apply for financial aid from Brandeis. You can apply for many outside scholarships that can go toward tuition, housing, books, or any other needs you may have. The Financial Services website has a list of outside scholarships that is updated frequently. Check it out!
  



• SLOW DOWN!
  Take a moment every day to enjoy your time at Brandeis. Despite how busy every student is, it's important to stop and smell the roses every once in a while! Chill!
  

What other tips do you think are important for a calm and fun spring semester? Comment below if you have any suggestions!

~Savvy Student

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What is the Cost of Love?

"In total, Americans spend approximately $13 billion per year on Valentine's Day". The most common gifts include greeting cards, date night, flowers, gift cards and plush toys. All of which add up to 8 billion candy conversation hearts, 35 billion boxes of chocolate, and 110 billion roses delivered. And, this is why Valentine's Day turns out to be such an expensive holiday!

While some may recommend "Calling it quits with your other half before Valentine’s Day" (Consumerism Commentary) in order to save money on the costly holiday, this Savvy Student likes to think that you can stick to a budget without kicking your sweetheart to the curb. On average, each American will spend $120 on Valentine's Day gifts for their sweetie, but Savvy Student is here to help.

There are tons of great ideas for couples out there, but here are a few of our favorites:

-Stay in and cook a romantic dinner for two. You can even plan an indoor picnic.

-Repeat what you did on your first date. Go to the same restaurant, see the same movie, or just enjoy reminiscing.

-Enjoy the outdoors--take a walk or watch the sunset

-Snuggle up on the couch and watch an old movie together. Get popcorn and candy to get the movie theater feel.


And, if you're single don't despair. Savvy Student has come up with a list of cheap ideas for you too:

-Have a girls/guys day out--Valentine's Day can also be about celebrating the love you have for your friends or family!

-Have a party for all of your single friends!

-Spend the day watching a movie marathon with your friends--replay all your old favorites

-Enjoy a relaxing spa day (this may be more spendy, but if you can use the facilities around you, i.e. the new pool, yoga class etc your out of pocket expenses will go down)


Whatever you plan on doing, whether you are celebrating Valentine's Day with a significant other or not, keep these great ideas in mind.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Savvy Student

Sources:
http://kayce.wrytestuff.com/swa425942.htm
http://www.smartmarriages.com/uploaded/50.Cheap.Valentine.Ideas.Kurland.pdf
http://www.onlineaccountingdegree.net/cost-of-valentines/
http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x1463449504/The-price-of-love-on-Valentine-s-Day
http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/save-money-break-up-before-valentines-day/

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Great Clothes on the Cheap

Designer clothing with TJMaxx prices, at your fingertips every morning at 11am. Online discount boutiques are all the rage right now.

Ruelala (Ruelala.com) is often considered the mother of all boutique shops. This company, based in Boston, offers a variety of great deals on designer goods. Each day at 11am (Eastern Standard Time) the site opens up a variety of boutiques. Each "shop" is open for a few days and often, some of the best stuff sells out right away. The page has a lot of great deals for clothing, travel goods, food and sometimes even good get-aways or certificates for use in Boston. Right now they're running a special for free shipping, but typically, shipping is $9.95. They do have a special they've been running- when you pay for shipping once, you get free shipping for 30 days. Proceed with caution though, this may make you more liable to make purchases that you don't need. Ruelala is "invite only," but you can apply for membership from the website. Ask around and see if a friend has an account though, if you make a purchase, they get a $10 credit!

Other sites with similar set-ups are Hautelook (hautelook.com), Gilt (gilt.com), Beyond the Rack (beyondtherack.com) and Ideeli (ideeli.com).

Another site that often has clothing but also some unique artistic gifts is Fab (Fab.com).

But, we at savvy student say buyer beware with all these great websites. Many of these items, while they are dramatically discounted, were very expensive to begin with and therefore, can still be pricey. While the deals are tempting, be sure to figure out if you really need the item and it fits within your budget!

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Some Upcoming Deadlines at SFS!

While it may seem that the Spring Semester just started, it's never too soon to begin thinking about your finances for next year! Here at SFS, we would like to notify you of a couple deadlines that are fast approaching.
The deadline for submitting financial aid documents for returning students is April 27th. More specific information is available on our website, but returning students should plan to submit the following:

FAFSA: available at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

CSS/Financial AidPROFILE: available at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/

Parents and Student's 2011 Federal Tax Returns

Finally, we would like to notify all current sophomores about the Brandeis Acheivement Award. Available only to sophomores with a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and currently not receiving any of the merit scholarships listed here, the Brandeis Achievement Award is a merit-based scholarship worth $5000 per semester for the junior and senior years of the recipients. Applicants must submit a current résumé, two recommendations from Brandeis faculty, and a one-page personal statement detailing their academic experience at Brandeis. A maximum of five awards in the amount of $5,000 per semester will be conferred by the selection committee for the junior and senior years.

Further details on the Brandeis Achievement Award are available in PDF form here.

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